Trudging through a war-torn, rat-infested medieval hellscape might be much more soothing than it sounds. That is, of course, if that rat-infested nightmare is taking place in A Plague Tale: Requiem, a video game.
According to a new study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, and brought to our attention by PsyPost, researchers found that after playing A Plague’s Tale, a game where the rats that caused the bubonic plague can form up to become tidal waves of writhing rat flesh, can reduce psychological signs of stress even if the game is set within that type of absolute nightmare.
Researchers induced stress in 82 participants using the Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test, a process designed to spike cortisol by dipping a participant’s hand in icy cold water while sadistic researchers hide their uproarious laughter behind clipboards they’re pretending to jot down notes on. It’s a standard method for inducing stress without causing much harm.
Every 20 seconds or so, the researchers ask the person in the cold water how they’re feeling. Presumably, they respond with a series of curse words that indicate they are undergoing stress.
Afterward, with one very cold hand, the participants played either a violent or nonviolent section of Requiem for 25 minutes. The ones who played the violent sequences said they felt more stressed and aggressive, but their vital signs betrayed them. Participants who played the violent and nonviolent sections showed similar psychological responses, with heart rate and cortisol levels dropping.
The ice water raised their stress. Playing the game lowered it.
So, why did the participants think they were stressed when their vitals said they weren’t? It’s just a matter of perception vs reality. According to the researchers, players might interpret fast-paced or violent gameplay as stressful even if their body and mind are chillin’.
The study is testing the merits of something many billions have intrinsically known for years: gaming is a stress-relieving activity, at least when it doesn’t piss you off so much that you hurl your controller across the room.
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