Playing video games with strangers triggers testosterone levels, something that doesn't happen when we play with friends , according to a new study from the University of Missouri.
Its author, psychologist David Geary, has reached this conclusion after conducting a study with 42 male college students using the video game Unreal Tournament 2004 . The volunteers, who did not know each other previously, were divided into 14 groups of three players. Geary proposed that each team practice 6 hours during a week to establish an emotional bond between its members. After that time, he found that, when facing the teams against each other, the victories triggered a lot of testosterone , increasing aggressiveness. On the contrary, when the opponent was a teammate from the same team, the winner of the game showed a lower level of the hormone than the losers .
According to Geary, who has published his results in the magazine Evolution and Human Behavior , the difference is explained because "in a serious competition with strangers you can kill all your rivals and it is better." However,? You can't alienate your group mates, because you need them. "
