Research: Games on 3D display generate more aggression than on 2D screen
An Ohio State University study reportedly found that violent games displayed in 3D induced more aggression than games displayed in 2D. The degree of reality would be the cause of that.
However, comments can be made about the representativeness and reliability of the Ohio State University research. The university has not yet published the report, and in addition, only 194 students took part in the survey, about two-thirds of whom were women.
The participants had to play GTA IV for fifteen minutes on a 2D screen with a diagonal of 17 and 96 inches, and on a 3D screen of 96 inches with accompanying 3D glasses. Half of the participants were instructed to play violently, while the other part of the group was instructed to bowl peacefully. Afterwards, the mood of the participants was tested on the basis of various criteria. For example, the students had to indicate to what extent they were angry or irritated. Varying conclusions were drawn from the results.
The bowlers’ moods were reportedly virtually unchanged. They would show a low level of aggressiveness prior to the test and would show a low level of aggressiveness after the test. The type of screen made no significant difference for that group. The type of monitor reportedly influenced the violent players, because playing on a 3D screen would generate significantly more aggression than on the 2D screen.
The difference would be caused by the sense of reality and the immersion. This was also tested on the basis of a questionnaire. For example, it was asked to what extent players really imagined themselves in the game and to what extent they experienced the virtual characters as real. The results of the study would show that players with the 3D experience felt more in the game than players with the 2D view. Technology manufacturers, game studios, consumers and parents should consider the outcome, said Brad Bushman, a professor of Communications & Psychology at Ohio State University: “As technology improves in games, the effect on players can be amplified.”
However, the results of the study have not been published, so the results cannot be verified. Moreover, it is unclear how the researcher concludes that the experience of being more in the game generates more aggression and how he knows that the aggression does not lead to people experiencing more in the game. The research will be published in the scientific journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture.