Game psychology

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Sometimes you can hear the opinion that people who constantly play computer games are unsociable individuals with problems in communication. My personal experience says otherwise, but personal experience is not the strongest argument in scientific discussions. Benjamin Hickerson and Andrew Mowen decided to test this stereotype. They processed 166 questionnaires filled out by gamers.

Interestingly, the data was collected in lines for the new Call of Duty game at two large Pennsylvania stores. Players were asked questions about their gaming habits and preferences. It was also estimated how much money and time gamers spent on their hobby. On average, respondents spent more than 20.5 hours a week playing games, and about $200 a year on this hobby. The amount of time and money spent on games was not associated with gamers' success in maintaining social connections. The social success of a gamer is most affected by his attitude to the gameplay itself. If a person builds his life around the game, this leads to a loss of social connections, but if the game becomes a continuation of interaction between people, this further strengthens their event planner email database listcommunication. Interestingly, this pattern was also found for romantic relationships.

How to Save Your Eyesight. Useful Tips

Mark on the glass.
On the window, approximately at eye level, there should be a contrasting mark - white or black - about 1 cm in size. You need to stand at arm's length from the mark. First, look at the mark for a few seconds, and then move your gaze beyond it, i.e. look into the distance. This exercise should be repeated 1.5-2 minutes a day.

Eyeball movements.
When doing this exercise, your eyes should move as if you were looking at a circle and an eight (infinity sign) placed on its side. First, you describe a circle with your eyes clockwise, then counterclockwise, and finally an eight. The movements should be smooth, at a measured pace, their amplitude should be maximum, but not cause tension or pain in the eyes. Start with 5 times a day, i.e. 5 times clockwise, 5 times counterclockwise, 5 times an eight. If necessary, gradually increase the number of repetitions of each movement to 20 per day.

A player's success in a game can be determined by an electroencephalogram, as scientists from Illinois have found out. They measured the electrical activity of the brain during the game in 39 people. Those whose brains responded to the gameplay by increasing alpha waves in the frontal areas of the cortex, coped with the game more successfully. And for greater immersion in World of Warcraft and successful functioning in the world of this game, according to scientists from Sweden, it is necessary to have a creative mind with an ability for languages.


One study conducted by scientists at Michigan State University looked at the connection between video games and children's creativity. The study involved about half a thousand 12-year-olds . It turned out that regardless of what video games children played, their creativity improved. In contrast, the use of cell phones, the Internet, and computers (except for gaming) was not associated with increased creativity.

Try to decipher a message from aliens. Many have succeeded.
Try to decipher a message from aliens. Many have succeeded.
The aforementioned Halo game gave us an interesting insight into how people interact to solve a problem. In 2004, the Halo developers launched the I Love Bees website (http://www.ilovebees.com/). According to the scenario, the page was taken over by aliens, and players had to decipher the messages that appeared. They informed about pay phones in the United States, where participants could get additional information about the game.

The game required the coordinated activity of many people, sometimes located at great distances from each other. Scientists from Pennsylvania analyzed 54,000 messages from 2.5 thousand gamers and discovered an interesting phenomenon. One of the successful groups of players used a team structure similar to the structure of the American army. Their ranks included lieutenants and privates, and the main coordination work was done by a general. It is noteworthy that the ratio of players of different ranks was similar to the real proportions in the US army. Also, in communication when solving game problems, people used a large number of military terms. This can be explained both by the military spirit of the game itself and the militarization of American society that increased after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Health games
As we have already found out, computer games help develop certain skills. But can games be used to treat people, to help them return to normal life? Scientists answer this question in the affirmative.

At the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Dance Dance Revolution is used to rehabilitate patients with multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis, nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain gradually stop functioning, which greatly affects the patient's movement. Dance Dance Revolution allows patients to practice their motor skills in a simple and fun way. Playing video games is much more interesting than participating in standard medical procedures, and bringing the procedure closer to the patient improves their attitude towards the treatment process. As one participant in the program says, this approach has helped her feel healthier and more independent.

Thanks to the game Road Tour, it is possible to improve the cognitive abilities of elderly people. As a result of training, their brain can become “younger” for a period of one and a half to seven years. Such work is being carried out by scientists led by Fredric Wolinsky from the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. In addition to intellectual development, the participants of the experiment also showed an expansion of the visual field, which is very useful for elderly people. Elderly people playing World of Warcraft also showed an improvement in understanding and processing information compared to their non-gaming peers. Active video games, for example, the aforementioned Dance Dance Revolution, can help in the fight against childhood obesity.