Serious Video Games: Tools for Learning, Training and Health

Hands, C ORCID: 0000-0002-0898-8258 (2026) Serious Video Games: Tools for Learning, Training and Health Encyclopedia, 6 (4). 83-. ISSN 2673-8392, 2673-8392

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Abstract

Serious video games are digital games designed for purposes beyond entertainment, typically to support education, training, health interventions, or behaviour change. They combine game mechanics with psychological and pedagogical principles, such as feedback, repetition, goal-setting, and scaffolding, to create interactive environments that facilitate learning, skill development, and sustained engagement. In many cases, they are built to simulate realistic tasks or decision contexts, allowing users to practise skills, test strategies, and learn from consequences in a low-risk setting. Within cyberpsychology, serious video games are particularly valuable because they provide structured digital contexts for examining how technology shapes cognition, emotion, motivation, and behaviour. They enable researchers and practitioners to observe how users respond to digital rewards, challenges, social features, and immersive environments, as well as how these features influence outcomes such as self-efficacy, persistence, attention, and emotion regulation. As a result, serious video games operate at the intersection of psychological theory, human–technology interaction, and applied digital intervention design. This entry provides an overview of their development, theoretical foundations, applications, effectiveness, and associated ethical considerations.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	46 Information and Computing Sciences, 4608 Human-Centred Computing, Clinical Research, Behavioral and Social Science, Mental Health, Mental health, Generic health relevance, 4 Quality Education
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health > Psychology
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	09 Jun 2026 07:19
Last Modified:	26 Sep 2026 02:11
DOI:	10.3390/encyclopedia6040083
Open Access URL:	https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/6/4/83
Related Websites:	Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3198841
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