The study examined how different types of video games impact stress levels. Participants were randomly assigned to play a violent video game with or without a narrative, or a nonviolent video game with or without a narrative. Participants completed a stressful task to induce stress, then played the assigned video game. Mood and flow surveys assessed changes in stress and immersion. Results showed that stress increased after the task but decreased after gaming, with no differences between game types. Those experiencing more flow saw greater stress reduction. The presence of narrative did not significantly impact flow or stress change.

1. Table 1
Abstract
Research has disagreed on the positive and negative effects of video games. In the
Violence and Narrative in Video Games & the Effect on Stress ANOVA Table for Analysis of Moods and Video Games
df F p 2
ᵑ
Stress
current study we attempt to assess whether violent video games impact the ability to
reduce stress. The most popular games tend to be violent and may have a
Casey Chadwick and Brittany Bittner Main effect Stress Measure 1,40 33.45 <.001 0.46
Main effect Gender 1,40 9.09 0.004 0.19
desensitization effect. This may be due to the narrative aspect of the game. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dawn Blasko Stress Measure x Gender t 1,40 3.43 0.071 0.08
Participants in this study were randomly assigned to play a violent video game (with Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
a narrative or without), or a nonviolent video game (with a narrative or without). In
Happiness
order to increase stress, participants completed the Paced Auditory Serial Addition School of Humanities and Social Sciences Main effect Happiness Measure 1,40 5.69 0.022 0.13
Task. To assess whether there were changes in stress, participants were given a pre Main Effect Gender 1,40 7.96 0.007 0.17
and post current mood survey. They also completed a Serious Game Measure that Happiness Measure x Gender 1,40 4.79 0.035 0.11
examined perceptions of video games. Results showed that stress was increased
after completing the stressful task and decreased after playing the game. The results
showed no significant differences between game type (violent, nonviolent). Those
who experience more flow showed a greater decrease in stress level than those who
Participants
- N=53, 47% female, (ages 18-33) IRB approval Procedure: Happiness Measure x Violence x Gender t
Frustration
1,40 3.79 0.059 0.09
Main Effect Frustration Measure 1,40 17.89 <.001 0.31
didn’t experience flow. Measures Frustration Measure x Violence 1,40 11.11 0.002 0.22
- Mood Survey
- e.g. “On a scale from 1 – 5 how stressed Anger
Video Games Usage do you currently feel?” 4 Main Effect Anger Measure
Main Effect Gender
1,39
1,39
6.73
4.64
0.013
0.037
0.15
0.11
Anger Measure x Violence 1,39 7.87 0.008 0.17
- Serious Game Measure (Blasko-Drabik, 2011)
- e.g. “I became unaware of my 11 Flow
- 70% of children (ages 2-18) have at least 1 video game console in home
surroundings by playing the game” (Likert
Scale rating)
7 Main Effect Violence
Main effect Gender t
1,50
1,50
5.54
3.01
0.013
0.09
0.12
0.07
Violence x Gender t 1,50 3.96 0.053 0.09
- 33% of children have video game consoles on their bedrooms (Thompson &
Haninger, 2001) - Self-created Video Games 10 Violence x Narrative t 1,50 2.86 0.098 0.06
- Currently 97% of adolescents (ages 12-17) play computer, web, or console
video games
Experience Questionnaire
- e.g. “How many hours a week 3 Game Structure
Main Effect Violence 1,50 18.49 <.001 0.31
do you play video games?”
- 31% of adolescents currently playing video games play on a daily basis
- 21% play 3 – 5 days a week (Lenhart, Kahne, Middaugh, Macgill, Evans & Vitak, 2008) Analysis
4 Personal Challenge
- 2 (stress time: time 2, time 3 ) X 2 1 Violence x Gender 1,50 6.48
Note. Significant at p < 0.05. Those with asterisks (*) are approaching significance.
0.015 0.13
(violence: violent, nonviolent) X 2
Dangers of Video Games (narrative: narrative, no narrative)
mixed ANOVA Discussion
- Despite the nature of the game, stress was reduced after playing (Mood
- The best selling video games are often the most violent. (e.g. Mortal Management Theory)
Kombat, Call of Duty: Black Ops)
- People look for something to help them recuperate and get rid of negative
emotions and bring in positive ones
- Violent video games can desensitize players to violence (Bushman & Anderson,
2011).
- Easier to enter flow when playing the nonviolent game rather than the violent
- Englehardt found that the level of increased aggression when playing a game
violent game may depend on personality. (Engelhardt, Bartholow, & Saults, 2011).
- Flow was overall higher in the nonviolent video game, despite the presence
of narrative.
- Men also have a greater increase in aggression than females (Bartholow &
Anderson, 2001) - Those who played the nonviolent game without a narrative experienced
Benefits of Video Games
Stress X Gender Flow Levels more flow than those who played the nonviolent game with a narrative.
- In violent video games, those who had a narrative experienced flow more
than those without a narrative.
Females Males Narrative No Narrative
- Video games may develop eye hand coordination and visual 4.5
spatial attention. 6 Future Research Questions
4 - Are exercise video games more effective at reducing stress than other games
- Many players report that video games help decrease stress. 5 and if so, why?
3.5
Stress Means
- Do they have more of an effect on stress since it is combining exercise and
Mean Flow Levels
- Mood Management Theory (Zillman) 3 4
video games together?
- Media users strive for pleasure by changing environmental stimuli 2.5
3
- Age could also be considered in future studies
2
- People who suffer high levels of stress show a higher tendency to use games 2
to recover from stress (Reinecke, 2009). 1.5 - Many older people using exercise games in the world today
1 1 - Differences in enjoyment and arousal in these two age groups could be
Reasons Why Video Games Reduce Stress Before Stress Task After Stress Task After Playing Violence No Violence researched.
Theory of Flow There was a main effect of the time, F (1,46)= 19.08, p <.001. As expected For ratings of flow, the interaction between violence and narrative did not reach
, stress increased after the PASAT. Females reported more stress overall, F statistical significance, F (1,50)= 2.86, p = .09.For the nonviolent condition flow References
- An experiential state that happens when a person is experiencing optimal (1,46)= 12.44, p = .001. There was no interaction between stress and gender, F was slightly higher in the no narrative condition whereas in the violent condition Anderson, C. A., Ihori, N., Bushman, B. J., Rothstein, H. R., Shibuya, A., Swing, E. L., Sakamoto, A., &
engagement with an activity or task (Payne, Jackson, Stine-Morrow & Noh, 2011) (1,46)= 2.69, p = .108. the narrative showed somewhat more flow. Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in
eastern and western countries: A Meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 151-173.
- Become unaware of environment doi:10.1037/a0018251
- Males experience flow more than females (Inal & Cagiltay, 2007).
Stress Time X Narrative X Violence Bartholow, B. D., & Anderson, C. A. (2001). Effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior:
Potential sex differences. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 283-290.
doi:10.1006/jesp.2001.1502
Engelhardt, C.R. Bartholow, B. D., & Saults, J. S. (2011). Violent and nonviolent video games differentially
Narrative Males Females affect physical aggression for individuals high vs. low in dispositional behavior. Aggressive
Behavior, 37, 539-546.
- No research about how presence of narrative in video games may affect 3.5 5 Inal, Y., & Cagiltay, K. (2007). Flow experiences of children in an interactive social games environment
flow [Electronic version]. British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(3), 455-464. doi:10.1111/j.1467-
4.5 8535.2007.00709.x
3 Payne, B. R., Jackson, J. J., Stine-Morrow, E. A., & Noh, S. R. (2011, March 28). In the zone: flow state
- Could affect flow because narrative is made to make player feel present in 4
and cognition in older adults [Electronic version]. Psychology and Aging, 26(3), 738-743.
game (Inal & Cagiltay, 2007). doi:10.1037/a0022359
Stress Means
Stress Means
2.5 3.5
Reinecke, L. (2009). The Use of video and computer games to recuperate from stress and strain. Journal
3 of Media Psychology, 21(3), 126-142. doi:10.1027/1864-1105.21.3.126
Research Questions 2
After Stress Task After Stress Task Zillmann, D. (1988a). Mood management through communication choices. American Behavioral Scientist,
After playing 2.5 After Playing 31, 327–340.
1) Can playing video games reduce induced stress? 2
1.5
2) Are violent video games better at reducing stress? 1.5 Acknowledgments
1
3) Does the presence of a narrative in a video game help Narrative/Violent Narrative/Nonviolent No Narrative/Violent No narrative/Nonviolent
1
Narrative/Violent Narrative/Nonviolent No Narrative/Violent No Narrative/Nonviolent
This research was made possible by the Penn State Behrend Undergraduate
decrease stress and is this more prominent in violent Game Type
Research Grant.
GameType
games? The was a main effect of stress reduction, but no significant 3 way interaction For females the amount of stress was reduced after playing the game, but the We would like to acknowledge a special thank you to Dr. Dawn Blasko for
between narrative, violence and stress reduction, F (1,21)= 1.28, p = .27, for males. amount of reduction did not change based on narrative or violence of the advising this research project. We would also like to thank Ms. Holly Blasko
4) What are the influences of narrative and violence on the Drabik for providing consultation on the design and for the use of her measure.
game., F (1,19)= 0.54, p = .82
experience of flow?