Advocacy Blog Blasts Report that Tetris Helps with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Advocacy Blog Blasts Report that Tetris Helps with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
January 9, 2009
A UK study which claims that playing Tetris can reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder received wide play in the gaming press this week.
However, a blog which advocates for PTSD sufferers has blasted the Tetris connection.
Wounded Times argues that the study, in which subjects were shown images of traumatic injuries, doesn't adequately replicate real PTSD-inducing situations:
Do they really think a movie is the same as reality? Let them take the game out to police officers in the street right after they had to kill someone in a gun battle and one of their own was killed as well. Try the game on them. Take it to Afghanistan and Iraq right after a road side bomb blew up some GI's, killing some and taking off a few limbs at the same time a lot of innocent civilians got killed in the process, including children...
The problem about the blog world jumping all over a story like this, as they have over the last few days, is it offers false hope...
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Posted 03/20/10 at 10:32pm
Aliasalpha: Ding dong the witch is dead eh? Maybe we'll finally be treated as adults here and women can have small tits again!
Aliasalpha: Ding dong the witch is dead eh? Maybe we'll finally be treated as adults here and women can have small tits again!
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:28pm
JDKJ: Survey says no opinion either way. But approval is high among wombats.
JDKJ: Survey says no opinion either way. But approval is high among wombats.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:25pm
BearDogg-X: JDKJ: What does the wallabies and crocodiles think of Skippy?
BearDogg-X: JDKJ: What does the wallabies and crocodiles think of Skippy?
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:24pm
Andrew Eisen: Beardogg-X - Not staunchly, no. However, only one AG has gone on record as supporting an R18+ rating. The rest either stated no position or declined to comment.
Andrew Eisen: Beardogg-X - Not staunchly, no. However, only one AG has gone on record as supporting an R18+ rating. The rest either stated no position or declined to comment.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:23pm
JDKJ: Of 437 koala bears surveyed, 420 disagree with choice of Skippy for interim AG.
JDKJ: Of 437 koala bears surveyed, 420 disagree with choice of Skippy for interim AG.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:21pm
BearDogg-X: With Atkinson stepping down, the question now becomes was there any other AG besides him that was against R18+? His stepping down does make R18+ more likely to be approved.
BearDogg-X: With Atkinson stepping down, the question now becomes was there any other AG besides him that was against R18+? His stepping down does make R18+ more likely to be approved.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:18pm
Andrew Eisen: Well, Adelaide readers seem pleased with Atkinson's decision. 420 out of 437.
Andrew Eisen: Well, Adelaide readers seem pleased with Atkinson's decision. 420 out of 437.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:15pm
JDKJ: BREAKING: Vacant Aussie AG post to be filled by Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo.
JDKJ: BREAKING: Vacant Aussie AG post to be filled by Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:12pm
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Gamecube and Xbox came out in late 2001 with contollers pretty similar to the Dual Shock. You never know thoug. This Fall may be when the standard controller changes from the Dual Shock to a motion wand. *shudder*
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Gamecube and Xbox came out in late 2001 with contollers pretty similar to the Dual Shock. You never know thoug. This Fall may be when the standard controller changes from the Dual Shock to a motion wand. *shudder*
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:09pm
Flamespeak: at a quicker rate these days.
Flamespeak: at a quicker rate these days.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:09pm
Flamespeak: I believe that was launched in the first part of 1998. 2 years seems kind of fast too, but then again the world seems to move
Flamespeak: I believe that was launched in the first part of 1998. 2 years seems kind of fast too, but then again the world seems to move
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:05pm
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Not when you consider Sony's been using the same controller since the PS1.
Andrew Eisen: Flamespeak - Not when you consider Sony's been using the same controller since the PS1.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:03pm
BearDogg-X: Andrew Eisen: I meant that it won't take as many people to change their votes next election. Besides that, it's become a moot point now that he's stepping down as AG as soon as the election's over.
BearDogg-X: Andrew Eisen: I meant that it won't take as many people to change their votes next election. Besides that, it's become a moot point now that he's stepping down as AG as soon as the election's over.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:02pm
Flamespeak: Seems kind of early considering the PS2 didn't launch until well into 2000.
Flamespeak: Seems kind of early considering the PS2 didn't launch until well into 2000.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:01pm
Andrew Eisen: Fleamespeak - I'd say since around the turn of the century.
Andrew Eisen: Fleamespeak - I'd say since around the turn of the century.
Posted 03/20/10 at 10:01pm
BearDogg-X: BREAKING NEWS: Atkinson will step down as South Australia Attorney-General; will remain in Parliament
BearDogg-X: BREAKING NEWS: Atkinson will step down as South Australia Attorney-General; will remain in Parliament
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:59pm
Andrew Eisen: BearDogg-X - Not sure what your point about Atkinson having only 8500 votes is, seeing as that's around 65% (of the total votes counted at the time).
Andrew Eisen: BearDogg-X - Not sure what your point about Atkinson having only 8500 votes is, seeing as that's around 65% (of the total votes counted at the time).
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:57pm
Flamespeak: I remember when the NES controller held that honor and the stand alone one button joystick before that.
Flamespeak: I remember when the NES controller held that honor and the stand alone one button joystick before that.
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:56pm
Flamespeak: artistic rendering of things associated with gaming? Even GP has a rough version of one in their logo.
Flamespeak: artistic rendering of things associated with gaming? Even GP has a rough version of one in their logo.
Posted 03/20/10 at 09:56pm
Flamespeak: Just out of curiosity, when did the PS2 controller become the 'standard' for video game controller representation in most
Flamespeak: Just out of curiosity, when did the PS2 controller become the 'standard' for video game controller representation in most
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Comments
gotta say i kinda agree with this.
showing someone a movie is NOT THE SAME AS EXPERIENCING REALITY.
In the same way that playing GTA isnt the same as doing the things in real life. I hardly think that the participants can be classed as having PTSD after seeing some nasty images. Heck, everybody using the internet has clicked onto stuff unknowingly a few times and seen some horrible things. Would never say id had PTSD though or even came close to experiencing anythign 'similar' to PTSD.
"Do they really think a movie is the same as reality?"
Hey, that's valid research there, Sparky!
That's how it's done!
Take the individual out of the picture.
Show them a movie or make them listen to sounds, and that qualifies as "doing research".
Look at the so-called research on "aggression" and the so-called research about how violent video games "affect" people or "desensitize" them.
If it's valid research methods for THEM, it's valid research methods for YOU.
Someone call the CDC and the US legislature! We need to make PTSD victims play Tetris! We need legislation on this NOW!
:/
Nightwng2000
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Nightwng2000 has also updated his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
I would have to count them as one of the blogs jumping all over this, and prolly doing so to try to get attention for donations or other support. They are jumping as hastily as anyone else IMO.
I would argue that they NEED to push for testing on a range of suffers of PTSD, from soldiers, to police, to kids, and so on, but I would NOT flat out say they are 100% wrong. Even though it may only lessen the flashbacks and such from 10 a day to 9, it is a useful tool to help. My guess is the same would go for WoW, and other games people can get more hooked on. When people play enough Tetris, they tend to think about playing the game, fitting the pieces together, and so on. So anything that takes up that time which opens of the door for a flashback is good.
The real question is, night terrors. If they can prove it helps night terrors, then they will be golden. Between PTSD and little kids who have watched a very scary movie, it would be great to know about. All in all, they need to complete the study, because it isn't done.
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Ow. Better no hope at all than what is potentially false hope, eh? I didn't read anything in the Tetris stories that claimed to be the cure-all for PTSD, just that it could possibly distract and minimize. This strikes me as an overreaction, and a silly one at that. Would they rather there was no research done on how to help PTSD sufferers?
The study can be read for free from the Plos One website and surprisingly easy to read. ( http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.00041... ) (it's undergoing maintenance as of this writing)
I very much agree that bloggers offers false hope with all this positive news, but I also think that this is a systematic problem in that if you don't jump the fastest on the latest news, someone else will pick up the news before you do and you won't get any visits to your blog. Therefore, it makes bloggers speed read and miss or misinterpret raw information.
Even if this study were to be successfully replicated, there are still practical concerns, such as the willingness to accept treatment, physical disability, the emotional impact of the trauma, implementing the treatment, etc.
http://vgresearcher.wordpress.com/
But what do violent games have to do with non-volent Tetris?
- Warren Lewis
You obviously never visited communist Russia.
Triggering memories and controlling the reaction isn't quite the same as what was likely reported, which was probably a form of cognitive behavioral therapy.