Nick Ballou
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View article: Commentary: Prediction of problem gambling by demographics, gaming behavior and psychological correlates among gacha gamers: A cross-sectional online survey in Chinese young adults
Commentary: Prediction of problem gambling by demographics, gaming behavior and psychological correlates among gacha gamers: A cross-sectional online survey in Chinese young adults Open
Modifying core items created a novel construct wrongly identified as measuring problem gambling. Tang et al. (1) purported to report that ‘problem gambling’, as they defined it, is associated with monetary spending on video game mechanics …
View article: Fundamental Flaws in the Design and Reporting of Chew and Neo (2024)
Fundamental Flaws in the Design and Reporting of Chew and Neo (2024) Open
Loot boxes are products inside video games that consumers can buy to obtain random rewards. They are prevalently implemented in contemporary video games, including in those deemed suitable for young children. Stakeholders (parents and poli…
View article: Ill Health and Grief Fuel Gaming, while Lethargy Slows It: Playtime–Wellbeing Confounds from the Player Perspective
Ill Health and Grief Fuel Gaming, while Lethargy Slows It: Playtime–Wellbeing Confounds from the Player Perspective Open
Time spent playing video games (playtime) is not strongly correlated with wellbeing. However, quantitative studies often overlook “third variables” that confound the relationship between gaming and wellbeing—risking masked true effects or …
View article: Ill Health and Grief Fuel Gaming, while Lethargy Slows It: Playtime–Wellbeing Confounds from the Player Perspective
Ill Health and Grief Fuel Gaming, while Lethargy Slows It: Playtime–Wellbeing Confounds from the Player Perspective Open
Time spent playing video games (playtime) is not strongly correlated with wellbeing. However, quantitative studies often overlook “third variables” that confound the relationship between gaming and wellbeing—risking masked true effects or …
View article: Ill Health and Grief Fuel Gaming, while Lethargy Slows It: Playtime–Wellbeing Confounds from the Player Perspective
Ill Health and Grief Fuel Gaming, while Lethargy Slows It: Playtime–Wellbeing Confounds from the Player Perspective Open
Time spent playing video games (playtime) is not strongly correlated with wellbeing. However, quantitative studies often overlook “third variables” that therefore the relationship between gaming and wellbeing—risking masked true effects or…
View article: Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in adult Nintendo players
Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in adult Nintendo players Open
Studies on video games and well-being often rely on self-report measures or data from a single game. Here, we study how 703 US adults’ time spent playing for over 140,000 hours across 150 Nintendo Switch games relates to their life satisfa…
View article: Reliving 10 years old: Descriptive Insights into Retro Gaming
Reliving 10 years old: Descriptive Insights into Retro Gaming Open
As video games and players age, some are drawn to retro titles (defined here as games the 1980s–early 2000s), with nostalgia and the comfort of positive social memories potentially supportingwell-being. However, little is known about natur…
View article: UKRN Local Network Lead Guidebook
UKRN Local Network Lead Guidebook Open
A short guidebook developed by UKRN Local Network Leads (LNLs) to enable new and current LNLs to understand their role, plan objectives and activities, and be aware of the many benefits of being an LNL.
View article: Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in casual adult Nintendo players
Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in casual adult Nintendo players Open
Studies on video games and well-being often rely on self-report measures or data from a single game. Here, we study how 703 casually engaged US adults’ time spent playing for over 140 000 h across 150 Nintendo Switch games relates to their…
View article: Claims for no evidence also need evidence
Claims for no evidence also need evidence Open
Matters Arising submitted to Nature Human Behaviour.Preprint made public due to editorial request.
View article: Modifying core items created a construct wrongly identified as measuring problem gambling: Commentary: Prediction of problem gambling by demographics, gaming behavior and psychological correlates among gacha gamers: A cross-sectional online survey in Chinese young adults
Modifying core items created a construct wrongly identified as measuring problem gambling: Commentary: Prediction of problem gambling by demographics, gaming behavior and psychological correlates among gacha gamers: A cross-sectional online survey in Chinese young adults Open
Tang et al. (1) reported that so-called ‘problem gambling,’ as they defined it, is associated with monetary spending on video game mechanics that involve randomisation (e.g., gacha mechanics (2,3) and loot boxes (4)) amongst young Hong Kon…
View article: Gambling with peer review: Fundamental flaws in the design and reporting of Chew and Neo (2024)
Gambling with peer review: Fundamental flaws in the design and reporting of Chew and Neo (2024) Open
Loot boxes are products inside video games that consumers can buy to obtain random rewards. They are prevalently implemented in contemporary video games, including in those deemed suitable for young children. Stakeholders (parents and poli…
View article: The Basic Needs in Games Model of Video Game Play and Mental Health
The Basic Needs in Games Model of Video Game Play and Mental Health Open
Existing theories of how game use relates to mental health have important limitations: few account for both quantity and quality of use, differentiate components of mental health (hedonic wellbeing, eudaimonic wellbeing and illbeing), prov…
View article: UKRN Local Network Lead Guidebook
UKRN Local Network Lead Guidebook Open
A short guidebook developed by UKRN Local Network Leads (LNLs) to enable new and current LNLs to understand their role, plan objectives and activities, and be aware of the many benefits of being an LNL.
View article: Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in adult Nintendo players
Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in adult Nintendo players Open
Studies on video games and well-being often rely on self-report measures or data from a single game. Here, we study how 703 US adults’ time spent playing for over 140,000 hours across 150 Nintendo Switch games relates to their life satisfa…
View article: Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in adult Nintendo players
Perceived value of video games, but not hours played, predicts mental well-being in adult Nintendo players Open
Studies on video games and well-being often rely on self-report measures or data from a single game. Here, we study how 703 US adults’ time spent playing for over 140,000 hours across 150 Nintendo Switch games relates to their life satisfa…
View article: Affective Uplift During Video Game Play: A Naturalistic Case Study
Affective Uplift During Video Game Play: A Naturalistic Case Study Open
Do video games affect players’ well-being? In this case study, we examined 162,325 intensive longitudinal in-game mood reports from 67,328 play sessions of 8,695 players of the popular game PowerWash Simulator. We compared players’ moods a…
View article: How do video games affect mental health? A narrative review of 13 proposed mechanisms
How do video games affect mental health? A narrative review of 13 proposed mechanisms Open
Researchers have proposed a variety of mechanisms through which playing video games might affect mental health: by displacing more psychosocially beneficial activities, satisfying or frustrating basic psychological needs, relieving stress,…
View article: How does Juicy Game Feedback Motivate? Testing Curiosity, Competence, and Effectance
How does Juicy Game Feedback Motivate? Testing Curiosity, Competence, and Effectance Open
'Juicy' or immediate abundant action feedback is widely held to make video games enjoyable and intrinsically motivating. Yet we do not know why it works: Which motives are mediating it? Which features afford it? In a pre-registered (n=1,69…
View article: The Basic Needs in Games Scale (BANGS): A new tool for investigating positive and negative video game experiences
The Basic Needs in Games Scale (BANGS): A new tool for investigating positive and negative video game experiences Open
Players' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are among the most commonly used constructs used in research on what makes video games so engaging, and how they might support or undermine user wellbeing. Howeve…
View article: How does Juicy Game Feedback Motivate? Testing Curiosity, Competence, and Effectance
How does Juicy Game Feedback Motivate? Testing Curiosity, Competence, and Effectance Open
'Juicy' or immediate abundant action feedback is widely held to make video games enjoyable and intrinsically motivating. Yet we don’t know why it works: Which motives are mediating it? Which feedback features afford it? In a pre-registered…
View article: Supplemental Material for Registered Report Evidence Suggests No Relationship Between Objectively Tracked Video Game Playtime and Well-Being Over 3 Months
Supplemental Material for Registered Report Evidence Suggests No Relationship Between Objectively Tracked Video Game Playtime and Well-Being Over 3 Months Open
Recent years have seen intense research, media, and policy debate on whether amount of time spent playing video games ("playtime") affects players' well-being. Existing research has used cross-sectional designs with easy-to-obtain but unre…
View article: Registered report evidence suggests no relationship between objectively tracked video game playtime and well-being over 3 months.
Registered report evidence suggests no relationship between objectively tracked video game playtime and well-being over 3 months. Open
Recent years have seen intense research, media, and policy debate on whether amount of time spent playing video games ("playtime") affects players' well-being. Existing research has used cross-sectional designs with easy-to-obtain but unre…
View article: The Basic Needs in Games (BANG) Model of Video Game Play and Mental Health
The Basic Needs in Games (BANG) Model of Video Game Play and Mental Health Open
Existing theories of how game use relates to mental health have important limitations: few account for both quantity and quality of use, differentiate components of mental health (hedonic wellbe- ing, eudaimonic wellbeing, and illbeing), p…
View article: Registered Report Evidence Suggests No Relationship Between Objectively-Tracked Video Game Playtime and Wellbeing Over 3 Months
Registered Report Evidence Suggests No Relationship Between Objectively-Tracked Video Game Playtime and Wellbeing Over 3 Months Open
Recent years have seen intense research, media and policy debate on whether amount of time spent playing video games (“playtime”) affects players’ wellbeing. Existing research has used cross-sectional designs with easy-to-obtain but unreli…
View article: The Relationship Between Lockdowns and Video Game Playtime: Multilevel Time-Series Analysis Using Massive-Scale Data Telemetry
The Relationship Between Lockdowns and Video Game Playtime: Multilevel Time-Series Analysis Using Massive-Scale Data Telemetry Open
Background COVID-19 led governments worldwide to enact a variety of containment and closure policies. Substantial attention has been directed toward the idea that these public health measures may have unanticipated negative side effects. O…
View article: Affective Uplift During Video Game Play: A Naturalistic Case Study
Affective Uplift During Video Game Play: A Naturalistic Case Study Open
Do video games affect players’ well-being? In this case study, we examined 162,325 intensive longitudinal in-game mood reports from 67,328 play sessions of 8,695 players of the popular game PowerWash Simulator. We compared players’ moods a…
View article: The Basic Needs in Games Scale (BANGS): A New Tool for Investigating Positive and Negative Video Game Experiences
The Basic Needs in Games Scale (BANGS): A New Tool for Investigating Positive and Negative Video Game Experiences Open
Players’ basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are among the most commonly used constructs used in research on what makes video games so engaging, and how they might support or undermine user wellbeing. Howeve…