Video games may boost emotional intelligence in teenagers

Video games are not that bad after all! Video games when used as part of an emotional intelligence training programme, can help teenagers evaluate, express, and manage their own emotions immediately after the training, suggests a study.

The study was published in the ‘Games for Health Journal’.

The researchers developed an emotional intelligence training programme that integrated videogames as experience-based learning tools.

The experimental group of teenagers participated in eight sessions and their emotional competency was evaluated before beginning the programme, at the end of the training, and three months later.

Claudia Carissoli and Daniela Villani created a video game, to enhance emotional intelligence among adolescents, perhaps the group that could benefit the most.

Their preliminary evaluation indicated that playing the game enhanced the students’ evaluation and expression of emotions.

“This is an important first step in designing a game to learn to manage emotions. While the impact was limited, further enhancements to the game may have substantial additional effects. Stay tuned!” said Tom Baranowski, Editor-in-Chief of Games for Health Journal.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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First Published: Jul 17, 2019 10:02 IST