Kids who play video games like "Manhunt" and "Grand Theft Auto III" are more likely to drive recklessly, said a study in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture. Research has shown that kids who play violent video games are more likely to have risky thoughts. But the new four-year study went further, asking thousands to admit whether or not they had performed the risky acts. The researchers found a significant correlation between reckless driving and violent video game play -- even with games that had nothing to do with driving. The authors propose that the games change a young player's self-perception, so that they see themselves as someone who does risky things. In other words, they suggest, the players become more like the characters they are controlling on screen.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
