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Children and teenagers who play on computer games for up to an hour a day are better behaved, according to new research.

The Oxford University study suggests that the influence of games such as Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation on children is "very small" when compared with more 'enduring' factors like schooling and wealth.

Researchers found that young people who indulged in a little video game-playing were associated with being better adjusted than those who had never played or those who were on video games for three hours or more.

Y=The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggests that the influence of games such as Wii (above) on children, for good or for ill, is very small

The study found no positive or negative effects for young people who played 'moderately' between one to three hours a day.

However, the study, published in the journal Pediatrics, suggests that the influence of video games on children, for good or for ill, is very small when compared with more 'enduring' factors, such as whether the child is from a functioning family, their school relationships, and whether they are materially deprived.

Children who play for an hour a day are better adjusted than those who play for more than that or never play

The research is thought to be the first study to examine both the positive and negative effects of gaming using a representative sample of children and adolescents. It involved nearly 5,000 young people, half male and half female, drawn from a nationally representative study of UK households.

Participants, aged 10 to 15, were asked how much time they typically spent on console-based or computer-based games such as PlayStation (above)

Participants, aged 10 to 15, were asked how much time they typically spent on console-based or computer-based games. The same group also answered questions about how satisfied they were with their lives, their levels of hyperactivity and inattention; empathy; and how they got on with their peers.

The results suggest that three in four British children and teenagers play video games on a daily basis, and that those who spent more than half their daily free time playing electronic games were not as well adjusted.

The researchers say this could be because they miss out on other enriching activities and possibly expose themselves to inappropriate content designed for adults.

However, when compared to non-players and those who played very frequently, those who played video games for less than an hour - estimated to be less than one-third of their daily free time - were associated with the highest levels of sociability and were most likely to say they were satisfied with their lives.

They also appeared to have fewer friendship and emotional problems, and reported less hyperactivity than the other groups.

Children who play for less than an hour - estimated to be less than one-third of their daily free time - were associated with the highest levels of sociability and were most likely to say they were satisfied with their lives

Study author Dr Andrew Przybylski of the Oxford Internet Institute, said: "These results support recent laboratory-based experiments that have identified the downsides to playing electronic games.

"However, high levels of video game-playing appear to be only weakly linked to children's behavioural problems in the real world. Likewise, the small, positive effects we observed for low levels of play on electronic games do not support the idea that video games on their own can help children develop in an increasingly digital world.

"Some of the positive effects identified in past gaming research were mirrored in these data but the effects were quite small, suggesting that any benefits may be limited to a narrow range of action games."

The study shows that high levels of video game-playing appear to be only weakly linked to children's behavioural problems in the real world

He added: "Further research needs to be carried out to look closely at the specific attributes of games that make them beneficial or harmful.

"It will also be important to identify how social environments such as family, peers, and the community shape how gaming experiences influence young people."

Previous research on non-interactive forms of entertainment have led to recommended time limits for how long children play video games, yet the study argues that such guidelines have little scientific basis.