Aalto study shows how video games trigger pleasure responses in the brain

Research team at Aalto University has revealed how playing video games − particularly against fellow human players – triggers pleasure responses in the brain.

Video games are a common leisure-time activity, and playing multiplayer games over the Internet is becoming increasingly popular. Researchers at Aalto University have now found that success in video games triggers strong pleasure responses in the brain's reward centers, and that these responses are further boosted when playing against fellow human players.

Games are so addictive partly because they trigger similar neural pleasure responses as, for example, eating or sexual behavior. During game play, these responses are further elevated when winning fellow human players, because winning another real person adds a social dimension to the gameplay: for example, other player's misfortunes may make us feel malicious pleasure, say researchers Jari Kätsyri and adjunct professor Lauri Nummenmaa from the Aalto University.

The results have significant implications for the current neural models of social interaction and processing of rewards, but also deepen our understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie problem gambling and video game addiction, Kätsyri and Nummenmaa say.

Participants' brain activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they were playing a two-player tank shooter game. The participants were led to believe that they were playing against a computer or human opponent, whereas in reality they always played against another human player.

The project was supported by the Academy of Finland and Aalto University (aivoAALTO-project).