A recent study has found that physiological stress indicators decreased while participants were playing the video game A Plague Tale: Requiem, regardless of which part of the game they were playing. In contrast, when asked about their stress, participants playing a violent passage of the game reported feeling more stressed and aggressive, while those playing a non-violent passage felt more relaxed. The research was published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology.
Estimates state that over 3 billion people worldwide play video games. People play video games because they are fun, but also because they provide an escape from daily life, an opportunity to socialize, and can serve as a method of relieving stress. In a recent large-scale survey, 89% of gamers stated that video games are a stress reliever for them. Many players report feeling more relaxed and emotionally balanced after a gaming session. Games can also provide a sense of achievement and control, which can counteract feelings of helplessness or anxiety.
However, this effect is not always clear. Excessive gaming may increase stress over time, especially if it interferes with sleep, relationships, or responsibilities. Competitive or fast-paced games can also trigger physiological stress responses, such as an increased heart rate. Social games may help reduce loneliness, a common source of stress, but they can also include instances of online toxicity or cyberbullying, making stress worse.
The study, led by Gary L. Wagener and colleagues, aimed to explore the stress-relieving effects of violent versus non-violent video games. They hypothesized that video games in general would reduce both self-reported and physiological stress, that violent games would have stronger stress-reduction effects, and that playing a violent video game would not affect aggression levels.
The participants were 82 individuals between 18 and 40 years of age (average age 23). Of these, 42 were female. Seventy-nine stated that they had played video games before. On average, participants played video games for approximately 4–5 hours per week.
To test the stress-relieving effects of a video game, the researchers first induced stress using the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test (SECPT). This procedure required participants to hold their non-dominant hand in a basin of ice-cold water (~4 °C, or ~39.2 °F) for a period of three minutes, the length of which was not announced beforehand. During this time, participants were instructed to look into a camera, and a researcher stood nearby, asking every 20 seconds how they felt. Studies have shown this procedure to be highly effective in inducing physiological and psychological stress.
After the cold pressor test, participants were divided into two groups. One group played two violent passages of A Plague Tale: Requiem on a PlayStation 5 console, while the other played two non-violent passages of the same game. The total playing time was approximately 25 minutes. A Plague Tale: Requiem is a story-driven action-adventure game that follows siblings Amicia and Hugo as they struggle to survive in a plague-ravaged, war-torn medieval France while confronting supernatural forces.
Throughout the study, participants were monitored both before, during, and after the game. The researchers used an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure heart activity, collected saliva samples (to estimate cortisol levels, a biomarker of stress), and administered questionnaires assessing participants’ self-reported stress and relaxation levels.
Results showed that self-reported stress increased in the group that played the violent game passage as the game progressed, although no significant changes were observed after the ice-water test. Conversely, this group also reported lower relaxation levels throughout the study. In contrast, the group that played the non-violent game passage felt more relaxed and less stressed after gaming.
Physiologically, both groups exhibited a similar trend: heart rate and cortisol levels increased during the ice-water test, indicating heightened stress, and then decreased after gaming, suggesting recovery and relaxation. This was observed regardless of the game’s violent or non-violent content.
“This dissociation between self-reported and physiological stress results suggests that people may assess their own state of arousal incorrectly. This may be due to differences in cognitive appraisal of the characteristics of the respective game groups, as the violent game sequence was judged to be more challenging and difficult. However, the observed physiological relaxation effect may point to the potential of video game engagement for stress interventions,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the effects that video games can have on stress. However, it should be noted that the study focused exclusively on one specific game. The effects of different games on stress may vary, and results from one game may not necessarily apply to others.
The paper, “A Plague(d) Tale: Are violent video games effective in reducing stress levels?” was authored by Gary L. Wagener, Andre Schulz, and Andre Melzer.
