Psychological Benefits of Video Games

What makes a video game psychologically appealing? Can Video gaming have psychological benefits?

Defining video games

Video games are, first and foremost, interactive. They can be played cooperatively or competitively. You can play it by yourself, against the game itself or against other players. These other players can be physically with you in the same room, or you can play against thousands of players online. Video games are played on various different devices from consoles (such as the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3) to your Personal Computer (PC). Of course there is a lot of different types of video games. The picture presents the different types of games that exist perfectly with examples of each.

The history of video games

First video game discovered in 1961 called “Spacewar” by Steve Russell which was revolutionary one that time. In 1972 they called it arcade game.
In 1972 “Pong” form ATARI was introduced.  “Pong” was the first commercially successful game. In 1974 “Maze War” came out which was more complex than previous games. Atari’s Breakout came in 1976 which was same as Pong by adding destructible.
1978 was called the golden age of arcade games with “Space Invaders” released by Taito .Then Atari released “Asteroids” in 1979 with its smooth vector graphics and lick space gameplay. 
The 1980s were colourful decade which Namco released “Pac-Mam” than right after “Rogue “came out.
In 1981 Nintendo realised very first video game of their company called “Donkey Kong”. In 1982 Dig dug realised by Namco than “Pole Position” then “Q*bert”  and “E.T.” released by  Aatari. 
The 1982 video game crash nearly destroyed the entire American video game industry permitting a shift toward Japanese consoles, with Nintendo and launching the NES in Japan same year. First Mario game introduced by Nintendo called”Mario Brothers”
In 1983 “Dragon’s Lair” released by CINMATRONICS which was by far most visually impressive arcade game of its day with laser disk technology to construct an interactive movies.
In 1884 the 3D wireframe graphics of space came out called “Elite”.
Tetris in 1984 came out which was quite remarkable on that time. The year after in 1985 “Super Mario Brothers” came out by Nintendo which had huge sells record in American industry of video games.
The very first “The Legend of Zelda” came out by Nitendo in 1986. The game introduced a charming blend of action and adventure set in fantasy land. The” Castlevebia “in 1986 by konami released . in same year “Metroid” introduce by Nintendo .The first “Metal Gear” series intruded by Konami in 1987 and “Final fantasy” and “SimCity”  two years after. 
In 1989 “Shadow of the best released “by Reflections which was a huge difference in graphic of game compare to previous years games along with sonic game in 1991
“Street fighter 2” and “dune 2” release in 1992. Doom first game that was first person shooter realised in 1995. In 1996 Tetris released for mobile phones.
 At the end all the old games in 1980 and 1960 were used in smaller devices and new games with higher graphics released for new consoles and computers.

Kent, S. L. (2001). The ultimate history of video games: From Pong to Pokemon, and beyond - the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world. Roseville, Calif.: Prima.

Why are video games appealing?

When developing video games designers consider ways to make the game appealing to the public. The first thing a designer must do is decide who their target market is. Once a target market is taken into consideration, the designers can form the video game around these specific people. When developing these games, five important factors are considered: emotions, self-expression, relationships, performance and game testings.

Emotions

Emotions are used to make video games more appealing, which is displayed through the reactions people have to games. By examining the emotions people have to different scenarios in video games, designers are capable of determining the factors that bring about these favorable emotions. Ensuring that people are cheerful when playing is an appealing quality for a game to have. Emotions also occur when engaging with other players, as they are contagious. By observing an individual feel a certain emotion, people around them will experience the same reaction. This means that if the designer can get one person to undergo happiness while playing the game, other people around them will begin to react in the same way and associate this feeling with the game. This connection between the video game and its appeal is unconscious. Individuals are now aware that the state of mind the game is putting on the player is making them want to play more. This is not just applicable with positive emotions, as this can occur with negative emotions as well. If someone is in an unpleasant mood, the entire groups mood will be affected by the one player and therefore, the game will be less appealing to them. The emotions can spread through the group through emotional contagion. Therefore, designers try to make video games make people have positive attitudes, which increases the amount the participant decides to play.

Ishida, T., Isbister, K., & Kyoto Meeting on Digital Cities. (2000). Digital cities: Technologies, experiences, and future perspectives. Berlin; New York: Springer.

Self-expression

This source discusses the virtual world known as Second Life. This virtual world is shown as a place where one can escape from reality. These video games are very appealing to gamers as they have the power to create another life for themselves using self designed avatars. In some games people are able to personalize their avatars and design their profiles so that they are capable of expressing themselves. One reason these games attract so many people is because role playing video games gives players the opportunity to take control of their online life. They may feel a sense of confidence that they are not capable of expressing in reality. These games give players the entertainment and self-fulfillment they desire. Players are also able to meet new people with their avatars. This increases the amount of time people play as they enjoy making social connections with new people. These social interactions can include either spontaneous communications, arranged meetings or other social events on the game. These interactions make players play more as they want to talk to the friends they have made through the game. Second Life is an intriguing game with many appealing features. It allows people the chance to experience life in new ways.

Fromme, J., Unger, A., & Springer E-books - York University. (2012). Computer games and new media cultures: A handbook of digital games studies. Dordrecht ; New York: Springer.

Family Bonding

Video games have expanded to unexpected target markets. A large target market is now going to families. Video games have characteristics that families appreciate. These characteristics make the games appealing to families. An example is the Wii, as multiple people can play interactive games with it. These games allow families to have longer bonding periods throughout the day with one another. They get together in one place to play. These games can be competitive or cooperative. If the game is competitive the family will be focused on trying to beat one another. This is not a negative aspect as it allows members of the family to challenge each other in a fun manner. The games can also be cooperative as the family can work together to solve an issue. They may be put on a team that forces them to work together to win. This helps the family learn how to work together when not playing the game. Parents find these games appealing because they spend time with their children. Parents are also happy when their kids play active video games. Active video games allows them to get exercise while playing. This pleases both the parents and children.

Chambers, D. (2012). 'Wii play as a family': The rise in family-centred video gaming. Leisure Studies, 31(1), 69-82

Performance

This discusses how a persons performance in the video games makes the game more appealing. It does this by identifying four forms of video game performances. These include performance to self, performance to others in the game, performance to others outside the game and video game related performance away from the game. Performing to the self in the game is referring to the decisions you make in the game. You are free to act how you want in the game which appealing to people playing. They have many limitations in the real world, however in virtual games they are free to express themselves. Another appealing aspect is that they are able to keep track of their performance. They like to feel like they accomplished something. Therefore, when their good scores are posted they feel a sense of accomplishment and thus, enjoy the game more. Performance to others in the game is also appealing to players. The intensity of the game is higher when competing against other people. There is a thrill that keeps the players focused on their goal. They can also interact with other players by talking to them while competing with them. The game has a realistic sense to it as it has both competition and communication just like they would have in a real sporting event. Performance to others outside of the game means that these games can allow you to carry features away from the game with you into real life. This includes social skills you establish throughout the game. People find this a very appealing quality to a game because in addition to having fun, they are also getting something out of it that will help them in life. Video game related performance away from the game refers to people conversing about the game even when they are away form it. This can include telling people about your score or trying to give tips to other players. This is how appealing a game can be to a person. They leave the game still thinking about it, which leads them to want to discuss it with others.

Crawford, G. (2012). Video gamers. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York: Routledge.

Game Testings

When developing a video game, a designer must remember to think of how to make the game appealing to as many people as possible. To do this, there is a process they must first go through. Deciding what exactly are good factors for a video game will lead to good game play. One way is to read the reviews of other games. By doing so, they can avoid the mistakes other games have made in the past. Another process used to develop a good game is called Game Flow. This process is used to evaluate and understand enjoyment in games. Once they pinpoint a specific way that enjoyment is found through games, they are able to apply the same technique to their own game. This is also used to understand the immersion in video games. Immersion usually has a relationship with the enjoyability. This means the more enjoyable the game is, the more people will play. They also use competitiveness to add to the enjoyment of the game. Before the game is released to the public, usability tests are performed. People involved in these tests are people who have no connection with the developing process. This can include staff with no association to the game development or people who work in the same building but do not know about the game. Once these tests are done, they begin to test the game on the public. All testing must be considered “blind testing”. This means that the testers have never played the game before. This blind testing includes three components: free flow, narrow specific and broad specific. Free flow allows the players to play the game however they want. The purpose of this is to test how fun the game is and avoid areas that may seem boring. Narrow specific refers to playing one level repeatedly. This is to examine improvement with experience. Broad specific is playing many different levels. It also focuses on how well the player does as the levels change. These three components help allow designers to make the game appealing to the public.

Bernhaupt, R., Springer E-books - York University., & SpringerLink (Online service). (2010). Evaluating user experience in games: Concepts and methods. London ; New York: Springer.

The Benefits of Video Games

Prosocial Behavior

Video games are both notorious for negative psychological impacts to a young adolescents behavior in the future but not all video games share the same effect. This article covers the short and long term benefits from video gaming that can result in prosocial behavior. The involved case studies would consider the concepts of prosocial behavior and violent behavior based on the gaming genre they were involved in. Overall a noticed factor that a more prosocial behavior can be noticed from games that required more cooperation and positive interaction with other people. On the other hand more negative activities such as making it harder for teammates or even killing them were noticed from people who played aggressive video games like shooters. It should also be noted that the psychologists who did this analyses were very geared towards a behaviorist approach to proving that all of phenomenon can be analyzed in a cause and effect relationship.

Gentile, D. A., Huesmann, L. R., Anderson, C. A., Sakamoto, A., Bushman, B. J., Khoo, A., et al. (2009). The Effects Of Prosocial Video Games On Prosocial Behaviors: International Evidence From Correlational, Longitudinal, And Experimental Studies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(6), 752-763.

Positive Social Interaction due to MMORPG

Video gaming in the form of RPGs has the capability of bringing out social interactions from socially isolated teens. This is shown in this article reflecting on case studies about socially troubled teens that through the use of a video game encounter people which they learn to interact with resulting in successful social relationships where there was none before. The case reflects how the person called Carl developed social capabilities due to his interactions with other people in the game Second Life which resulted in helping him find out what kind of person he is and what kind of people he got along with better. It helped him get past his own discomforts of other people so he could interact with them face to face.

Naso, R. C. (n.d.). Role-playing games: Bridge or barrier to object relationships in socially isolated teens. Role-playing games: Bridge or barrier to object relationships in socially isolated teens. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from

Civic engagement in relation to video gaming

This article reflects the relationship between adolescents playing video games and how it affects them in regards to civic engagement. Civic engagements involve situations such as persuading others to vote, protesting, donating to charity, or getting involved with politics. Using percentage based calculations, the authors claim that there is a noticeable change in the number of people who take action in civic engagements based on the video games they have played. Players with the more noticeable amounts of civil engagements would have a higher chance of being politically or civically involved. The article also notes how there are more civic gaming experiences. The only visible issue involved with this study is due to the fact that there is little evidence that frequency of gameplay showed any actual impact on civic engagement.

Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (n.d.). Teens, Video Games and Civics. Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Retrieved April 7, 2014

Civic behavior and Gameplay

This article has a similar correlation with a previous article that also involved finding a correlation between adolescent gaming and civic engagement. However this article also tries to prove prosocial behavior alongside civic engagement. The authors do come to a conclusion that a combination of action games and parental involvement gave a positive outcome for youth civic engagement. If their parents were playing alongside the youth, it would turn out that those adolescents have the highest civic engagement. Conclusively, it would also be noted that minor improvements in real life prosocial behavior and civic engagement if the game they played required cooperative, team-oriented playstyle.

Ferguson, C. J., & Garza, A. (2011). Call of (civic) duty: Action games and civic behavior in a large sample of youth. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 770-775.

Violent Video Games and Cooperative Behavior

Despite the notorious beliefs that violent video games give birth to aggressive behavior, it also has the potential of bringing out better attributes in people. Due to the environment introduced by certain shooters like Halo 2 results in a cooperative or competitive atmosphere. The authors will describe something called tit-for-tat behavior that precedes cooperative behavior, which is when the players reflect the behavior of the other player. Thus when one player feels cooperative the other player will also reflect that same kind of behavior. The resulting want to cooperatively play will also increase the likelihood of more cooperative activity later on. This study should also be noted had a high population of male test subjects which may lead to a skew of data.

Ewoldsen, D. R., Eno, C. A., Okdie, B. M., Velez, J. A., Guadagno, R. E., & Decoster, J. (2012). Effect of Playing Violent Video Games Cooperatively or Competitively on Subsequent Cooperative Behavior. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking , 15(5), 277-280.

Cognitive benefits

One of the benefits that video games bring is in improving cognitive skills. Indeed, different types of video games have proven to provide improvements for different parts of the brain. However, it should be noted that not all video games genres enhance cognitive abilities. The most common enhancements by video games are spatial skills (improved by playing shooter games), problem solving skills and among others.
The most important effects on cognitive performances come from shooter video games. Therefore, we will start with the benefits of shooter games (also called “action” games).
There have been studies that recruit people who have either never or barely played shooter games (such as Halo 4, or Grand Theft Auto IV) and assign them to play exactly that for a certain period of time. The results showed that, compared to a control group, who have had no experience playing video games, the group who was assigned to play shooter games showed faster and more accurate attention allocation, as well as higher spatial and temporal resolution of vision. In fact, compared to non video game players, gamers have a lower contrast sensitivity threshold, meaning that they are better at detecting changes in levels of grey in grating patterns. Moreover, a study by Uttal et al, showed that shooter video games could have the same improvements regarding spatial skills as a courses that focus on enhancing those same skills. The training for spatial skills provided by video games is said to be done in short period of time, while the benefits last a more lengthy period and that these skills can be used in situations other than in video games. But why do shooter games in particular bring all these benefits? Shooter games offer, first and foremost, three-dimensional navigational spaces, they also need the player to be able to do split-second decisions and finally have to be alert to unpredictable actions that may happen around them.
In addition, video games can also help develop problem-solving skills. Problem solving can be found in, practically, all types of video games. Indeed, puzzles, which are found in games, can vary from the simplest of thing (for example finding the quickest and most effective way to get from one point to the other) to the most complex, where you have to use analytic skills and memorization. When starting a new game, the player has little to no instructions on how to solve the problems presented to him in the game. The gamer has, therefore, a lot of solutions, that, in itself, will help improve the player’s creativity as well, which would not have happened in if the games had linear instructions that the player has to follow that are found in board games for example. A study have been made that showed that the more adolescents reported playing strategic video games, role-playing games for example, the more improvements problem-solving skills were seen the following year.

The benefits of video games for older adults.

With the advancement of technology, somatosensory devices (such as the Kinect and the PlayStation eye) were released and revolutionized gaming. How do devices like that work? Somatosensory video games do not need the usual joystick-like controller in order to play, but instead they sense the players’ gestures and movement. The first one to launch such technology was Nintendo with the “Nintendo Wii” in 2006. Some of the Wii games have been transformed into “health toys” (and there was even a video game called “Wii fit”) and have been endorsed by the department of health in the United Kingdom. It was not until 2010 that Microsoft launched the “Kinect” (a motion sensing device for the gaming console Xbox 360). Unlike the Wii, who has a sort of an unconventional remote control, the “Kinect” senses your body movements and therefore does not need that.
In a study done by three professors in the National Changhua University of Education, they proved that the “Kinect” (the device used in this study) is a tool to improve visual performance skills for the elderly who are on wheelchairs.
Since institutionalized older adults with wheelchairs have rather fragile bodies, there is not much mobility their bodies can endure. However, physical activity is need to improve their health and prevent the negative effects that aging brings. Three games were done in the study using the Kinect. 1) Follow the arrow: “A total of 20 questions within one minute are in this game. Red arrows pop out from five different directions and players have to point out those arrows by using two arms within 5 seconds to get points”. 2) Matchmaker: “A total of 15 questions are in this game and the completed finish time is recorded to justify players' performance. Lots of different colorful shapes and figures will pop on the screen and the players have to match the same shapes by using both of their hands to get the points.” 3) Mouse Mayhem: “Total time of the game is one minute. The task in the game is to “touch” mice that pop out from four different pines, which are located at four different comers on the screen. There are three kinds of mice in the game. Regular green and gold mice are allowed to touch and contribute to get points. Then, gold mice with hedgehog hair shall be avoid to touch or points would be deducted.”
The results showed that after one month of training with the “Kinect”, the group, which contributed to the experiment, saw their reaction time decrease from 634.65 to 67.14, while the control group who did not play any of those games, saw their reaction time increase from 741.10 to 944.

Motivational Factors

Results of video game Survey of Why People play Social Video Games:

A large amount of people play casual video games, and some do it for long periods of time. One-third of our sample qualified as “heavy” players, meaning that they played several times a day for 31 to 60 minutes at a time. However, many people seem to limit their video game playing, or so they say.

The oldest group constituted the heaviest players. So much for thinking that youth are whiling away the hours playing video games.  Over 40% of those 60 and older fit the criteria for heavy video game players. This supported my idea that tile-matching games might be preferred enough by older adults to become viable cognitive training platforms.

Casual video game players do so for social reasons. You might tend to think of video games as solitary activities, but our survey respondents were much more likely to cite social reasons for playing than even stress relief or mental challenge. Younger adults were most likely to enjoy the competitive features of these games, but many older players told us in their open-ended comments that online games give them the opportunity to connect with far-flung friends and relatives, including their grandchildren.  

People feel better about their cognitive abilities when they play online games. Of the potential benefits of online games, our respondents cited feeling “sharper,” quicker, and better able to remember and see patterns. Older adults were more likely to endorse feeling that their mental abilities improved after playing these games and younger adults talked about the games sharpening their focus and mental awareness.

Online games are fun, but they can also be addictive. We didn't actually include survey questions about how addicted players felt to the games, but we certainly found out in the “other” responses categories that people volunteered just how prevalent such experiences were. Over one-third talked about the game being fun, but a sizable proportion (15%) voluntarily admitted to being addicted.


Whitbourne, S. K., Ellenberg, S. R., & Akimoto, K. (2013). Reasons for playing casual video games and perceived benefits among adults 18 to 80 years old. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16, 892-897.

The Main Factors in Motivating players to play video games:



Advancement: The Desire to gain power, progression rapidly, and accumulate in-game symbols of wealth and status

Mechanics: Having an interest in analyzing the underlying rules and system in order to optimize character performance.

Competition: The sense of competition it’s what motivates them to further exceed in the game in order to be better than other players, Challenging other players through PVP (Player vs. Player) combat or even Large groups vs. another Large Group

Socializing: Interaction with other players either by casual chat or offering assistance, can usually lead into developments of communities within the game which further increases interaction among a greater amount of people through a dedicated chat for the community. Allows players to meet “Online Friends” that could be in a different country that normally the player would have no way of contacting or know about the person without the game.

Relationships: The desire to form long-term meaningful relationships with others

Teamwork: Deriving satisfaction from being part of a group effort and obtaining group achievements.

Discovery: Finding and knowing things that most other players don’t know about

Roleplaying : Creating a persona with a back-ground story and interacting with other players to create an improvised story

Customization: Having an interest in customizing the appearance of their character
Yee, Nick. 
Escapism: Using the online Environment to avoid thinking about real life problems
. CyberPsychology & Behavior. December 2006, 9(6): 772-775. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.772.

Emotional Benefits of Gaming

This article specifically talks about emotional benefits of video gaming and how proffer video games increase the positive emotion and makes players happy at the moment and by that can promotes relaxation and ward of anxiety.  If playing game makes people happy, its emotional benefits of playing video games. Also talk about emotion regulation which includes positive and negative emotion which video games trigger negative emotion like frustration, anger, anxiety, and sadness as well but can be controlled by practice and modulating.

Granic, G.  Lobel, A. Engels, C.M. E. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist. 69(1): 66-78 http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-a0034857.pdf

Video games also can help in the military. indeed, soldiers play video games in order to potential nightmares that may result from combat

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_z8Bhkd9rw]

References
Adachi, P. J., &  Willoughby, T.  (2013). Longitudinal study on Canadian adolescents’ problem solving skills, grades and strategy gaming. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 

Bernhaupt, R., Springer E-books - York University., & SpringerLink (Online service). (2010). Evaluating user experience in games: Concepts and methods. London ; New York: Springer.

Chambers, D. (2012). 'Wii play as a family': The rise in family-centred video gaming. Leisure Studies, 31(1), 69-82

Crawford, G. (2012). Video gamers. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York: Routledge.

Ewoldsen, D. R., Eno, C. A., Okdie, B. M., Velez, J. A., Guadagno, R. E., & Decoster, J. (2012). Effect of Playing Violent Video Games Cooperatively or Competitively on Subsequent Cooperative Behavior. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking , 15(5), 277-280.

Ferguson, C. J., & Garza, A. (2011). Call of (civic) duty: Action games and civic behavior in a large sample of youth. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 770-775.

Fromme, J., Unger, A., & Springer E-books - York University. (2012). Computer games and new media cultures: A handbook of digital games studies. Dordrecht ; New York: Springer

Gentile, D. A., Huesmann, L. R., Anderson, C. A., Sakamoto, A., Bushman, B. J., Khoo, A., et al. (2009). The Effects Of Prosocial Video Games On Prosocial Behaviors: International Evidence From Correlational, Longitudinal, And Experimental Studies. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(6), 752-763.

Green, C. S., &  Bavelier, D.  (2012). Learning, Attentional Control, and Action Video Games. Current Biology, Volume 22, Issue 6.

H. Wallop. (2009, November. 17). NHS endorses Nintendo Wii Fit video game. The Telegraph.

Ishida, T., Isbister, K., & Kyoto Meeting on Digital Cities. (2000). Digital cities: Technologies, experiences, and future perspectives. Berlin; New York: Springer.

Lenhart, A., Kahne, J., Middaugh, E., Macgill, A., Evans, C., & Vitak, J. (n.d.). Teens, Video Games and Civics. Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Retrieved April 7, 2014

Li, R., Polat, U., Makous, W., & Bavelier, D. (2009). Enhancing the contrast sensitivity function through action video game training. Nature Neuroscience, 12(5), 549-551.

Naso, R. C. (n.d.). Role-playing games: Bridge or barrier to object relationships in socially isolated teens. Role-playing games: Bridge or barrier to object relationships in socially isolated teens. Retrieved April 7, 2014

Prensky, M.  (2012). From digital natives to digital wisdom: Hopeful essays for 21st century learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. 

Uttal, D. H., Meadow, N. G., Tipton, E., Hand, L. L., Alden, A. R., Warren, C., & Newcombe, N. S. (2012, June 4). The Malleability of Spatial Skills: A Meta-Analysis of Training Studies. Psychological Bulletin, Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0028446.



Whitbourne, S. K., Ellenberg, S. R., & Akimoto, K. (2013). Reasons for playing casual video games and perceived benefits among adults 18 to 80 years old. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16, 892-897.

Yee, Nick. 
Escapism: Using the online Environment to avoid thinking about real life problems
. CyberPsychology & Behavior. December 2006, 9(6): 772-775. doi:10.1089/cpb.2006.9.772.

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