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牛津網際網路研究院稱電子遊戲有益心理健康
By John Russell
26 November 2020
Oxford University researchers say a new study marks a rare example of collaboration between academics and the video game industry.
牛津大學研究人員表示，一項新的研究標誌著學者和電子遊戲產業之間的罕見合作。
（圖來自網絡）
Lack of information from game makers has long been an issue for scientists hoping to better understand player behaviors.
缺乏來自遊戲廠商的信息長期以來一直是希望更好地了解玩家行為的科學家所面臨的難題。
The new study, which looked at how video games affect mental health, is unusual because it used information provided by the video game makers themselves. It comes at a time when video game sales have increased. Many people are staying at home because of the coronavirus health crisis. And in many countries, public health officials have set limits on public life.
這項新研究著眼於電子遊戲如何影響心理健康，這是一項不尋常的研究，因為它使用了電子遊戲廠商自己提供的信息。該研究發布時，電子遊戲銷量有所攀升。由於新冠病毒健康危機，許多人窩在家裡。在許多國家，公共衛生官員對社會生活設定了限制。
The paper, released by the Oxford Internet Institute, is based on questions presented to people who played two video games. Those games were Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
牛津網際網路研究院發布的這篇論文是基於對兩種電子遊戲玩家的調查。這兩款遊戲分別是《植物大戰殭屍：鄰裡之戰》和《集合啦！動物森友會》。
The study used data provided by the game makers Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America. It showed how much time the people in the study spent playing the games. Earlier research used estimates from the players themselves.
該研究使用了遊戲廠商美國藝電公司和任天堂北美公司提供的數據。這些數據顯示了研究所涉對象花了多少時間玩遊戲。之前的研究使用的是玩家自己的估算。
The researchers said they found the actual amount of time spent playing was a small but positive factor in people's well-being - the state of being happy, healthy, or successful.
研究人員表示，他們發現實際遊戲時間是影響人們幸福感的一個很微小但很積極的因素，幸福感是指人們感覺快樂、健康和成功的一種狀態。
The paper said the level of enjoyment that players get from a game could be more important for their mental health than playing time.
該論文表示，對於玩家的心理健康而言，遊戲享受程度比遊戲時間更為重要。
The paper has not yet been peer reviewed. Peer review is a process by which a study is examined by a group of experts in the same field.
該論文尚未經過同行評審。同行評審是指由同領域專家小組對研究進行審查的過程。
The study results could raise questions about ideas that gaming causes aggression or addiction.
該研究結果可能會引發人們對遊戲導致好鬥或成癮這種觀點的質疑。
"Our findings show video games aren't necessarily bad for your health," said Andrew Przybylski, the institute's director of research. "In fact, play can be an activity that relates positively to people's mental health – and regulating video games could withhold those benefits from players."
該研究院的研究主任安德魯·普齊比斯基表示：「我們的研究結果表明，電子遊戲不一定對你的健康有害。實際上，遊戲可以成為有益人們心理健康的活動，而監管電子遊戲可能會使玩家無法享受到這些好處。」
Regulate means to make rules or laws that control people or things.
監管是指制定控制人或事物的規則或法律。
Joseph Hilgard is an assistant professor of social psychology at Illinois State University. He noted some limitations in the study. He suggested that the data does not directly show that video games have an effect on well-being. Instead, Hilgard described the data as "correlational," which suggests that two or more things change or happen together.
約瑟夫·希爾格德是伊利諾州立大學社會心理學的助理教授。他指出了這項研究的一些局限性。他暗示這些數據不能直接表明電子遊戲會影響幸福感。相反，希爾格德稱這些數據是「相關型，」，這表明兩個或更多事物同時發生改變或發生。
Paul Croarkin of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota said he had "lingering questions" about the study. Croarkin has studied video games and children. He said the self-reporting nature of the study was a weakness. But he added that the researchers presented their findings in a balanced way.
明尼蘇達州梅奧診所的保羅·克羅瓦金表示，他對這項研究有著「揮不去的疑問。」克羅瓦金研究過電子遊戲和兒童。他說，這項研究的自我陳述性質是缺點。但是他補充說，研究人員以一種均衡的方式提出了他們的發現。
For the study, the researchers questioned 2,756 people who played the game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. They also questioned 518 players of Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. All the players were asked to complete a questionnaire on their experiences. Their answers were matched up against playing time recorded by the video game companies.
在這項研究中，研究人員調查了2756名《集合啦！動物森友會》的玩家。他們還調查了518名《植物大戰殭屍：鄰裡之戰》的玩家。所有玩家都被要求填寫一份關於自身經歷的調查問卷。他們的答案再跟電子遊戲廠商記錄的遊戲時間相匹配。
Andrew Przybylski suggested that researchers need to work more with the video game industry "to study how games impact a wider, and more diverse, sample of players over time."
普齊比斯基表示，研究人員需要跟電子遊戲產業開展更多合作，「以研究隨著時間推移，遊戲如何影響更廣泛、更多樣化的玩家樣本。」
He added, "We'll need more and better data to get to the heart of the effects of games, for good or ill, on mental health."
他還說：「我們需要更多更好的數據，以便深入了解遊戲對心理健康的影響，無論它是好還是壞。」
I'm John Russell.
我是約翰·羅素。
collaboration – n. the act of working with another person or group in order to do something
academic – n. a teacher in a college of school of higher education
data – n. facts and other information collected together for future study
positive – adj. good or useful
factor – n. something that helps produce or influence a result; one of the things that cause something to happen
addiction – n. a strong need to have something (such as a drug) or do something
withhold – v. to hold (something) back; to refuse to provide (something)
benefit – n. a good or helpful result or effect
match up – phrasal verb. to put someone or something together with another person or thing
sample – n. a small part of something; a representative
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