Canadian Psychologist Designs Games to Improve Self-esteem

Parents who watch their kids play computer and video games for hours may think they're just wasting time. Adults who play these games may try to justify them by saying "They're a good way to de-stress," or maybe "They improve logic and reasoning and help me make decisions faster."

All those excuses may have some basis in fact. But a Canadian psychologist has even higher goals for his games. He's designing them specifically to improve a person's self-esteem.

Self-esteem is a hot topic right now. Its lack has been blamed for everything from poor performance in school to criminal activity. And the subject is not even restricted to psychologists anymore. Ordinary people are looking for ways to be more positive - about the world, about others, and especially about themselves.

Mark Baldwin, a professor at McGill University in Montreal, has been interested in the subject for a long time. He and his team of doctoral and post-doctoral students have been designing computer games that are intended to help people respect themselves more.

First, the team did a scholarly review of previous studies on self-esteem issues. This research gave them the idea that insecurity (the lack of self-esteem) frequently comes from worrying about whether people like and respect you. If you think they don't - even if that's not really true - you might be more critical of yourself. And unfortunately, this kind of thinking can be self-perpetuating; before you know it, you can't think of a single good thing about your life. The games are based on the theory that changing negative thought patterns into positive ones can improve self-esteem, which in turn can make a person happier.

The games that have been developed so far aren't complicated. Many of them involve moving photos of actual human faces that are either smiling or frowning; the player gets points for choosing the smiling ones. As the games proceed they get faster, making it more of a challenge to pick the correct answers. But that gives you more points and, in the case of the "Grow Your Chi" game, continual advancement in the form of an ever-changing title, like "Master of Chi." (If you know what a Chia Pet is, this game will be even more amusing. Watch the animations that play at the end of each round.)

The smiling faces are the correct ones because they symbolize approval - they're giving positive feedback to the player. The games "train" the player to look for this approval and push aside the negative feedback (the frowning faces) in the process.

Game variations may require the player to give personal information like a first name or birthday. This links the game to that specific player and makes the approval more personal.

The games have been the subject of formal research. One study, done in 2004 with the game "Wham!," showed that it was more effective at improving self-esteem than a "placebo" game. And the research is ongoing; in fact, you can participate in the studies if you like.

Dr. Baldwin and his team stress that not all self-esteem issues are simple enough to be solved by playing a computer game. Some may require psychotherapy or counseling as well. But games may be a valuable adjunct to traditional therapy, especially since they can be played at home, providing reinforcement of positive thinking and behavior between office visits.

Once the research is finished, Dr. Baldwin plans to release the games commercially. In the meantime, if you'd like to try them out, you can play them online here.

Computer and video games can be a good way to unwind after a stressful day. But it seems that they may be much more useful than that. Games that can help people feel better about themselves and about the world can prove to be a lot more than just entertainment.