Professor Andrade said the research tested elaborated intrusion (EI) theory, which dictates that imagery is central to craving and a visual task should therefore decrease it. Those who played Tetris experienced 24% weaker cravings than those who did not. A second group was sat in front of a screen and told it was attempting to load, but ultimately not playing.Īfter just three minutes, the participants were again asked to rate their cravings. In the study, participants were asked to detail if and what they were craving and to rate the cravings in terms of their strength, vividness and intrusiveness. But by playing Tetris, just in short bursts, you are preventing your brain creating those enticing images and without them the craving fades."
Often those feelings result in the person giving in and consuming the very thing they are trying to resist. Professor Andrade said: "Episodes of craving normally only last a few minutes, during which time an individual is visualising what they want and the reward it will bring.
The research was conducted by PhD student Jessica Skorka-Brown, alongside professors Jackie Andrade and Jon May, from Plymouth University's Cognition Institute. Tetris is a hugely popular tile-matching puzzle video game that was developed in Moscow in 1984. They believe it could give a "quick and manageable" fix for people struggling with diets, smoking and alcohol – providing an "essential boost for willpower".
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