Video Games and Stress: How Stress Appraisals and Game Content Affect Cardiovascular and Emotion Outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Although previous studies have found that video games induce stress, studies have not typically measured all salient indicators of stress responses including stress appraisals, cardiovascular indicators, and emotion outcomes. The current study used the Biopsychosocial Model of Challenge and Threat (Blascovich and Tomaka, 1996) to determine if video games induce a cardiovascular stress response by comparing the effects of threat and challenge appraisals across two types of video games that have shown different cardiovascular outcomes. Participants received challenge or threat appraisal instructions, and played a fighting game (Mortal Kombat) or a puzzle game (Tetris). Study outcomes were heart rate variability, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and positive and negative e

SUBMITTER: Porter AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6524699 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature