The videogames that promote creative freedom can boost creativity under certain conditions, according to new research from the Iowa State University. The experimental study compared the effect of playing Minecraft, with or without instruction, to watching a television show or playing a race car video game. Those who were given the freedom to play Minecraft without instructions they were the most creative.
«It’s not just that Minecraft can help spark creativity. There seems to be something about choosing to do it that matters as well.»said Douglas Gentile, a psychology professor.
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If you’re not familiar with the game, Gentile says that Minecraft It’s like a virtual Lego world. The game, which has sold more than 100 million copies, allows players explore unique worlds and create anything they can imagine. Study participants randomly assigned to play Minecraft were divided into two groups. People given instructions were told to play as creatively as possible.
After 40 minutes of playing the game or watching TV, the 352 participants completed various creativity tasks. For measure creative output, they were asked to draw a creature from a very different world than Earth. The most human-like creatures scored low on creativity, and the least human-like creatures scored high. Surprisingly, those who were instructed to be creative while playing Minecraft they were the least creative.
Gentile says there is no clear explanation for this finding. In the article published by Creativity Research Journal, he, Jorge Blanco-Herrera, lead author and former psychology master’s student; and Jeffrey Rokkum, former Ph.D. psychology student, described possible reasons why the instructed Minecraft group scored lower. Blanco-Herrera says the instructions they may have changed the subjects’ motivation to play.
«Being told to be creative may have limited their options while playing, resulting in a less creative experience.»Blanco-Herrera said. «It’s also possible that they used all of their ‘creative resources’ while playing and had none left when it came time to complete the test.»
Games teach creativity similar to aggression
Video games can have effects both harmful and beneficial. Gentile’s earlier research has shown that the amount, content, and context of video games influence what players learn through repeated experiences. While much of Gentile’s research has focused on aggression or prosocial behavior, he says the same appears to be true for creativity.
most video games encourage players to practice some level of creativity. For example, players can create a character and story for role-playing games or be rewarded for creative strategies in competitive games. The researchers say that even first-person shooters can inspire creativity as players think about strategy and seek advantages in combat.
«The research is starting to paint a more interesting and nuanced picture. Our results are similar to other gaming research in that you get better at what you play, but how you play might matter just as much.»said Gentle.
The researchers say that, based on these findings, it is important not ignore the potential that video games have as attractive and adaptive educational opportunities.