Oxford Study Finds That Playing Games Can Boost Your Mood

As a gamer who’s spent countless hours scrubbing virtual tiles and battling digital baddies, I can wholeheartedly attest to this latest study from Oxford University. It’s no secret that gaming has been my go-to stress reliever, mood booster, and social connection for years now.

A study supported by the University of Oxford has confirmed what many millions of people have long suspected – this is now established as fact.

In the past few days, research results were shared after a lengthy study involving over 39 nations and more than thousands of gamers. These players underwent testing using a customized version of PowerWash Simulator. The insights gathered from their responses led scholars at Oxford to conclude, as one might anticipate, that gaming can enhance your mood.

In Black and White

In this extensive research project, information was compiled from an impressive 162,325 reports amassed over 67,328 separate sessions. Researchers at the University of Oxford extended invitations to 8,695 participants, each of whom participated in a specially designed version of PowerWash Simulator that was nearly identical to the original game.

As they spent time playing, players were frequently asked for detailed opinions on their emotions. Using a sophisticated scale with up to 1,000 different options, researchers at Oxford found that around 72% of participants reported feeling more self-confident while engaging in video games.

In particular, they felt their mood improving in the first 15 minutes of a session.

The point was emphasized that in comparisons with related studies about shopping, reading, cooking, or walking, the ‘mood lift’ wasn’t as pronounced. However, it’s important to note that sexual activity has been found to provide the highest ‘mood boost’ of 28%.

The report published by the University of Oxford outlined some critical points from these findings:

They found that the uplift is greater for those who started gaming with a lower mood.
They found that ‘anticipatory effects’ can artificially boost moods, with players anticipating an imminent reward being more likely to vote positively.

It’s noteworthy to mention that the research project started in 2022, and it is just recently that the team has made their discoveries public.

Nick Ballou, a postdoctoral researcher from the Oxford Internet Institute, said:

Through analyzing players’ feelings as they naturally played a well-known and widely purchased game, our findings revealed robust support for a slight improvement in their mood throughout the gaming period.
The findings of our recent investigation align with what numerous qualitative studies and feedback from global video game enthusiasts have consistently indicated over time: Individuals experience a sense of well-being while engaging in video games.

Now, you have a valid excuse to spend some time enjoying video games. I wonder if the outcome would be consistent if the players were restricted to games such as Call of Duty or Escape from Tarkov instead.

If you’re interested, you can check out the full paper from the University of Oxford.

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