Tag Archives: anger

Study finds that anger spreads further than joy on social networks

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Study finds that anger spreads further than joy on social networks

Want to get your message heard on a social network? Try raging about it. China's Beihang University has published a study of Sina Weibo users which suggests that anger-fueled online posts have more of an influence than those reflecting other emotions. During the research period, a typical bitter comment would affect posts three degrees removed from the original; joy had a muted impact, while disgust and sadness hardly got any traction. Don't be too quick to lament the human condition, though. As researchers note, many of the angry posts were triggered by politics in Weibo's native China. There's a chance that internet denizens on other social networks have a rosier outlook on life.

[Image credit: Wayne Marshall, Flickr]

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Via: MIT Technology Review

Source: Cornell University Library

Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children’s anger in check

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Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check

Nintendo may have left its Vitality Sensor by the wayside, but researchers at Boston Children's Hospital are using heart rate monitoring in a video game to teach children with anger issues how to temper their emotions. Dubbed RAGE (Regulate and Gain Emotional) Control, the game tasks players with blasting hostile spaceships while keeping their heart rate from exceeding a predefined limit. If a gamer's pulse rises above the ceiling, they'll lose the ability to shoot until they can ease their pulse back down. A group of 18 kids who received standard treatments and played the game for five, 15-minute-long sessions had better control of their heart rate and lower anger levels than a group that only used traditional treatments. Currently, a controlled clinical trial of RAGE Control is underway and there are plans to take the concept a step further with toys and games suited for younger children. Look out below for the full press release or tap the second source link for the team's paper in the Journal of Adolescent Psychiatry.

[Image credit: Thirteen of Clubs, Flickr]

Continue reading Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check

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Researchers create video game that monitors heart rate to keep children's anger in check originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CNET  |  sourceBoston Children's Hospital, Bentham Science Publishers  | Email this | Comments

Researchers Use Video Game Called “Rage Control” to Help Children with Anger Issues

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The interesting thing about research into video games is that depending on which side you listen to, video games either turn players into insanely violent criminals or video games can make you a better person. One of the latest bits of research performed using a video game comes from Boston Children’s Hospital.

space invaders

In the study, researchers used traditional treatments with children ranging from age 9 to 17 that had anger control issues. The traditional treatment involved cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation techniques, and social skills. One group of 19 children only received the standard treatments.

A second group of 18 children received the same standard treatments and played a video game called Rage Control for the last 15 minutes of their session. The video game, which sounds rather like Space Invaders, required the children to keep their heart rate under a preset limit or lose the ability to destroy enemy spaceships. The researchers found that the group who played the video game were significantly better at keeping their heart rates down and showed clinically-significant decreases in anger scores on standardized tests.

The study appears in the October 2012 issue of Adolescent Psychiatry.


Pissed Off? Don’t Yell, Just Take it out on the Dammit Doll Instead

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Did someone run over your bike? Did your boyfriend (or girlfriend) cheat on you? Did you tell your kid brother not to mess with your stuff, only to come home and find him reformatting your laptop?

Before anything else, don’t throw a fit. Don’t get angry, don’t scream, don’t yell, and don’t bang things on your way out. Instead, go up to your room, take out your Dammit Doll… and let all hell break loose.

Dammit Doll1I know stress balls are supposed to calm you down when you’re steamed, but how are you supposed to release all that anger and frustration when you’re supposed to squeeze those darned things?

The Dammit Dolls are better because they let you vent your anger so you can face the situation dead on in a more calmer way. And if you’re still feeling antsy after a couple of whacks, then feel free to whack your Dammit some more until you feel better.

Dammit Doll

A lot of people attest to the effectiveness of the Dammit Doll. It’s so popular that it’s currently sold out on the Spoon Sisters, but expect it to be available by August 22nd. The Dammit Dolls are available in an assortment of designs and are priced at $13.50 (USD).

[via Incredible Things]