Video games do not teach people to become shooters in real life

After 10 plus years of researching how games affect human behavior, I can tell you this:

Games do not teach people to become shooters in real life.

Pundits claim that simulation games or virtual reality can make people better shooters. This is not accurate: if anything, of all the research on games and behavior change, the most compelling link between the two has to do with self-efficacy, a term coined by psychologist Albert Bandura.

Self-efficacy, according to social cognitive theory, refers to a person's belief in in his or her ability to succeed. Games simply offer the opportunity to change what people think is possible -- and to succeed at it ... on screen.

 

Source: Edition.Cnn