For some time now, government authorities and public health bodies such as the WHO have expressed concern about the potential for addiction or harm to mental health caused by too much exposure to video games.
This study, published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, offers one of the most comprehensive analyzes of the relationship between gaming and wellness
based on previous research, conducted by the same group of experts, which found no negative effects on mental health.
The research team collaborated with several development studios to recruit nearly 39,000 people who played one of the seven games available:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
,
Apex Legends
,
Eve Online
,
Forza Horizon 4
,
Gran Turismo Sport
e
The Crew 2
.
The game designers provided the participants’ game data for six weeks, while the researchers interviewed them three times. So long as
the team was able to examine the real game data
did not need to rely on random statements from players about the amount of time spent playing, thus obtaining a more accurate reading.
The study measured well-being using two tools: the positive and negative experience scale
asking participants to rate how often they experienced feelings as “happiness” and “fear”,
and the Cantril self-anchoring ladder
in which to indicate one’s positioning on a ladder whose top represented the best possible lifestyle.
The study also asked people to take the survey
Player Experience of Need Satisfaction
which tracks people’s experience with specific games, identifying elements such as the perception of personal autonomy and motivations to play.
The analysis found that spending more or less time playing did not have a negative or positive impact on the feelings of the study group
. Conversely, how the participants felt did not seem to have a big impact on the amount of time they spent playing.
According to the authors, the role of video games in the alteration of well-being that emerged in the research was too limited to have a real impact on the feelings of the participants.
According to research, they would have had to play at least 10 hours more per day than their base level to experience significant changes in their well-being
.
However, the researchers found some evidence that
the motivations that drive individuals to gamble and their gambling experience have a slightly greater impact on their well-being
. When people play because they “want it,” their well-being is better than when they play because they feel obligated to do so. However, the data was too small to make this hypothesis concrete.
The experts therefore concluded that
there is still a lot to learn about the ways video games affect people’s feelings and behaviors
. Furthermore, the analysis took into account only a limited number of games compared to the thousands of offers on the market.
“We know that
we need much more player data
coming from many more platforms, for
develop a deeper understanding
necessary to create information policies and give concrete advice to parents and doctors “, said the author of the study in a statement
Andrew Przybylski
senior researcher at the
Oxford Internet Institute
.
Research on the beneficial effects of video games continues, therefore, and experts hope soon to find more concrete evidence that can support their positions, positively or negatively.