Archive notice: This article was originally published on May 2, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
East Carolina University presents the results of a 6-month randomised, controlled study confirming the positive effects of casual video games on health. The family-friendly puzzle/word games used in the study, Bejeweled 2, Peggle and Bookworm Adventures, come from PopCap Games.
The ECU study produced important findings and identified the potential therapeutic benefits of casual gaming as a means of combating serious mental and physical illnesses.
Bejeweled 2 demonstrably reduced stress levels by 54 percent compared with the control group. Although Peggle and Bookworm Adventures did not significantly reduce individual physical stress levels, these games did affect psychological tension, depression and other mood states, in some cases considerably.
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Mood was measured in six different categories. Collectively, these categories are called “total mood disturbance”: a decrease in total mood disturbance corresponds to a positive change in mood. Peggle had the greatest effect, raising the mood of all study participants by 573 percent. Bejeweled 2 increased it by 435 percent and Bookworm Adventures by 303 percent.
The study was conducted between October 2007 and April 2008 and involved a total of 134 participants. For further information or a more detailed press release, please contact Garth Chouteau at garth@popcap.com .
Further Links:
- PapCap Games
Study Data
