Computer games have long been viewed with suspicion by parents, schools, and health professionals. Popular belief suggests that gaming is bad for you—associated with addiction, social isolation, aggression, and poor mental health. Previous research has linked excessive gaming to negative outcomes. However, a recent study at Kyushu Sangyo University in Japan challenges these assumptions by exploring whether certain types of games might enhance wellbeing.

The study focused on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a Nintendo Switch game where players explore the vast kingdom of Hyrule with complete freedom—climbing mountains, solving puzzles, cooking meals, and discovering secrets at their own pace. The game emphasises peaceful exploration and creative problem-solving alongside adventure, with calming visuals and music designed to provide stress relief.

In addition, the study included Studio Ghibli films, Japanese animations by Hayao Miyazaki featuring hand-drawn artistry and nostalgic childhood themes. Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, often evokes warm, comforting memories of "the good old days." The animations’ gentle storytelling, natural landscapes, and themes of community and everyday magic particularly resonate with Japanese audiences.

A volunteer sample of 518 postgraduate participants was randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a controlled setting:

• Gaming + nostalgia (n=129)
• Gaming only (n=130)
• Nostalgia only (n=130)
• Control (n=129)

The gaming conditions involved playing Zelda for 30 minutes, with or without an additional 7-minute animation clip. The control group did not engage in any activity and only completed questionnaires measuring happiness, exploration, calm, mastery, and purpose.

Results showed that participants in the gaming condition reported significantly higher happiness than controls, and this effect was amplified when gaming was combined with nostalgic film clips. Further analysis suggested that gaming boosted happiness through four key mechanisms: fostering exploration, enhancing calm, increasing mastery, and strengthening purpose.

Reference: Arigayota A, Duffek B, Hou C, Eisingerich AB. Effects of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Studio Ghibli Films on Young People's Sense of Exploration, Calm, Mastery and Skill, Purpose and Meaning, and Overall Happiness in Life: Exploratory Randomized Controlled Study. JMIR Serious Games. 2025 Aug 1;13:e76522. doi: 10.2196/76522. PMID: 40750097; PMCID: PMC12357126.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS!

1. What experimental design is being used in this study?
2. What problems could using this design have introduced in this study?
3. What experimental method is being used in this study?
4. How could the researchers have randomly allocated the 518 postgraduate participants into the 4 conditions?
5. Why was a control group necessary in this study?
6. What limitations are there for the external validity of this study? Explain at least two.

CHALLENGE: What practical applications might this study have?