We're talking about real science here, not the fake kind intended to mask your childish fits of rage that result in broken controllers. Electrodes were involved. And the electrodes seemed to indicate that gamers have a more positive reaction to dying than to killing others. To gank Clive Thompson's pull quote:
"... instead of joy resulting from victory and success, wounding and killing the opponent elicited anxiety, anger, or both." In addition, "death of the player's own character...appear[s] to increase some aspects of positive emotion." This latter finding the authors believe may result from the temporary "relief from engagement" brought about by character death.
My controllers would suggest otherwise, although perhaps that's some primitive survival mechanism in my brain forcing my body into "relief from engagement." Kind of like how my hearing shuts itself off whenever my fiancee asks me to take out the trash.
Still, this sheds a whole new light on such hilarious online behaviors as "teabagging" one's kill and shouting racial slurs at one's quarry. Just like birds puffing up their plumage and apes beating on their chests, these are nothing more than survival mechanisms. It's not a sign of dominance -- it's a sign of abject terror. We'd always suspected that we were playing against quivering, fearful children, and now we have proof. Thanks, science!
