Tetris May Help Reduce Cravings in Real-World Settings

NEW research has found that playing Tetris for three minutes was associated with reduced craving strength for drugs, food, drinks and activities in a real-world study of undergraduate participants.

Tetris Reduced Craving Strength

The study involved 31 undergraduate participants who carried iPods for one week and received seven daily SMS prompts to report their cravings. Participants recorded their craving target and strength on a scale from 0–100, whether they had acted on their previous craving and whether they were under the influence of alcohol.

Fifteen participants were randomly assigned to the Tetris intervention and played the game for three minutes after reporting a craving. The remaining 16 participants formed a monitoring-only control group and provided baseline craving data throughout the week.

Among participants who played Tetris, craving strength fell by a mean of 13.9 percentage points, with the effect remaining consistent throughout the week.

Effects Spanned Multiple Cravings

The reduction was observed across cravings for drugs, including alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, as well as food and drink. Participants also reported reduced cravings for activities including sex, exercise and gaming.

The findings extended previous laboratory research suggesting that playing Tetris could reduce craving strength, while examining cravings in participants’ everyday environments rather than under controlled laboratory conditions.

The researchers used an ecological momentary assessment approach to capture cravings as they occurred during daily life, allowing the intervention to be tested across different craving targets.

Visual Distraction Offers Potential

The authors described the findings as the first demonstration that visual cognitive interference could be used in real-world settings to reduce cravings for substances and activities beyond eating.

The proposed mechanism was based on cognitive interference, with the visually demanding task potentially competing with mental imagery associated with craving. However, the study was small and conducted in undergraduate participants, so further research would be needed to establish how broadly the findings apply.

Reference

Skorka-Brown J et al. Playing Tetris decreases drug and other cravings in real world settings. Addict Behav. 2015;51:165-70.