301 7 MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS IN A MENTAL HEALTH GAME 2017a), presumably influencing help-seeking and treatment engagement (Burnette et al., 2019; Schroder et al., 2015). Changing Mindsets Because mindsets have been thought of as both trait-like and changeable (Dweck, 2008, 2017a) and day-to-day experiences may change one’s mindset, the secondary aim of the current study was to examine whether emotion and stress mindsets change after playing a game promoted as a mental health game. Previous research has shown that mindsets can be changed through surprisingly brief interventions, such as watching short video clips, reading an article or performing a short writing exercise (Aronson et al., 2002; Chiu et al., 1997; Crum et al., 2013; Dweck, 2008; Miu & Yeager, 2015; Yeager et al., 2014). Other research however suggests that these interventions may not work for everyone and in fact show strongest effects for individuals who are at-risk or confronted with (mental health) challenges (Burnette et al., 2013; Dweck, 2011; Sisk et al., 2018; Yeager et al., 2019). It might be that selecting and playing a game that is promoted for its mental health benefits, changes one’s emotion and/or stress mindset. Hypotheses and Design The primary aims of the current study were to examine how motivation to change, emotion mindset and stress mindset influenced (a) the choice for, and (b) engagement with, a game promoted as a mental health game. Based on the motivation to change literature, we hypothesised that individuals with lower precontemplation scores, and higher contemplation, action and maintenance scores would (a) be more likely to select and play a game promoted as a mental health game, and (b) would play the game for a longer period of time. Regarding emotion mindset, we hypothesised that individuals with a growth emotion mindset would (a) be more likely to select and play a game promoted as a mental health game than individuals with a fixed emotion mindset, and (b) would play the game for a longer period of time, because individuals with a growth emotion mindset believe that emotions can be changed, are willing to confront challenges, and persist to reach their goal. Because a game aimed at stress and/or emotion management may imply confrontations with stress, we further hypothesised that individuals with a stress-is-debilitating mindset would (a) be less likely to select and play a game promoted as a mental health game than individuals with a stress-is-enhancing mindset, and (b) would play the game for a shorter period of time. The secondary aim of the current study was to examine whether emotion and stress mindsets change after playing
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