Playing video games can be good for your mental health, a new research suggests. The study by the team at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; focused on players of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville by Electronic Arts.
Crucially, it included data from the games-makers on how long each participant had played the video games; rather than estimates. This information was linked to a survey in which the gamers were asked how they felt about their experiences.
The team found that the actual amount of time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor in people’s wellbeing. The findings throw some doubt on long-held assumptions that gaming causes aggression or addiction; though researchers of the non-peer reviewed paper admitted the study only provides a snapshot. They also said that a player’s subjective experiences during play might be a bigger factor for wellbeing than mere play time.
Previous video games research relied mainly on self-report surveys to study the relationship between play and wellbeing.
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Professor Andrew Przybylski, lead author of the study, said: “Without objective data from games companies, those proposing advice to parents or policymakers have done so; without the benefit of a robust evidence base.
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