The DOI matches its Crossref record; 66 of the 67 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
When and How Video Games Can Be Good: A Review of the Positive Effects of Video Games on Well-Being
Open accessAbstract
Video games are a source of entertainment for a wide population and have varied effects on well-being. The purpose of this article is to comprehensively examine game-play research to identify the factors that contribute to these disparate well-being outcomes and to highlight the potential positive effects. On the basis of existing literature, we argue that the effects of gaming on well-being are moderated by other variables, such as motivations for gaming and video-game characteristics. Specifically, the inclusion of social activity can benefit prosocial behaviors and affect the relationship between violent video games and aggression that some studies have demonstrated. Moreover, the research on the relationship between violent video games and aggression depends greatly on individual and sociocontextual variables outside of game play. The inclusion of physical activity in games can provide an improvement in physical health with high levels of enjoyment, potentially increasing adherence rates. Overall, following our review, we determined that the effects of gaming on well-being are moderated by and depend on the motivation for gaming, outside variables, the presence of violence, social interaction, and physical activity. Thus, we argue that there is potential for an “optimal gaming profile” that can be used in the future for both academic- and industry-related research.
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“as such, there may be certain characteristics (e.g., an “optimal gaming profile”) that make an individual more likely to benefit from playing video games [17].”
From Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [17]
Citations
Cites
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BackgroundThe challenge of defining wellbeing
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BackgroundVideo Games Do Affect Social Outcomes
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BackgroundProblematic Video Game Use: Estimated Prevalence and Associations with Mental and Physical Health
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- 10.7752/jpes.2018.01026 · DOI
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“55 Such states are reported to be reduced with social support and when playing for social rather than achievement motives 56 ; facilitating social interaction may mitigate negative emotions.”
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“According to Halbrook et al. (2019), video games are a form of amusement that appeals to a broad audience and can have diverse impacts on a person's welfare.”
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“Gaming has evolved from a niche hobby into a dominant form of enter-tainment worldwide (Entertainment Software Association, 2023; Halbrook et al., 2019; Jones, 2020).”
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“A video game is defined as a game played on an electronic or digital device, such as a computer or mobile device (Halbrook et al., 2019).”
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“…gaming can lead to negative psychological outcomes, such as addiction and impaired functioning, moderate gaming has been associated with numerous mental health benefits, including enhanced emotional regulation and social well-being (Gaetan et al., 2016; Halbrook et al., 2019; Hazel et al., 2022).”
Scuotto, C., Sapone, C., & Triberti, S. (2025) · Communications in computer and information science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-05778-5_7
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“Some research suggests that playing violent games can help certain children learn to self-regulate (Ag-ina and Tennyson, 2013), while online social games can promote communication and friendship (Halbrook et al, 2019).”
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“Research indicates that video games are a highly prevalent leisure activity, with nearly all homes with children owning some form of gaming platform (Entertainment Software Association, 2017), and youth reporting an average of several hours of gameplay per week (Halbrook et al., 2019).”
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Leer, K., & McCarroll, A. M. (2026) · Creator and Influencer Studies · doi:10.1007/s44538-026-00003-y
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Ghamrawi, N. A. R., & Ghamrawi, N. (2026) · Global Studies of Childhood · doi:10.1177/20436106261465945
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“…(e.g., socialization, mood regulation, identity development, improving cognitive functions; Ballou et al., 2025; Granic et al., 2014); however, gaming environments can produce negative, positive, or mixed outcomes, depending on the moderation and context in which they occur (Halbrook et al., 2019).”
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(2021) · PubMed Central · doi:10.36131/cnfioritieditore20210106 · Cited by 67
“This finding aligns with results of previous research showing the positive effects of social gaming, especially in people with general difficulties in participating in interpersonal interactions (Halbrook et al., 2019; Kowert & Oldmeadow, 2015; Elhai et al., 2020).”
Result
Metadata
- Authors
- Halbrook, Y. J., O’Donnell, A. T., & Msetfi, R. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Limerick (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Halbrook, Yemaya J.
- Venue
- Perspectives on Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2019-11
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1096-1104
- ISSN
- 1745-6916 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-6924
- OpenAlex
- W2987291256
- Cited by
- 263
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 55 · 2022: 39 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 6
- FWCI
- 5.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Perspectives on Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Limerick Institutional Repository (University of Limerick) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- University of Limerick Institutional Repository (University of Limerick) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- University of Limerick Institutional Repository (University of Limerick)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Games and Media
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- video games, well-being, gaming motivation, violent video games, aggression, prosocial behavior, social interaction in games, physical health, enjoyment, adherence, moderating effect
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Personal Satisfaction, Exercise, Video Games
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