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NFS C: Study on Virtual Driving and Risk Taking Friday, 23.03.2007
XAPNot only the so-called "Killergames" are a hot topic in Germany - also racing games are sometimes blamed for accidents - just like this case in California about a year ago.
Three social psychologists (Peter Fischer, Stephanie Guter, Dieter Frei) from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich - Germany and Jörg Kubitzki from the Allianz Center for Technology followed the question about Virtual Driving and Risk Taking: "Do Racing Games Increase Risk-Taking Cognitions, Affect, and Behaviors?".

They referred to the tragic accident (as mentioned above) and a preliminary study with 657 participants by Kubitzki (2005, 2006). He found out that 77% of the 13-17 year-old boys played racing games regularly; "there was a significant positive association between game-playing intensity and underage driving".
A different preliminary research conducted for the German Highway Safety Research Institute reported that racing games are not directly connected to real-life driving and they only discovered short-term effects of driving games on road safety.

In their current study about "Virtual Driving and Risk Taking" they ran several tests involving computer games, and also tested if playing the games Need for Speed, Burnout and Midnight Racer will result in taking higher risks in real-life driving, than playing "neutral" games:

Research has consistently shown that aggressive video console and PC games elicit aggressive cognitions, affect, and behaviors. Despite the increasing popularity of racing (driving) games, nothing is known about the psychological impact of this genre. This study investigated whether playing racing games affects cognitions, affect, and behaviors that can promote risk taking in actual road traffic situations. In Study 1, the authors found that the frequency of playing racing games was ositively associated with competitive driving, obtrusive driving, and car accidents; a negative association with cautious driving was observed. To determine cause and effect, in Study 2, the authors manipulated whether participants played 1 of 3 racing games or 1 of 3 neutral games. Participants who played a racing game subsequently reported a higher accessibility of cognitions and affect positively associated with risk taking than did participants who played a neutral game. Finally, on a more behavioral level, in Study 3, the authors found that men who played a racing game subsequently took higher risks in computersimulated critical road traffic situations than did men who played a neutral game.

Well, this study doesn't proof very much, and it couldn't be decided, whether games are the cause of risky driving, or if drivers - who are willing to take higher risks - just like playing racing games. The psychologists come to the conclusion, that it is possible that racing games have an effect on road safety. They warn of teenagers and young men, who can be influenced by racing games - especially children are vulnerable, because if they learn the risky driving too early, they might keep this trained driving style even when they are older and sit in a real car...

» Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Vol. 13, No.1
» Study: Virtual Driving and Risk Taking (PDF, 83 KB)
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Comments (5)


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#5: von †TYRANICK†™ (31.03.2007 14:14) View profile Add to your Friends-List Send Message Website
lol

Racing have aided to my driving ability, especially arcade games, only thing it didn't reconsiliate was clucth control lol, had to figure that one out myself, like on films it doesnt exactly show you need to hold the clutch to change gear, just shows them hammering the throttle, whY? oh yeah thats right americans are pussies who drive automatics lol.

Anywho im awesome now heh

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#4: von RGCxTheOnly (26.03.2007 02:05) View profile Add to your Friends-List Send Message Website
@cmbpt
Yea you have a point bro lol. To be honest I think racing simulators actually help your driving skills, whereas NFS or other racing games dont affect your driving in the first place as it is so unrealistic that one can not relate to the real world or should not, and the people that do have a basic problem and shouldnt be driving at all as cmbpt said.


#3: von cmbpt (25.03.2007 20:45) View profile Add to your Friends-List Send Message
@ Python - I call this manipulation. Those who are not bright enough to stay clear which is real and which is game should stay away from any vehicles!
Besides - no matter how 'bad' I drive - I still haven't caused any accidents. For those people (the studying dudes) 'bad' driving is breaking the rules of the road...but that is not necessarily true, you know?

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#2: von Python (24.03.2007 23:13) View profile Add to your Friends-List Send Message
I call this BS


#1: von LEAX (24.03.2007 10:34) View profile Add to your Friends-List Send Message Website
:)

this isnt about racing games, this is about ARCADE racing games ... i dont think if they had a steering wheel + pedals and played Live For Speed or GTR that they will be worse drivers ...


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