Stress Less: Nature, Video Games and Aerobic Activity

Posted February 3, 2021 | By ale_bellot

Digital Education Programming Presented by the
Center for Health & Wellbeing

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No longer exclusively the hobby of teenage boys, many adults are now looking to video games both to alleviate boredom and relieve stress. In the case of stress, does video game playing really work? The Technology and Aging Lab in the Department of Psychology at University of Central Florida (UCF) has investigated various methods of reducing stress, including video games, exposure to nature, and virtual reality. Dr. Daniel McConnell, associate Psychology professor at UCF, discussed these research findings, diving deeper into what experimental psychologists have learned about improving cognitive and mental health and the theories surrounding brain function.

By watching this program, you can expect to learn:

  • whether video games can reduce stress;
  • whether and how much exposure to nature can reduce stress;
  • and how aerobic activity can reduce stress and improve cognition.

This program was presented by Dr. Daniel McConnell and was hosted by the Winter Park Health Foundation.

About Your Program Presenter
Dr. Daniel McConnell is an associate professor of Psychology at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he teaches more than 1,000 undergraduate students each year. Dr. McConnell is affiliated with the UCF College of Sciences Technology and Aging Lab, which is part of the Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology program, and the Modeling, Simulation, and Training program at UCF. His research interests include visual perception, learning and control of motor skills, and human performance in virtual reality. McConnell holds a Ph.D. in Sensory Psychology from Indiana University and worked at the University of Pennsylvania and Wichita State University before coming to the University of Central Florida in 2007.