Playing videogames is associated with reduced awareness of bodily sensations

However, people can sometimes become unaware of bodily sensations, for instance when they experience embodiment over a virtual body from a third person perspective (3PP) during a body illusion. Here, it was investigated to what degree playing videogames in which an avatar is controlled from a 3PP is similarly associated with a reduction in awareness of bodily sensations, and whether such effects are amplified when embodiment over the virtual body is stronger.

Watching video on demand was selected as a conservative control condition. 142 participants who frequently played videogames and frequently watched video-on-demand (VoD; at least once a week) in longer sessions (at least 2 h) completed a survey in which they answered questions about reduced awareness of bodily sensations while playing videogames or watching VoD. As predicted, playing videogames was associated with various forms of reduced awareness of bodily signals, such as being unaware of tiredness and getting less sleep, and this reduced awareness was stronger than when people watch VoD.