scholarly journals Digital Games and Mindfulness Apps: Comparison of Effects on Post Work Recovery

10.2196/12853 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. e12853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Collins ◽  
Anna Cox ◽  
Caroline Wilcock ◽  
Geraint Sethu-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Work Recovery ◽  
Mixed Analysis ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Game Condition

Background Engagement in activities that promote the dissipation of work stress is essential for post work recovery and consequently for well-being. Previous research suggests that activities that are immersive, active, and engaging are especially effective at promoting recovery. Therefore, digital games may be able to promote recovery, but little is known about how they compare with other popular mobile activities, such as mindfulness apps that are specifically designed to support well-being. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of a digital game and mindfulness app in promoting post work recovery, first in a laboratory setting and then in a field study. Methods Study 1 was a laboratory experiment (n=45) in which participants’ need for recovery was induced by a work task, before undertaking 1 of 3 interventions: a digital game (Block! Hexa Puzzle), a mindfulness app (Headspace), or a nonmedia control with a fidget spinner (a physical toy). Recovery in the form of how energized participants felt (energetic arousal) was compared before and after the intervention and how recovered participants felt (recovery experience) was compared across the conditions. Study 2 was a field study with working professionals (n=20), for which participants either played the digital game or used the mindfulness app once they arrived home after work for a period of 5 working days. Measures of energetic arousal were taken before and after the intervention, and the recovery experience was measured after the intervention along with measures of enjoyment and job strain. Results A 3×2 mixed analysis of variance identified that, in study 1, the digital game condition increased energetic arousal (indicative of improved recovery) whereas the other 2 conditions decreased energetic arousal (F2,42=3.76; P=.03). However, there were no differences between the conditions in recovery experience (F2,42=.01; P=.99). In study 2, multilevel model comparisons identified that neither the intervention nor day of the week had a significant main effect on how energized participants felt. However, for those in the digital game condition, daily recovery experience increased during the course of the study, whereas for those in the mindfulness condition, it decreased (F1,18=9.97; P=.01). Follow-up interviews with participants identified 3 core themes: detachment and restoration, fluctuations and differences, and routine and scheduling. Conclusions This study suggests that digital games may be effective in promoting post work recovery in laboratory contexts (study 1) and in the real world, although the effect in this case may be cumulative rather than instant (study 2).

scholarly journals Digital Games and Mindfulness Apps: Comparison of Effects on Post Work Recovery (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Collins ◽  
Anna Cox ◽  
Caroline Wilcock ◽  
Geraint Sethu-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Work Recovery ◽  
Mixed Analysis ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Game Condition

BACKGROUND Engagement in activities that promote the dissipation of work stress is essential for post work recovery and consequently for well-being. Previous research suggests that activities that are immersive, active, and engaging are especially effective at promoting recovery. Therefore, digital games may be able to promote recovery, but little is known about how they compare with other popular mobile activities, such as mindfulness apps that are specifically designed to support well-being. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the effectiveness of a digital game and mindfulness app in promoting post work recovery, first in a laboratory setting and then in a field study. METHODS Study 1 was a laboratory experiment (n=45) in which participants’ need for recovery was induced by a work task, before undertaking 1 of 3 interventions: a digital game (Block! Hexa Puzzle), a mindfulness app (Headspace), or a nonmedia control with a fidget spinner (a physical toy). Recovery in the form of how energized participants felt (energetic arousal) was compared before and after the intervention and how recovered participants felt (recovery experience) was compared across the conditions. Study 2 was a field study with working professionals (n=20), for which participants either played the digital game or used the mindfulness app once they arrived home after work for a period of 5 working days. Measures of energetic arousal were taken before and after the intervention, and the recovery experience was measured after the intervention along with measures of enjoyment and job strain. RESULTS A 3×2 mixed analysis of variance identified that, in study 1, the digital game condition increased energetic arousal (indicative of improved recovery) whereas the other 2 conditions decreased energetic arousal (F2,42=3.76; P=.03). However, there were no differences between the conditions in recovery experience (F2,42=.01; P=.99). In study 2, multilevel model comparisons identified that neither the intervention nor day of the week had a significant main effect on how energized participants felt. However, for those in the digital game condition, daily recovery experience increased during the course of the study, whereas for those in the mindfulness condition, it decreased (F1,18=9.97; P=.01). Follow-up interviews with participants identified 3 core themes: detachment and restoration, fluctuations and differences, and routine and scheduling. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that digital games may be effective in promoting post work recovery in laboratory contexts (study 1) and in the real world, although the effect in this case may be cumulative rather than instant (study 2).

scholarly journals Digital Games vs Mindfulness Apps: Which is More Effective for Post-Work Recovery? (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Collins ◽  
Anna Cox ◽  
Caroline Wilcock ◽  
Geraint Sethu-Jones
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Model Comparison ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Digital Games ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Need For Recovery ◽  
Work Recovery ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Level Model ◽  
Game Condition

BACKGROUND Post-work recovery is essential for the dissipation of work stress, and consequently wellbeing. Evidence suggests that activities that are immersive, active and engaging are especially effective at promoting recovery. Previous research has suggested that playing digital games might be effective in promoting recovery, but little is known about how they compare to other popular mobile activities, such as mindfulness apps, which are specifically designed to support wellbeing. OBJECTIVE This research aimed to investigate and compare the effectiveness of a digital game and a mindfulness app in promoting post-work recovery, first in a lab setting and then in a field study. METHODS Study 1 was a lab experiment (n=45) in which participants’ need for recovery was induced by a work task, before undertaking one of three break tasks: a digital game (Block! Hexa Puzzle), a mindfulness app (Headspace) or a non-media control with a fidget spinner (a physical toy). Recovery in the form of how energised participants felt (energetic arousal) was compared before and after the break task, and how recovered participants felt (recovery experience) was compared across the conditions. Study 2 was a field study with working professionals (n=20), for which participants either played the digital game or used the mindfulness app once arriving home from work over a period of five working days. Measures of energetic and tense arousal were taken before and after the task, and recovery experience was measured after the task, along with measures of enjoyment and job strain. RESULTS A 3x2 mixed ANOVA identified that the digital game condition increased energetic arousal (indicative of improved recovery) whereas the other two conditions decreased energetic arousal (F2,42=3.76, p<.05). However, there were no differences between the conditions in Recovery Experience (F2,42=.01, p=.99). In Study 2, a multi-level model comparison approach identified that neither intervention nor day of the week had a significant impact on how energised participants felt. However, for those in the digital game condition, daily recovery experience increased during the course of the study, whereas for those in the mindfulness condition it decreased (F1,20=2.1489, p<0.01). Follow up interviews with participants identified three core themes: Detachment and Restoration, Fluctuations and Differences, and finally, Routine and Scheduling. These suggested that the activities differed in how much they allowed individuals to detach from work, but there were also differences across days and participants, and in some ways, the benefit of the activities came from simply having an enforced routine. CONCLUSIONS This work suggests that digital games may be effective in promoting post-work recovery in lab contexts, even without a high need for recovery (Study 1) and in the real world, although the effect in this case may be accumulative rather than instant (Study 2).

A Community-Based Evaluation of Brief Guided Mindfulness in the Management of Stress and Difficult Emotions

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Shaya MacDonald ◽  
Susan Korol ◽  
Todd Vassallo ◽  
Cathy MacDougall
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Perceived Quality Of Life ◽  
Before And After

The current study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel three-hour Guided Mindfulness Program on participants’ management of depression, anxiety and stress. The intervention included an educational component emphasizing the psychological value of mindfulness practice combined with a practical training component in mindfulness techniques. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale was administered at three points in time before and after participation in the program. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore perceived quality of life, happiness, and stress 4 to 8 weeks following the program. All participants reported improvements in overall well-being and reported significant decreases in negative affect when comparing pre-program scores (baseline) to follow-up scores. Notably, qualitative interview results indicated that participants attributed most positive post-program results to informal mindfulness practice.

scholarly journals Effects of Combined Endurance and Resistance Training in Women With Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Correale ◽  
Cosme Franklim Buzzachera ◽  
Giulia Liberali ◽  
Erwan Codrons ◽  
Giulia Mallucci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Intervention Period ◽  
Maximal Voluntary Isometric Contraction ◽  
Leg Extension ◽  
Before And After

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that combined resistance and endurance training would improve muscle strength, fatigue, depression, and quality of life in persons with MS.Methods: Twenty-seven women with MS were randomly assigned to either control (CON, n = 13) or the experimental (EXP, n = 14) group. The participants in the EXP group trained twice a week for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of detraining. Both CON and EXP groups were tested before and after 12 weeks of the intervention period, as well as 12 weeks after training cessation (follow-up), where measures of muscle strength, fatigue, depression, and quality of life were evaluated.Results: There were significant changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), 1RM leg extension, and 1RM chest press following the intervention period in the EXP group (P &lt; 0.05), but not in the CON group (P &gt; 0.05). These changes persisted after 12 weeks of detraining. Similar findings were found for fatigue, depression, and physical and mental composites of quality of life.Conclusion: These results suggest that combined exercise training, at a minimum, prevents the disease-related deterioration of muscular performance and quality of life and well-being in persons with MS.

Motivation, Personality and Well-Being in Older Volunteers

2002 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolores Pushkar ◽  
Myrna Reis ◽  
Melinda Morros
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Motivation ◽  
Standardized Measures ◽  
Older Volunteers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
One Year ◽  
Drop Outs

This study examined the effects of personality traits and motivation to volunteer on well-being as 107 older participants went through an intervention to increase volunteering. Three groups of volunteers, current, new, and former volunteers, participated. Participants were assessed four times on standardized measures of personality, health, motivation, and well-being: before and after a wait period, after volunteering, and at one year follow-up. There were no differences between pre, post and follow-up well-being. Regression analysis indicated that health, personality traits and motivation predicted well-being at pre-intervention. In contrast, after the intervention, regression analysis indicated that the interaction of higher neuroticism and greater motivation scores predicted lower well-being compared to other volunteers. One year follow-up results indicated that personality traits and health predicted well-being and that higher initial motivation predicted drop-outs while those continuing to volunteer increased their motivation scores.

scholarly journals Teaching well-being at scale: An intervention study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249193
Author(s):  
David B. Yaden ◽  
Jennifer Claydon ◽  
Meghan Bathgate ◽  
Belinda Platt ◽  
Laurie R. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Adult Students ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Three Samples ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Psychology Courses

Courses that teach evidence-based interventions to enhance well-being are a public health tool that could be used to improve mental health in the population. We compared the well-being of six cohorts of adult students before and after they completed one of two massive open online courses: The Science of Well-Being (N = 581; 441; 1,228) and a control course, Introduction to Psychology (N = 677; 480; 1,480). Baseline well-being levels were equivalent across all six samples. Students in both courses increased in their well-being from baseline to follow-up in all three samples (p < .001); however, at follow-up, students in The Science of Well-Being course had higher subjective well-being than the control course (sample 1: r = .18, d = .37, p < .001; sample 2: r = .21, d = .43, p < .001; sample 3: r = .19, d = .38, p < .001). Overall, across three samples, we found that students who completed either of these online psychology courses increased in their well-being––but that students in The Science of Well-Being course showed greater improvement. These findings suggest that large free online courses that teach evidence-based approaches to well-being could positively impact mental health at large scales.

scholarly journals Rewards of Compassion: Dispositional Compassion Predicts Lower Job Strain and Effort-Reward Imbalance Over a 11-Year Follow-Up

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iina Tolonen ◽  
Aino Saarinen ◽  
Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen ◽  
Virva Siira ◽  
Mika Kähönen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Job Strain ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Individual Factor ◽  
Panel Models ◽  
Effort Reward Imbalance ◽  
Reward Imbalance

Dispositional compassion has been shown to predict higher well-being and to be associated with lower perceived stress and higher social support. Thus, compassion may be a potential individual factor protecting from job strain. The current study examines (i) whether dispositional compassion predicts job strain and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) or does the predictive relationship run from job strain and ERI to dispositional compassion and (ii) the effect of dispositional compassion on the developmental trajectory of job strain and ERI over a 11-year follow-up. We used data from the Young Finns study (n=723) between 2001 and 2012. The direction of the predictive relationships was analyzed with cross-lagged panel models. Compassion’s effect on the trajectories of job strain, ERI, and their components was examined with multilevel models. First, the cross-lagged panel models demonstrated there was no evidence for the predictive pathways between compassion and job strain or its components. However, the predictive pathways from high dispositional compassion to low ERI and high rewards had better fit to the data than the predictive pathways in the opposite direction. In addition, multilevel models showed that high compassion predicted various job characteristics from early adulthood to middle age (lower job strain and higher job control as well as lower ERI and higher reward). Compassion did not predict job demand/effort. The findings were obtained independently of age, gender, and socioeconomic factors in childhood and adulthood. These findings indicate that compassion may be beneficial in work context. Further, compassion might be useful in the management or prevention of some aspects of strain. Our study provides new insight about the role of compassion in work life.

scholarly journals From Knowledge to Differentiation: Increasing Emotion Knowledge Through an Intervention Increases Negative Emotion Differentiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evgeniya Vedernikova ◽  
Peter Kuppens ◽  
Yasemin Erbas
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Emotion Knowledge ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Emotion Differentiation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
High Degree

Labeling emotions with a high degree of granularity appears to be beneficial for well-being. However, there are individual differences in the level of emotion differentiation, and some individuals do not appear to differentiate much between different emotions. Low differentiation is associated with maladaptive outcomes, therefore such individuals might benefit from interventions that can increase their level of emotion differentiation. To this end, we tested the effects of an emotion knowledge intervention on the level of emotion differentiation. One hundred and twenty participants were assigned to either an experimental or a control condition. Emotion differentiation was assessed with a Scenario Rating Task before and after the intervention, and at follow-up. As predicted, negative emotion differentiation increased significantly after the emotion knowledge intervention, and this increase was not observed in the control group. Positive emotion differentiation also increased slightly; however, it did not reach significance level. This finding suggests that an emotion knowledge intervention might be beneficial for increasing negative emotion differentiation and may have implications for the clinical context.

Effects of a group music-based intervention in improving attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity: A randomized trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 030573562110506
Author(s):  
Chen-Jung Chen ◽  
Yi-Chang Chen ◽  
Mei-Yin Lee ◽  
Chih-Hung Wang ◽  
Li-Chuan Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Attachment ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Psychosocial Adaptation ◽  
Music Intervention ◽  
Attachment Insecurity ◽  
Paired Samples ◽  
Mixed Analysis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After

The effects of a group music-based intervention on attachment and psychosocial adaptation in adolescents with parental attachment insecurity were examined in Taiwan. A randomized controlled trial with a pre–post and follow-up design was performed. The music group ( N = 28) attended a 40-min session twice weekly for 10 weeks. The nonmusic group ( N = 28) received health education. The groups underwent a parental attachment and psychosocial adaptation assessment before and after the music intervention and at the 1-week follow-up. The results were analyzed using paired-samples t-tests and a mixed analysis of variance. Fifty-four participants completed both the pre- and posttests and were included in the final data analysis. The interaction effect was statistically significant, parental attachment, F(1.07, 25.81) = 8.18, p < .005, η2 = .14; and psychosocial maladaptation, F(1.30, 31.93) = 8.01, p < .01, η2 = .13, scores, implying a successful intervention. A significant difference in the postintervention parental attachment, F(1.03, 25.81) = 19.19, p < .001, and psychosocial maladaptation, F(1.28, 31.93) = 14.22, p < .001, scores was found between the music and nonmusic groups. The present study confirmed that group music-based interventions may effectively improve adolescents’ parental attachment and mitigate their psychosocial maladaptation.

Game Over?

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 151-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Glock ◽  
Julia Kneer
Keyword(s):  
Digital Games ◽  
Media Violence ◽  
School Shootings ◽  
Digital Game ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Individual Knowledge ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Because of recent school shootings, there has been a broad public discussion on whether playing violent digital games causes aggression. Current empirical findings of media violence research on aggression are ambiguous. It is also unclear whether the positive correlation is due to active playing or to media reports. Media reports may lead people who do not play (nonplayers) to associate violent digital games with aggression, while active players (long-term players) may have differentiated knowledge structures. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to investigate the relationship between the concepts “violent digital game” and “aggression” for long-term players and nonplayers. Long-term players, nonprimed, and primed nonplayers performed two lexical decision tasks before and after playing “Unreal Tournament.” While priming “violent digital game” activated the concept “aggression” for nonplayers, active playing had no impact at all. The individual knowledge about these games had stronger impact on psychological responses than playing a violent digital game.

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