Do you have social media, messenger, banking, and gaming apps on your phone? Not many people would mention Tetris, a game created by Alexey Pajitnov, among their installed applications.
But what if we told you that playing Tetris could reduce your cravings for food and drink?
Would that make you want to download the almost four-decade-old game?
Is there any truth to the claims that Tetris can help control guilty pleasures?
Verdict:
TRUE
Psychologists from the University of Plymouth in England discovered that playing the Russian puzzle game for as little as three minutes can weaken desires for food, alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.
The researchers suggest that the “Tetris effect” happens because both cravings and Tetris engage the brain’s visualisation processes.
Professor Jackie Andrade, the study co-author, explains, “Episodes of craving normally only last a few minutes, during which time an individual is visualizing what they want and the reward it will bring.”
This means that when you play a visually engaging game like Tetris, your brain doesn’t have time to create tempting images of fried chicken or cake.
After a session, the most intense moment of desire has passed, making you less likely to give in to the craving you were trying to resist.
Professor Andrade noted that these benefits persisted over the one-week research period, suggesting that Tetris could help people manage their cravings over extended periods.
The psychological basis of the “Tetris effect” can be applied to any highly visual activity.
Takeaway: it’s not about fighting your cravings but distracting yourself from them.
References:
1. sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150813101535.htm
2. www.spring.org.uk/2022/01/cravings-for-drink.php
3. www.cnet.com/science/craving-junk-food-or-a-smoke-try-tetris-instead/
4. www.glamour.com/story/playing-tetris-food-cravings-lose-weight
