» MindHabits launches new video game designed to help reduce stress and boost confidence

2007-10-23 | Give your mind some positive new habits

MindHabits launches new video game designed to help reduce stress and boost confidence

MONTREAL, October 23, 2007 ─ Feeling stressed out? Worrying about your upcoming date or the big presentation you have to deliver at work? Feeling low? Instead of running to the nearest bookstore in search of a trendy self-help book, try the new MindHabits Trainer PC video game launching this week across North America, and you may find you may relief with the click of your mouse.

The award-winning MindHabits Trainer offers players simple and fun exercises that can help them maintain a more positive state of mind. It is based on more than a decade of social intelligence research conducted at Montreal?s McGill University by a team led by Dr. Mark Baldwin. The findings, published this month by the prestigious American Psychological Association, show that playing social intelligence games like MindHabits Trainer for five minutes a day can actually help reduce stress hormones and boost the confidence of players in work and in life.

"Stress is a part of life today and it's having a huge impact on our health and our economy. Individuals are looking for new, innovative ways to relieve stress and feel better about themselves. Video games offer a great medium to apply our research findings because they allow as many people as possible to realize the benefits," said Dr. Mark Baldwin, Professor of Psychology at McGill University.

Research shows people who feel better about themselves and are better connected to others are healthier. In fact, experiencing a lack of social connection represents a higher risk factor for getting sick than smoking!

Dr. Baldwin's research also shows that social intelligence "how people think of themselves and others" is a learned behaviour. This means people can actually train themselves to develop positive mental habits using specially designed videogames.

MindHabits Trainer applies three principles of social intelligence, as used in Dr. Baldwin's research: activation, inhibition and association. The principles are used through a series of mini-games targeting different responses from the player. The game features trainers, as well as trackers, to help players measure their personal improvements. For example, the player can be asked to spot a smiling face in a crowd of frowning faces, which studies show can help "train" the mind to react to positive information.

MindHabits Trainer recently won first prize in Telefilm Canada's Great Canadian Video Game Competition, a $2 million video game competition for independent game developers in Canada. MindHabits Trainer passed all four stages of the competition with flying colours, beating out nearly 70 entries from some of the best and brightest video game developers in Canada.

Developed in Montreal with the help of reputed development studio Article 19 Group, a top-selling videogame developer, Mindhabits is the first game based on social intelligence and features special characters and music to help the player develop a personal link with the game.

Pricing and availability MindHabits is currently available for PC and can be played and purchased online at www.mindhabits.com, at the price of $19,99.

About MindHabits Montreal-based MindHabits develops science-based videogames that can help players reduce stress and build self-confidence. Founded on social intelligence research by Dr. Mark Baldwin at McGill University, these stress busting, confidence boosting games use simple, fun-to-play exercises that help players develop and maintain a more positive state of mind. To find out more information about MindHabits, please visit www.mindhabits.com.

For information, please contact

Wendie Godbout High Road Communications 514.908.0110 ext. 311 wgodbout@highroad.com

Samantha Chen High Road Communications 416.644.2263 schen@highroad.com