The Effect of Videogames and Audio on Heart Rate
Many of today’s teenagers spend several hours a week playing videogames. Many articles have been published pertaining to the possible effects videogames can have on a player’s health. Some suggest that gaming raises a player’s heart rate, especially if they are playing a violent game.
The purpose of the project was to determine if playing videogames raises the player’s heart rate. Additionally, the project also tested if there was a difference in the change in heart rate while playing with either standard TV audio or surround sound headset audio. To gather this information, the researchers ran thirty-six trials using subjects playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. Subjects were hooked up to an EKG attachment for a Labquest, which was used to record their heart rate before and during gameplay. This was done two times per trial, once for standard audio, and once for surround sound audio. The results concluded there was an increase in heart rate with both types of audio, but that there was no significant difference in the increase caused by each type. These results align with current research suggesting violent games cause an increase in heart rate, but the increase is not health-threatening.
Research Done By:
Travis Conte
CousinoHigh School
Alex Gieleghem
CousinoHigh School
Warren Consolidated Schools