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ENGLAND — The sounds of explosions and music ring in the ears of some gamers for hours after they stop playing, according to a new study.
About 12 percent of gamers reported experiencing "game transfer phenomena," where they heard sound effects, character voices and music when they weren't playing the game, according to a study by Nottingham Trent University released Thursday. The sounds were most often heard by extreme gamers after they played video games for long periods of time, like all through the night or for two consecutive days.
"These experiences can sometimes result in illogical thoughts and behaviors," psychology researcher Angelica Ortiz De Gortari said in a statement. "It's important to help gamers understand their experiences since re-experiencing sounds and voices may provoke distress, especially when associated with dangerous situations in the game."
Video games influence gamer's perception, thinking and behavior through "game transfer phenomena," according to researchers. Gamers reported hearing the sounds while performing everyday tasks like walking and driving.
"One gamer reported hearing someone constantly whispering 'death' for a few days, while another heard the words 'go, go, go' in his head when he wanted people to move in the subway," a release from the university reads.
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The game transfer phenomena typically goes away on its own after a short period of time, De Gortari said.
"For some gamers, the phenomena are conditioned responses, therefore the best way for the tiny minority that may have longer lasting phenomena is to simply cut down the amount they play," she said.
Another recent study suggested playing games for moderate amounts of time, between two and three hours a day, does not have a positive or negative effect on children.
The study on game transfer phenomena was published in the "International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning."
