Playing video games can evoke a lot of emotions, but a new study shows that being confused or depressed when logging into your favorite game can make you feel worse.
Researchers from Stanford University showed participants video clips intended to make them feel funny, enthusiastic, angry or sad and then compared their performance on the popular FIFA 19 football game. .
Gamers who were open to positive perspectives – especially those that promoted well-being – did far better against a computer opponent than those who watch sad scenes or incite anger.
Not only did they score more goals, they showed an increase in ‘approach bias,’ taking possession of the ball more often and with more shots hitting the goal, experts say which arises from additional stimulation derived from positive emotion. ‘
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Participants were shown several video clips before playing five games of FIFA 19, the most popular token game of the year. Those who watched positive scenes did better than those who watched sad scenes or provoked anger.
‘Furthermore, we have seen that players who are more confident in their abilities and more physically engaged in the game get better results,’ the researchers told IFLScience .
In a test reported in Emotion magazine, 241 men between the ages of 18 and 37 were asked to play five games of the popular FIFA 19 sports simulation.
Before each game, participants were shown short video clips that focused on fun, wellbeing, sadness, anger or a neutral state.
They were also asked how they felt after watching each scene.
Gamers who were shown building cookies did not build positive emotions, especially well-being, just getting more goals. They showed an increase in ‘approach bias,’ taking possession of the ball more often and with more shots hitting the target
More than 240 participants played five games of FIFA 19 against the computer, with the game set on a moderate difficulty (‘Professional’).
An excerpt from the American History X film, in which a black man is killed in a non-Nazi racist attack, was aimed at inciting anger, IFL Science reports, while scenes from the Summer Olympics shown to promote well-being.
Participants then played against the computer, with the game set on a medium difficulty (‘Professional’).
The results showed that encouraging positive emotions before a game – especially enthusiasm – led eSports players to perform significantly better than after a negative emotional experience.
A clip was shown for the American History X film, in which a black man is killed in a non-Nazi racist attack, to arouse anger.
Through the games where the players felt fun and excited, they showed the greatest improvement over neutral states, as measured by the number of goals, targets hit, ball possession and other criteria.
In addition to just ‘good vibes’ the researchers point to an increase in ‘approach bias,’ or the frequency with which a subject tries to achieve a goal.
A clip from the Summer Olympics was shown to inspire enthusiasm among the 241 study participants
The gamers who entered the angry game did not do well compared to the happy crowd.
The researchers acknowledge that emotions are personal, so a uniform response is not possible, and that the results may have been different with a different match.
WHAT WILL THE TOP 10 GAMES CONSOLE EARNING EARNING OF 2020?
Modern War of Call of Duty: $ 1.91 billion
FIFA 20: $ 1.08 billion
Grand Theft Auto V: $ 911 million
Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the best-selling games of 2020
NBA 2K21: $ 889 million
NBA 2K20: $ 771 million
Call of Duty: Cold War Black Ops – $ 678 million
Animal cross-fertilization: New Horizon: $ 654 million
Cyberpunk 2077: $ 609 million
The Sims 4: $ 462 million
Eternal Doom: $ 454 million
It is worth noting, however, that FIFA 19 is the top token game of 2019, earning $ 786 million in Electronic Arts.
His fan, FIFA 20 was the second most popular token game of 2020 after Call of Duty Modern Warfare and racked in $ 1.08 billion in sales.
Unsurprisingly, video games only increased at the time of the coronavirus pandemic: Total sales in games and interactive media reached $ 139 billion last year, with digital games alone accounting for $ 126 billion.
Overall, 55 percent of Americans played token, PC and mobile games during lockdown, according to a report from SuperData.
Some were looking to reduce frustration or escape the real world, but one in four said they logged into multiplayer games to stay in touch with others for as long as possible. and they were at home.
There can be a disadvantage, however: A study in Developmental Psychology found that one in ten young players – a ‘significant minority’ – were ‘pathologically’ going to video games.
For this group, games are a ‘disorder of healthy activity,’ characterized by too much time spent playing and difficulty deviating from games.
Teenagers who fit this profile showed lower levels of depression, aggression, shyness, and anxiety when they entered their twenties, researchers found.
Sarah Coyne, who is a professor in family life at Brigham Young University, 385 teenagers over six years, continued to monitor their game habits and psychological profiles.
‘I really think there are wonderful things about video games [but] The important thing is to use them in healthy ways and not to get rubbed into the pathology stages, ‘Coyne said.