Our emotional and hormonal responses to games.

[Siren2011]

Ok, so I had to start a topic on this, because it fascinates me and I wanted to hear what other people had to say on the matter.

Usually when you think of "adrenaline situations," people tend to conjure up images of people playing sports, or some James Bond type getting shot and using that pain as powerful motivation to kill the bad guy (or Tony at the end of Scarface, if you prefer.). But playing an interactive game? What, are you crazy? It's just code. Nothing physical is happening aside from your fingers going to work on the buttons and analog stick. Therefore, it's purely psychological. Every time you get a rush from Ibara, does that mean your brain is being tricked into thinking that it's in danger, so the body acts accordingly as it would if there was a genuine threat to one's well being? I mean, it's kinda odd when you think about it. The player starts to get anxious whenever an onslaught of bullets occupies the space around their ship...or when a sliver of health remains in round 2 of a Street Fighter II match. All he's looking at are colors that make up the visuals of the game.

I have had many adrenal responses to games in the past few years, some of them incredibly fast acting and powerful. Like, powerful in a "is there something wrong with me right now?" kind of feeling. Admittedly, it felt fantastic, just surprising.

It's really sad that no one has really conducted a in depth study on this, because those "experts" would rather be talking about the hidden message in Super Mario Brothers.

What are your most spiritually uplifting (or distressing) moments in playing games? What is arguably the most powerful mind altering substance of all, games have the power to elicit extreme reactions in humans --sometimes even fear. (Survival Horror genre). Is such an emotional reaction not somewhat similar to a bad ecstasy trip? I mean, the damn "zombies" can do nothing to you. They're in the damn game, and they're not escaping anytime soon. And yet you just yelped, and your mother heard you in the other room and told you to keep it down and stop ejaculating into the towels.

Discuss.

[Moniker]

Um, I voted before I read the post about Scarface, bad batches of ecstasy, and odd conversations with your mother regarding sexual hygiene. I am shamed.

To answer your question as to "why" such emotional responses take place, it's because we are capable of herculean levels of suspension of disbelief. Nevertheless, I don't think the feeling you get when you're facing a TLB can really be compared to what a mother feels when she lifts the car pinning down her child.

[Siren2011]

Um, I voted before I read the post about Scarface, bad batches of ecstasy, and odd conversations with your mother regarding sexual hygiene. I am shamed.

The last one was said for comic relief. I wouldn't imagine telling complete strangers on the internet about embarrassing things that happened to me, subtly or directly. That's like begging to be made fun of.

As for the Scarface and ecstasy comments, I don't get your point at all.

That seems like a fair answer, but I do think you can make some comparisons between them. Both of those events effect your emotions. Obviously, the second example requires physical strength, but as far as stress goes, games can be a source as well. And both sources of stress can cause the release of the same chemical throughout the body. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's my understanding of it.

[Moniker]

Well I don't think many studies are made - not that I've looked - simply because video games aren't particularly remarkable when it comes to strong emotional response. Horror movies, for example, are often geared to elicit the same sort of fight-or-flight adrenaline response in viewers. You could extend this to sports. No, a cheetah isn't likely to eat you if you finish last in the 100 meter dash, but we're geared psychologically to act as if it were. Competitive sports have often been said to be a civilized way of channeling the baser desires for violence as a means of competitive survival. Medieval jousting tournaments were created for the express purpose of dissipating violent energy during peacetime.

Athletics, film, novels, music, and videogames could be said to be most successful when the suspense of disbelief is complete enough to evoke a loss of individuation: the loss of the ever present keen sense of self. Your emotions, and thereby your hormonal response, is in complete control of the medium in which you are engaged. Most video games use the competitive instinct: STGs, FTGs, FPSes for example. Survival horror uses fear. A good roleplaying game will elicit a greater variety of responses, just as a film or book does. What they all have in common is that those responses will only activate so long as the viewer, at some level, believes it is real. You may know in your head that there are no real-world consequences for losing your last life on a TLB, but instinctively, you believe that there will be some negative impact in case of failure, or reward in case of success. You are competing against an AI system: you believe glory ensues if you beat it, shame (or something like it) if you don't. Something as superficially dull as chess can give you the same rush.

So it doesn't seem too remarkable to me that we experience these things during play. You get out what you put in. If you don't give a shit if you win the race, or get a 1CC, you won't experience much of anything either way. It's all about your strength of will in believing that a particular outcome matters.

[rancor]

I've been in a few serious-as-shit situations before in my life (car wrecks, home-invasion robbery, "oh-my-god-this-plane-is-gonna-crash", heated exchanges with strangers on the street) - and I've never felt the adrenal response in any of those situations. I sure as hell never felt it during a video game. Maybe I'm lacking the fight or flight response that's kept human kind around for these past thousands of years or something.. I dunno. I'm usually pretty chill. I think I've only felt that way once, and it happened after the situation. I was jittery and jumpy and had so much energy, but I felt like shit because it was a situation where I could have helped someone and I didn't.

[Siren2011]

It's interesting that you mention that, rancor. I don't mean to make the thread all "serious", but in 2007, I reached such a low point that I jumped off of a 25 ft. ledge at my community college. I was inches away from landing on a couple, too, which made me feel like shit. Anyway, after the fall, I have never felt that intense in all my life. To an extent I felt no pain at all, because of all the damn adrenaline. It kinda felt...good. I know that might sound weird, but it was invigorating. A year later, I saw Fight Club for the first time, and during the scene when Lou was beating the shit out of a laughing, mocking Tyler, a rush of deja vu came over me. I couldn't explain it, but I could understand on a superficial level why he was actually having a great time. Even when I spar with the Grand Master at my Tae Kwon Do academy, I enjoy actually landing the very, very occasional hit on him almost as much as I do getting trashed by him every time. He goes easy to a certain degree, and with good reason. He'd kill me in less than thirty seconds if he went all out.

Note: I'm not in a wheelchair or shit like that. I can actually run and everything. But when walking for long, LONG periods of time the muscles in my legs refuse to work anymore, and I collapse (Like in Japan). That's fine by me, considering what I still have.

Maybe I'm lacking the fight or flight response that's kept human kind around for these past thousands of years or something.. I dunno.

That seems impossible. Are you taking any medication that might dull the senses? Or anxiety medication? I know that when I first took my bipolar meds, as my body was adjusting to them, I noticed my reaction time to be less than lethargic.

You should talk to your doctor about that. I'd be freaking out if my fight or flight emotional responses weren't there anymore, mostly because I'm so used to them being there.

Athletics, film, novels, music, and videogames could be said to be most successful when the suspense of disbelief is complete enough to evoke a loss of individuation: the loss of the ever present keen sense of self. Your emotions, and thereby your hormonal response, is in complete control of the medium in which you are engaged.

I couldn't agree more. Well said.

[Randorama]

I had these all the times. I haven't had any powerful surges of adreline for a few years, as I have not played any difficult games for a while. I still remember that when I finished Garegga for the first time, I was almost sick with tension, and had to gulp a glass of liquor just to calm down. I had a similar experience when I broke the 300M barrier in Border Down, too. These are easily the most vivid memories I can recall, now.

Your initial post needs a few comments, though.

But playing an interactive game? What, are you crazy? It's just code. Nothing physical is happening aside from your fingers going to work on the buttons and analog stick. Therefore, it's purely psychological.

A lot of scientists consider "emotions" as being the clearest proof of the physical nature of the psychological. People like Damasio and several other scholars even suggest that all emotions cane be matched with the production of a specific hormone. Any intellectual activity that triggers the production of these hormones is thus an physical and psychological activity, be it sports or videogames.

I have had many adrenal responses to games in the past few years, some of them incredibly fast acting and powerful. Like, powerful in a "is there something wrong with me right now?" kind of feeling. Admittedly, it felt fantastic, just surprising.

Bullet patterns or real bullets, if your attention is under severe stress, you will feel "strong emotions", at a conscious level.

It's really sad that no one has really conducted a in depth study on this, because those "experts" would rather be talking about the hidden message in Super Mario Brothers.

You're probably looking at the wrong places (...videogames studies and similar?). If by "experts" you mean the academic artfags, then you're correct. However, there should be a few journal articles studying the emotional effects of videogames. This is a sample. So, what you say is supported by scientific research, no?

[Randorama]

Maybe I'm lacking the fight or flight response that's kept human kind around for these past thousands of years or something.. I dunno.

If you keep it cool and act rationally without getting scared, no matter how stressful the situation is, you can claim to have nerves of steel. Coolness under pressure is the virtue of the leaders, they say

[rancor]

If you keep it cool and act rationally without getting scared

Haha! I never said that! I almost shit myself during the robbery, and when I thought my plane was going down (cabin fire - smoke filled the passenger area) I almost lost my mind. However, I didn't get that jolt that people talk about that allows them to lift 2-ton trucks off of their children. That's what I assume the OP is talking about. No - I've never had that. I did get runners high. Once. And no, I'm not on any medication or disabled in any way.

[greg]

Haha! I never said that! I almost shit myself during the robbery, and when I thought my plane was going down (cabin fire - smoke filled the passenger area) I almost lost my mind. However, I didn't get that jolt that people talk about that allows them to lift 2-ton trucks off of their children. That's what I assume the OP is talking about. No - I've never had that. I did get runners high. Once. And no, I'm not on any medication or disabled in any way.

From what you've described, you did have normal adrenaline reactions. Adrenaline does not necessarily mean that you suddenly receive super powers or something. With adrenaline, your heart starts beating, your mind starts racing, and sometimes your eyes may start tearing as if you were crying.

[charlie chong]

the time i got the 1cc on ketsui i made time slowdown.i had been experiencing a lot of palpitations trying to finish the 5th level for a couple of weeks but the sunday morning i finished it i was surprisingly cool and calm.it really did feel like the bullets were going slower than normal.
playing my first time through silent hill at night with the lights off at night in one sitting was shit scary( i was high) i did the hospital and the sewer bits with a crowbar bashing them nurses and turtles was fun but pretty scary

[charlie chong]

GAREGGA STILL DOES IT FOR ME
IT PISSES ME OFF SO MUCH
THE TIME I NEARLY BEAT GLOW SQUID IN THE TOURNEY

[mesh control]

relevant but i hate life so i will not comment.


http://www.dreamdawn.com/sh/post_view.php?index=7979
http://www.dreamdawn.com/sh/post_view.php?index=7977

[Leandro]

After I 2-alled V-V, my hands were soaking wet and I was shaking... Same feeling when I was doing my driving test, and somehow close to how I felt during a date with a girl I really liked. Too bad the outcome of the date went wrong and I ended up with one of the worst feelings I've ever felt... Kinda offtopic but I wanted to share anyway

[ChainsawGuitarSP]

R-Type is one of my favorite survival horror games of all time.

[CMoon]

I know we're all different, but I've found I can easily get into an agitated, up-tight state. When I was younger this wasn't so bad, but now I go to great lengths to avoid getting into situations where I'm agitated. I don't think that has anything to do with a 'hormonal response' (lol), but I've gotten really uptight with online competitive gaming before and had to put the controller down and walk away. I felt so stupid about the whole thing because it is just a game, but now I tend to enjoy more solo games where I can methodically work through the game.

Ironically, I'm super excited about Dark Souls, but note how genuinely methodical this game is, even though its hard. I've never had a shmup get me uptight (in fact, I think they relax me a little bit.) It's just competitive gaming--maybe I'm a bad sport.

[charlie chong]

[quote="CMoon"]I know we're all different, but I've found I can easily get into an agitated, up-tight state. When I was younger this wasn't so bad, but now I go to great lengths to avoid getting into situations where I'm agitated. I don't think that has anything to do with a 'hormonal response' (lol), but I've gotten really uptight with online competitive gaming before and had to put the controller down and walk away. I felt so stupid about the whole thing because it is just a game, but now I tend to enjoy more solo games where I can methodically work through the game.

Ironically, I'm super excited about Dark Souls, but note how genuinely methodical this game is, even though its hard. I've never had a shmup get me uptight (in fact, I think they relax me a little bit.) It's just competitive gaming--maybe I'm a bad sport.[/quote

i find it helps to put myself in those stressful situations that might make you uptight/agitated and learn to overcome those feelings.at first it may be bad for you but usually you learn how to deal.that's probbly the reason i watch/play/listen to wild films/games/music. i remember listening to silver apples made me puke out of my friends window when i was drunk and high but now i love that album.that synth and weird singing was too much that one time

[Jockel]

I've been in a few serious-as-shit situations before in my life (car wrecks, home-invasion robbery, "oh-my-god-this-plane-is-gonna-crash", heated exchanges with strangers on the street) - and I've never felt the adrenal response in any of those situations.

Or maybe you did and that kept you calm.
Point in case, I was speeding on my bike at night, went around a corner and suddenly a car out of fucking nowhere. I faceplanted through the rear window, smashed the entire thing to pieces. Glass shards cutting through my face, I was bleeding like a motherfucker. But I felt next to no pain. My bike was trashed, so I walked home like a boss.
If it weren't for that huge adrenaline rush, I'd guess that whole "smashing through car windows with your face" thing would be pretty fucking painful.

[sven666]

Or maybe you did and that kept you calm.
Point in case, I was speeding on my bike at night, went around a corner and suddenly a car out of fucking nowhere. I faceplanted through the rear window, smashed the entire thing to pieces. Glass shards cutting through my face, I was bleeding like a motherfucker. But I felt next to no pain. My bike was trashed, so I walked home like a boss.
If it weren't for that huge adrenaline rush, I'd guess that whole "smashing through car windows with your face" thing would be pretty fucking painful.

the berlin T1000 right here folks!!

[Stormwatch]

illicit

Does not mean what you think it means.

[Jockel]

illicit

Does not mean what you think it means.

I'm bemused.

[Moniker]

illicit

Does not mean what you think it means.

Way to go, friend.

[drauch]

I get pretty fuckin pumped when I play video games. I usually just get pissed off. I'd say between fighting games, shmups, and just about any 'intense' boss in a game I start getting all shaky, sweaty, and the most intense fixated glare that would turn a man to stone if they walked through my path. I usually get in this state for quite awhile. If I lose, I get really pissed off and can stay in that bad mood for hours; if I win, however, it usually diminishes and I'm back in the neutral zone. I used to be really bad when I was a young tyke: I would smash controllers on my head (always Genesis, oddly enough), throw them at the TV, bust them on the ground, and in the worst case I took the cartridge out of the Genny and beat it with a controller. I'd say times have certainly changed, mainly because those were the glorious days when nothing mattered and you didn't have to pay for your shit, but I still find myself punching things and yelling obscenities, which I guess is much more healthier--and cost efficient.

[Siren2011]

I used to be really bad when I was a young tyke: I would smash controllers on my head (always Genesis, oddly enough), throw them at the TV, bust them on the ground, and in the worst case I took the cartridge out of the Genny and beat it with a controller.

OMG! I used to do that too! Playstation controller parts were flying everywhere, and my wrist was swollen from the impact. Nowadays whenever I get mad at the game, I take it out on the punching bag.

You're probably looking at the wrong places (...videogames studies and similar?). If by "experts" you mean the academic artfags, then you're correct. However, there should be a few journal articles studying the emotional effects of videogames. This is a sample. So, what you say is supported by scientific research, no?

Well this is slightly embarrassing. My community college's website has a database filled with academic journals and studies pertaining to psychology. None of them had any information on games. But thanks for the link!

[charlie chong]

yeah one of my friends used to bite the controllers others chucked them around which always pissed me off cos they break.when i get pissed off i just curse the game out.when i 1cc games i usually do a victory dance.

[charlie chong]

then there's all the wusses who say they cried at final fantasy 7. i never got past the first section of the game so don't think i am talking about myself please

[Stormwatch]

I used to get so excited when I beat a game, I called my folks, tried to show it to them. And they went "meh". I eventually gave up on trying to share my joy with them. Feels weird to think about it, like I can't really connect with them... oh well, it's my joy and if even they don't give a damn I'll still have it!

Obligatory THE WORLD IS SAVED link here!