Science Fair Project [ Pg 1 ] V0.4

Abstract: A heart rate meter (strap) was placed on an 11 year old male as he played a variety of given games. The aim for this is; To determine if playing games can effect your heart rate. To determine what intensities of games effect your heart rate the most, should games do so. To determine if a certain amount of game-playing can be dangerous to your body. Experimental Evidence: Step 1: The player is seated and is strapped with the heart rate meter. Step 2: A series of games were put in an order thought to have results increasing from first to last. Step 3: The player is tested for the his average heart rate at rest. (73 bpm) Step 4: The player played every game in the series for 30 minutes and his heart rate was written down. Player's Heart Rate at rest: 73 bpm After 30 minutes played for each game: - Mario Kart (Racing) :

75 bpm

- Grid Lock (Online Strategy Game) :

80 bpm

- Fable 2 (Real Time Action Game) :

84 bpm

- Call of Duty 4 (First Person Shooting Game) :

88 bpm

- Tetris (Block-Alignment Strategy Game) :

90 bpm

- Maze/Labyrinth (Obstacle-Avoiding, Not Timed) :

97 bpm

- Maze/Labyrinth (Obstacle-Avoiding, Timed) :

102 bpm

- Brain Age (Brain Workout / Brain Training Game) :

116 bpm

Theory: To measure one's predicted maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220, if you are a man and subtract your age from 226 if you are a woman (Michael Finch, 69). Stress is a big risk to your health and is often look at as a "slow killer" (Sunmade Adeyemi, online). Certain games can

cause a lot of stress due to, say, a time limit, or consistently-appearing obstacles, while others are smooth and relaxing. Stress increases your heart rate, therefore stressful games shall do so just as well. Since certain levels of stress can be dangerous to you, then a certain exposure/intensity to/of a game can be just as dangerous. Of course, should one's heart rate reach a workout level of beats per minute (80% of your maximum heart rate), then of course it is, in fact, dangerous. "Heart rate doesn't JUST depend on how much running around you're doing. It can also be controlled by your state of mind" (Vidya Bhalodia, online). When playing a video game, one is in a totally different state of mind. For example, as playing a violent shooting game compared to playing a regular, old racing game, you are in two, completely different , states of mind. Therefore, all games will affect your heart rate, however at certain different levels depending on the intensity of the game. Conclusion: