When matching candies or dropping Tetriminos, it's apparently difficult to reach for a cigarette, snack on some chips, make sexy-time or do drugs. At least that's what researchers from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology are telling us. A recent study has shown that playing Tetris and Candy Crush for just three minutes can reduce cravings for drugs, food, sex and sleeping by about one-fifth.
Over seven days, researchers tested their theory with a group of 31 study participants who agreed to the task of playing Tetris. Playing Tetris interfered with desires not only for food, but also for drugs, including cigarettes, alcohol and coffee, according to a press release.
"Playing Tetris decreased craving strength for drugs, food, and activities from 70 percent to 56 percent," said Jackie Andrade, a professor from the School of Psychology and the Cognition Institute at Plymouth University, according to the press release. "This is the first demonstration that cognitive interference can be used outside the lab to reduce cravings for substances and activities other than eating. We think the Tetris effect happens because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance or indulging in a particular activity. Playing a visually interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental processes that support that imagery; it is hard to imagine something vividly and play Tetris at the same time."
So, does this mean you can crush candy and pop soda bottles all day long? Can you tell your boss at work that you'll get a doctor's note, because you need to have a "sodalicious" and "tasty" time?
Nope.
"You only need to use such distraction techniques when you are in the midst of a craving crisis and want to soothe your itch and just take the edge off," suggests PsychCentral.
"The impact of Tetris on craving was consistent across the week and on all craving types," said Jon May, another Plymouth University professor. "People played the game 40 times on average, but the effect did not seem to wear off. This finding is potentially important because an intervention that worked solely because it was novel and unusual would have diminishing benefits over time as participants became familiar with it."
"As a support tool, Tetris could help people manage their cravings in their daily lives and over extended time periods," added Andrade. Researchers said they hope to test this further, including with subjects with a current drug dependency.
Just be cool with those invitations and homepage clogging brags. You might reduce your cravings, but you might also see a reduction in Facebook friends.
