Science Spark : Playing ‘Tetris’ reduces the strength, frequency and vividness of naturally occurring cravings

Jessica Skorka-Brown, Jackie Andrade and Jon May from the Cognition Institute of Plymouth University have made a simple but striking experience... They invited participants to their lab, in craving conditions. They then asked them to quantify this craving, before to give them a task to do. Half of them played Tetris, when the second half seated in front of a computer, waiting for a program to load, but designed to never load.

After some times, participants were asked about their craving again. And guess what ? The one playing Tetris had significantly less craving than their colleague who waited the programm to load !

The research team then concludes that imagery is central to craving, and that a " visually based task should decrease craving and craving imagery". One could also asked if playing Tetris would then be a good diet?




Playing ‘Tetris’ reduces the strength, frequency and vividness of naturally occurring cravings, Skorka-Brown et al,Appetite, Available online 5 February 2014