Video Games

Recent research found that mindfulness meditation reduces gaming cravings by improving brain connections related to self-control and reward processing, while also lowering sensitivity to gaming cues and stabilizing neurotransmitter activity linked to addiction.

Playing PowerWash Simulator slightly boosts players’ moods, especially in the first 15 minutes. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 9,000 players and found short-term mood improvements.

A single, guided session with the video game Tetris reduced distressing intrusive memories in healthcare workers, with effects lasting up to six months, suggesting a simple, accessible intervention could alleviate trauma symptoms in high-stress populations.

While strength cues in female video game characters signal capability, they don’t counteract the negative impact of sexualization. Surprisingly, female players often chose highly sexualized characters to play, despite generally disliking them.

New research indicates gamified digital mental health interventions modestly help children with ADHD and depression, especially when delivered via computers, but fail to significantly reduce anxiety symptoms.

A unique study in Japan found that owning gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 5 reduced psychological distress and boosted life satisfaction, suggesting video gaming may benefit mental health, especially during challenging times like the pandemic.

A study found that feminist women gamers are blamed more for sexist incidents, but only by those with sexist attitudes. These findings highlight the challenges women face in online gaming and the need for more inclusive, supportive environments.

Research found that exposure to specific electromagnetic fields may enhance a mental state called "flow," where people feel highly focused and immersed in tasks, suggesting potential for wearable tech to improve concentration and performance.

A new study of Czech adolescents challenges the belief that violent video games increase aggression, finding no significant link between game violence and changes in aggression or empathy over time.

Researchers used video games to explore how a loss of control impacts beliefs in free will. They found that while reduced agency in games alters beliefs in that context, it doesn't change people's overall views on free will.

A Norwegian study found that playing Fortnite Battle Royale, especially for social reasons, expands social networks and positively impacts life satisfaction, particularly for women and individuals with disabilities.

A recent study found that gamers with higher levels of autistic traits are more vulnerable to excessive gaming and problematic gambling, but they spend less on in-game "loot boxes."

Video game training improves cognitive function, brain connectivity, and mental health in schizophrenia patients, according to recent research.

A study found that academic stress significantly increases video game use among adolescents, with those having higher gaming efficacy more likely to use games as a coping mechanism.

Inmates with pronounced psychopathic traits and those convicted of murder exhibited significantly heightened aggression in a video game-based shooting task compared to other criminal, according to a recent study.