Playing video games angry makes you a worse player, but being positive gives you motivation to win

Playing video games can stir up a lot of emotions, but a new study indicates being upset or depressed when you log onto your favorite game can make you play worse.

Researchers from Stanford University showed participants video clips intended to make them feel amused, enthusiastic, angry or sad and then compared how they performed on the highly popular soccer game FIFA 19.

Gamers exposed to positive scenes — especially ones that encouraged enthusiasm — did far better against a computer opponent than ones who watch saddening or anger-inducing clips.

Not only did they score more goals,  they showed an increase in ‘approach tendency,’ taking possession of the ball more often and having more shots hit the goal, which experts say stems from ‘extra motivation that comes from positive emotion.’

Scroll down for video 

Participants were shown various video clips before playing five matches of FIFA 19, the most popular console game of the year. Those who watched positive scenes did better than those who watched saddening or anger-inducing clips

‘In addition, we observed that players who have greater confidence in their abilities and get more physiologically involved in the game achieve better results,’ the researchers told IFLScience

In an experiment reported on in the journal Emotion, 241 men aged 18 to 37 were asked to play five matches of the highly popular sports simulation FIFA 19.

Before each match, participants were shown short video clips intended to elicit amusement, enthusiasm, sadness, anger or a neutral state.

They were also asked how they felt after watching each scene.

Gamers who were shown clips instilling positive emotions, especially enthusiasm, didn't just score more goals. They showed an increase in 'approach tendency,' taking possession of the ball more often and having more shots hit the goal

Gamers who were shown clips instilling positive emotions, especially enthusiasm, didn’t just score more goals. They showed an increase in ‘approach tendency,’ taking possession of the ball more often and having more shots hit the goal

Participants were shown a clip from the movie American History X, in which a black man is killed in a bias attack by a neo-Nazi, to elicit anger

Participants were shown a clip from the movie American History X, in which a black man is killed in a bias attack by a neo-Nazi, to elicit anger

A clip from the movie American History X, in which a black man is killed in a bias attack by a neo-Nazi, was aimed at inspiring anger, IFL Science reports, while scenes from the Summer Olympic Games were shown to fuel enthusiasm.

Participants then played against the computer, with the game set on medium (‘Professional’) difficulty.

The results indicated inducing positive emotions before gaming — especially enthusiasm — makes eSports players perform significantly better than after a negative emotional experience.

During the matches where the players felt amusement and enthusiasm, they demonstrated the most improvement over neutral states, as measured by number of goals, shots on target, ball possession and other criteria.

More than just ‘good vibes’ the researchers point to an increase in ‘approach tendency,’ or how often a subject tries to complete a goal.

A clip from the Summer Olympics was screened to induce enthusiasm among the study's 241 participants

A clip from the Summer Olympics was screened to induce enthusiasm among the study’s 241 participants

The gamers that entered the game angry performed poorly compared to the happy crowd.  

The researchers admit that emotions are subjective, so a uniform response is not possible, and that the results may have been different with a different game.

WHAT WERE THE TOP 10 HIGHEST-EARNING CONSOLE GAMES OF 2020? 

Call of Duty Modern Warfare: $1.91 billion

FIFA 20: $1.08 billion 

Grand Theft Auto V: $911 million 

Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the top-selling games of 2020

Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the top-selling games of 2020

NBA 2K21: $889 million 

NBA 2K20: $771 million 

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – $678 million 

Animal Crossing: New Horizon: $654 million 

Cyberpunk 2077: $609 million

The Sims 4: $462 million 

Doom Eternal: $454 million 

It’s worth noting, though, that FIFA 19 was the highest-grossing console game of 2019, earning Electronic Arts $786 million.

Its successor, FIFA 20 was the second-most popular console game of 2020 after Call of Duty Modern Warfare and raked in $1.08 billion in sales.

Unsurprisingly, video gaming only increased during the coronavirus pandemic: Total sales in games and interactive media topped $139 billion last year, with digital games alone accounting for $126 billion.

In all, 55 percent of Americans played console, PC and mobile games during lockdown, according to a report from SuperData.

Some looked to alleviate boredom or escape the real world, but one in four said they logged onto multiplayer games to stay in touch with other people while stuck at home.

There can be a downside, though: A study in Developmental Psychology found one in ten young players — a ‘significant minority’ — were ‘pathologically’ addicted to video games.

For this group, games are a ‘disruption to healthy functioning,’ characterized by excessive time spent playing and difficulty disengaging from games.

Adolescents who fit this profile displayed higher levels of depression, aggression, shyness, and anxiety as they entered their twenties, researchers found.

Sarah Coyne, a professor of family life at Brigham Young University, followed 385 adolescents over a six-year period, tracking their gaming habits and psychological profiles.

‘I really do think that there are some wonderful things about video games [but] the important thing is to use them in healthy ways and to not get sucked into the pathological levels,’ said Coyne.