Doctor clarifies Game-causes-AS report

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a) We didn't target people with Asperger's in our data collection (we collected data from Asheron's Call players in general).

b) We did not classify any of the participants as having Asperger's.

c) The point about Asperger's was just that the relationships between addiction and the personality characteristics that we examined suggested that [massively multiplayer online role-playing games] MIGHT be particularly addictive to people with Asperger's given the properties of both this type of game and the psychological characteristics of people with Asperger's.

d) It would be necessary to conduct specific studies to test whether people with Asperger's syndrome are overrepresented in the population of MMORPG players and whether they are more likely to be classifiable as addicted than other players.

e) In no way can it be said that Asperger's can be caused by game playing (Asperger's is thought to have a biological basis).

f) We are not saying that all people who might be classifiable as addicts have Asperger's.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6189003.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;5

Basically the guy explains that when they explained their reports to the press, they meant that addicted players display traits similar to AS, not stating that either gaming CAUSES AS or addicted players have AS.



I think this is really good because I am in no way surprised that the media simplified things to get either a basic or, as they oh-so-love, sensationalized story.

I would agree. You always hear CAN saying that more and more people are getting 'infected' with the AS disease, and yet no-one knows about it!

infected?
That isn't my understanding of AS. . it's a neurological condition
Merle

infected?
That isn't my understanding of AS. . it's a neurological condition

Merle