Computer games play a major role in young peoples’ leisure activities, even gambling addiction is reported, as well as decreasing ages (2- to 4-years), but mostly violence is in focus of psychological research (“shooter”). The studies reported here, stress the drivinggenre (“racing”), asking for relations to driving. With 77%, the majority of adolescents play driving games, starting age 10, indicating a relation to under-age driving (Kubitzki, 2004). In young adults, experiments found relations with traffic related riskcognitions and risk-behaviour (Vienna Risk-Taking Traffic Test), and correlations with self-reported riskbehaviour in traffic and accidents (Fischer, Kubitzki, Guter, & Frey, 2007). Recent studies show relations with a decrease in traffic norm compliance (Fischer et al., in prep.). The authors plead for an age-16-limit delivering “street racing games” and see needs for further research, e.g. on long term effects. (Author/publisher) This publication may be accessed by Internet users at: http://www.ictct.org/workshop.php?workshop_nr=25
Samenvatting