So next time you think you're going to take a bullet in real life, do yourself a favor and take some on your Xbox first.
A new study suggests that playing violent first-person shooters such as Call of Duty actually increases your pain tolerance. Researchers at Keele University had 40 subjects play video games—some violent, others not—and then see how long they could keep their hands in icy water.
Those who'd played violent games managed to hold out 65% longer. Researchers believe that's because the games triggered their "fight or flight" response, cueing their brains to reduce their pain sensitivity. The study builds on earlier work from the team that showed that swearing increases pain tolerance, too. "We assumed that swearing eases pain by sparking an emotional reaction in participants—most likely to be aggression—in turn setting off the body's fight or flight response," the lead researcher says. This time, researchers relied on video games to boost aggression instead.
Those who'd played violent games managed to hold out 65% longer. Researchers believe that's because the games triggered their "fight or flight" response, cueing their brains to reduce their pain sensitivity. The study builds on earlier work from the team that showed that swearing increases pain tolerance, too. "We assumed that swearing eases pain by sparking an emotional reaction in participants—most likely to be aggression—in turn setting off the body's fight or flight response," the lead researcher says. This time, researchers relied on video games to boost aggression instead.
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