I guess we all know that politicians and some parents think that FP shooters make players aggressive and dumb them down, and that this assumption is utterly stupid.

Quite the opposite is the case.

Two days ago I saw a documentary about two professors from a local university running two different tests on a bunch of students and a bunch of hobby, semi-pro and pro FP shooter players.

Test one was one of mental skills like the ones used in assessment centers or for people who want to qualify for a military CO career. It turned out that the hobby players were about equal to the students, and many of the semi-pros and pros even excelled in tests which required long term concentration, quick reflexes, memorizing and spatial abstraction abilities.

During test two a player and a student were both put into a FP game situation while their brain activity was monitored.

Both showed little to no emotional stress proving that the shooting and killing did not raise the adrenaline level or produced any other indication for a rise in aggressiveness.

After that they were put in a second simulation which resembled an FP shooter but this time it was one filmed with REAL persons. Both showed a higher level of caution and hesitation when pulling the trigger, which proves that in a real life situation they would not be so quick killing anyone.

I am not one to play FPS but, although the chance is slim, I would hope the politicians boasting that FPS are a menace to society and must be banished completely will see reason if they learn of this study, because I'm no fan of excessive regulation or censorship.