Playing Tetris for just 3 minutes a day can weaken the need to take drugs, food or perform activities such as sex or sleep , according to a new study carried out by a team of psychologists from the University of Plymouth (England) and from Queensland University of Technology (Australia).
For their experiment, the researchers had the participation of 31 volunteers aged between 18 and 27 years with different addictions – alcohol, tobacco, drugs, sex. For a week, the participants noted the degree of anxiety they suffered on a daily basis and only 15 of them played Tetris every day, about 5 times a day.
The results revealed that those who had played this video game showed a reduction in anxiety by at least 15% in all addictions , with food being the only one with a lower percentage of anxiety. The benefits of playing Tetris were sustained for up to a week after the experiment was completed.
“T he desire to imagine the experience involves consumption of a particular substance or perform a particular activity. Thus, playing a visually interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental process that supports that imagination . It’s hard to imagine living something and playing Tetris at the same time ”, explains Jackie Andrade, co-author of the study.
According to the authors, this is the first demonstration that cognitive interference can be used outside the laboratory to reduce addiction . “Tetris can help people manage their addictions in their daily lives or for longer periods of time,” Andrade clarifies.
The study has been published in the journal Addictive Behaviors .
