I am a gamer and a PhD student in psychology at the University of Cambridge, and I am studying the reasons people play games and the way games can affect mood and stress. Some of the most powerful experiences of my life have been while playing games (most recently SOMA, man that was intense), and I'm really lucky to be able to spend the next few years studying the psychology of games and the future of virtual reality!

Part of my study involves getting an idea of the most common reasons people decide to play games. If you would like to help out, you can take a quick survey that only takes about 5 minutes to complete: [ Register or Signin to view external links. ] . You do have to be over 18 to participate, but it's all completely anonymous, and I'm just trying to get a sense of the common reasons people play.

Thanks for your help!