Post on 24-May-2015
description
MindHabits:
The Development of anEmotion Trainer Game for
Stress Reduction
Mark Baldwin, PhDDepartment of Psychology, McGill University
President, MindHabits Inc.
Can a computer game train positive habits of thought, to build self-confidence and reduce stress? Research Background Game development and marketing
Social intelligence – one’s way of thinking about self and other – is central to human health and happiness throughout life.
Automatic habits of thought Attention, emotional associations, rumination
Visual Probe Test
Visual Probe Test
Visual Probe Test
A
- 60.00 - 40.00 - 20.00 0.00 20.00 40.00
Rejection Bias Scores
- 600.00
- 300.00
0.00
300.00
600.00
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Dandeneau, Baldwin, et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2007
Social Intelligence and Social Neuroscience research is investigating possibilities for training thought processes about self and others.
Emotion Training How might we help
people train automatic habits of thought, to boost self-esteem and self-confidence, and to reduce stress?
Emotion Training Similar to Brain Trainers, but instead of
aimed at helping you THINK better; aimed at helping you FEEL better
Emotion Training ACTIVATING thoughts of acceptance makes it
easier to notice social support in daily life
ASSOCIATING acceptance to cues, including the self-concept, makes it more likely to come to mind when needed
INHIBITION TRAINING can help the person learn to disengage from social threat
Find the smiling, accepting face
Find the 5-petalled flower
Results: Removes attentional bias to threat
Students playing daily while studying become less stressed about final exam, are less anxious during exam
Telemarketers playing daily report higher self-esteem & less stress at the end of the week; have 17% lower levels of stress hormone cortisol; are more confident and make more sales
(Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, October 2007)
Results: Golf, like many other kinds of
performance, suffers from any distraction due to evaluative concerns
26 Golfers played the search-for-the-smile game (or control) before a round of golf
Performed 5.24 strokes better on a round of golf, after playing the matrix.
(Not yet published)
Scientific summary: Scientific studies demonstrate that
specially-designed computer games can allow people to practice beneficial patterns of thought, leading to increased self-confidence and reduced stress.
Toward a Game:
Panel of judges: Yannis Mallat, CEO, Ubisoft Montreal Ron Moravek, VP & COO, Electronic Arts Canada Kelly Zmak, President, Radical Entertainment (Vivendi
Universal Games Canada) Rory Armes, Senior VP and Group General Manager,
EA Black Box and EA Montreal
Licensed to MindHabits
Telefilm Canada’s “Great Canadian Video Game Competition”: Won $1.3 M
Created the MindHabits Trainer
www.mindhabits.com Soon on multiple
platforms, starting with casual game space
Four training games 100+ levels
Five tracker tasks “Outlook” score tracks progress
Science Lab Explain how and why
Inhibition
Association
Association
Activation
Trackers: Measurement modules to assess the player’s current state of mind.
Focus
Look
Stroop
Blink
Self-Report
Outlook score is calculated from trackers; shows progress over time
Science Lab section gives game info and scientific background
Marketing: Brand Building Media Friendly
Jan: PC Gamer: 2.6M Feb: HomeMaker magazine: 1.9M March: Marketplace: 8.1M April: Women’s Health: 3.2M May: Prevention magazine: 11M
Marketing: Distribution Patent protection: # USPTO 11/122,091 Game out on web
our own portal Oberon Media (300M gamers)
International distribution deals for PC MindHabits named one of Top 25 Canadian
IT Up and Comers by Branham Group
Marketing: Future Plans Additional platforms, channels (e.g., B2B) V2.0: Kids, relationships, self-regulation Embedding mini-games into other IP Partnerships (Contact us!):
Games with a focus on wellbeing and health, particularly although not necessarily psychological
Ideally although not necessarily with a science base
www.MindHabits.com
Mark.Baldwin@mindhabits.com
MindHabits: www.MindHabits.com Matthew Mather, CEO
Fifth successful start-up; previous CEO Lycos Canada Founder of Immersion Corp – TouchSense in 100’s games
Mark Baldwin Creator of technology and games, Two decades of research published in prestigious journals
Rob Gordon, Article19 Group One of Canada’s hottest casual game developers Top selling games on market
2000 volunteers “Gaming 2.0” from all over world
Social Intelligence Games Selected References:
Dandeneau, S.D., Baldwin, M. W., Baccus, J. R., Sakellaropoulo, M., Pruessner, J. C. (2007, October). Cutting stress off at the pass: Reducing vigilance and responsiveness to social threat by manipulating attention. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(4). 651-666.
Pruessner, J. C., Baldwin, M.W., Dedovic, K., Renwick, R., Mahani, N. K., Lord, C., Meaney, M., & Lupien, S. (2005). Self-esteem, locus of control, hippocampal volume, and cortisol regulation in young and old adulthood. Neuroimage, 28, 815-826.
Dandeneau, S. D. M., & Baldwin, M. W. (2004). The inhibition of socially rejecting information among people with high versus low self-esteem: The role of attentional bias and the effects of bias reduction training. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23. 584-602.
Baccus, J. R., Baldwin, M. W., & Packer, D. J. (2004). Increasing implicit self-esteem through classical conditioning. Psychological Science, 15, 498-502.
Baldwin, M. W. & Kay, A. (2003). Adult attachment and the inhibition of rejection expectations. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 22, 275-293.
Baldwin, M. W., & Main, K. J. (2001). The cued activation of relational schemas in social anxiety. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 1637-1647.
Baldwin, M. W., & Meunier, J. (1999). The cued activation of attachment relational schemas. Social Cognition, 17, 209-227.
Baldwin, M. W., & Sinclair, L. (1996). Self-esteem and “if...then” contingencies of interpersonal acceptance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 1130-1141.
Baldwin, M. W., Keelan, J. P. R., Fehr, B., Enns, V., & Koh-Rangarajoo, E. (1996). Social cognitive conceptualization of attachment working models: Availability and accessibility effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 94-104.
Baldwin, M. W. (1992). Relational schemas and the processing of social information. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 461-484.