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Brain Structures Affected by Video Games
Excessive amounts of research have been done in the past to determine effects that video games may have on an individual's brain. One study from Indiana University observed changes in activation of the amygdala, as well as the frontal lobe. This was done by having two groups of participants play video games, either with violent content in them, such as Medal of Honor, or ones that did not contain any violence, such as Need for Speed. Subjects had their brain functioning patterns watched by researchers before and after the video game playing sessions with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging. It was observed that participants who engaged with violent video games displayed increases in the functioning of their amygdala and decreases in the functioning of their frontal lobe.

Another study, also at Indiana University, even discovered that subjects who were exposed to a high amount of violent content in the video games they played demonstrated deactivation of the frontal lobe, in a manner similar to those with disruptive behavior disorders. From the results of this study, researchers inferred that changes in brain function that result from exposure to violent media content in video games is not linked to whether or not the video game player is naturally aggressive in character.

In addition to the amygdala and frontal lobe, further studies from Chung Ang University observed that other structures affected by the use of video games include the anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. The results from this experiment demonstrate an increase in stimulation of these areas, resembling a pattern similar to those with substance dependence. Researchers interpreted their results of this increase in activity of the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices to be an indication of an early stage of video game addiction.

Hostile Attribution Bias
One study conducted in Kansas demonstrates how the use of video games leads for one to acquire an attribution bias, known as the Hostile Attribution Bias. The study involved the participation of fifty-five subjects, placed into two groups, which were all instructed to play video games. One group was given violent content to play with, while the other engaged with games that were free of any violence. Subjects were later instructed to read stories, in which characters would engage with actions in an ambiguous manner. When asked for clarifications of the actions they read about, it was mostly the participants who previously played the violent video games that would provide answers with a negative interpretation.

Aggression
An additional study at Brock University was conducted to examine whether or not the use of violent video games promotes aggressive thinking and behaviour. This was done by separating subjects into four groups and assigning each one to either:


 * Mortal Kombat - violent and competitive content
 * Left 4 Dead 2 - violent and uncompetitive content
 * Fuel (game) - non-violent and competitive content
 * Marble Blast Ultra - non-violent and uncompetitive content

While playing their assigned games, researchers realized that participants playing games with competitive content had an increase in heart rate. In order to measure aggression levels in subjects, researchers had them prepare hot sauce for another participant, whom they were told prefers their sauce more mild, than spicy. What researchers found was that those who played the competitive games, regardless of whether or not they were violent, made their sauces hotter. Scholars concluded that this increased intensity of hotness from those who played competitive games indicates that it is the competitive aspect of video games that provokes an individual’s aggression level.