Psychological Wellbeing, Sleep, and Video Gaming: Analyses of Comprehensive Digital Traces [Stage 1 Programmatic Registered Report]

The increasing prevalence of video gaming has raised questions about its psychological effects, yet research has been hampered by challenges in accessing comprehensive behavioral and psychological data. We aim to address these gaps by collecting digital trace data across multiple gaming platforms and pairing it with intensive longitudinal psychological data. Using open-source software and collaborating with industry, we will track gameplay for 1,000 US emerging adults and 1,000 UK adults across Nintendo Switch, Xbox (US only), Steam, and iOS and Android for three months. Participants will complete 30 daily surveys (US sample) and six biweekly panel surveys (both regions) assessing subjective wellbeing, sleep quality, and need satisfaction.Three preregistered manuscripts, along with open code and data, will explore games’ influence from three perspectives: basic psychological needs, sleep, and the structure of games. Study 1 will test relationships between in-game needs, needs in general, and subsequent play behavior, to assess whether gaming contributes to flourishing or compensation. Study 2 will examine the impact of late-night gaming on sleep quality, sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and wellbeing exploring whether chronotype (natural inclination to be more active and alert in the morning, as opposed to evening) moderates these relationships. Study 3 will test the relation between multi-platform playtime and wellbeing, and its potential moderation by game genre. Together, these studies will inform associations between play and psychological wellbeing in rare detail by using more granular digital trace data.