Oxford University study with PowerWash Simulator finds 72% feel happier while playing games
A
study
conducted
by
the
University
of
Oxford
in
collaboration
with
FuturLab
and
PowerWash
Simulator
has
found
that
72%
of
players
were
likely
to
experience
an
uplift
in
mood
during
play
sessions.
The
report,
which
was
published
in
the
Games:
Research
and
Practice
Journal,
analysed
data
from
8,695
players
from
39
countries
including
the
US,
UK,
Canada
and
Germany.
Respondents
reported
their
well-being
to
researchers
across
67,328
gaming
sessions
via
a
research
edition
of
the
game.
The
results
found
that
across
the
over
162,300
in-game
reports
submitted
by
players,
on
average
those
surveyed
reported
“a
more
positive
mood
during
play
than
at
the
start
of
each
session,”
consistently
during
the
first
fifteen
minutes
of
a
play.
Researchers
said
the
findings
will
aid
in
understanding
how
the
short-term
effects
of
playing
video
games
can
be
beneficial
for
“mood-related
interventions.”
It
may
also
support
the
ability
to
build
a
“theoretical
foundation”
for
the
long-term
effects
gaming
sessions
can
have
on
mental
health.
“At
present,
short-term
changes
in
video
game
players’
moods
are
poorly
understood,”
said
lead
author
Matti
Vuorre,
assistant
professor
at
Tilburg
University
and
research
associate
at
Oxford
Internet
Institute.
“Gameplay
research
frequently
relies
on
artificial
stimuli,
with
games
created
or
modified
by
academic
researchers,
typically
played
in
a
lab
environment
rather
than
a
natural
context.
Instead,
we
wanted
to
know
how
real
play
in
natural
contexts
might
predict
player
mood
on
short
timescales.”
Senior
author
and
professor
Andrew
Przybylski
of
the
Oxford
Internet
Institute
added:
“The
fact
that
we
only
studied
one
game
–
and
one
that
is
not
likely
representative
of
today’s
most
commonly
played
games
–
suggests
caution
in
generalising
our
findings
to
other
games.
“Future
work
should
consider
the
use
of
randomised
controlled
trials
to
evaluate
the
effect
of
playing
PowerWash
simulator
or
other
games
compared
to
other
leisure
activities
or
therapeutic
interventions.”
