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The psychology behind why children are hooked on Minecraft
Minecraft is the world's best-selling computer game and soon to be a Hollywood film. This is why children can't get enough of it.
Minecraft players tend to differ from the population at large, being substantially more curious and less driven by traits such as vengeanceJulian Togelius, a computer scientist at New York University, has noticed the impulse to build things emerging in his son – who is not even three years old. The breadth of possibilities in sandbox games helps to ensure wide appeal, says Bailey Brashears, a psychologist at Texas Tech University, who last year published a thesis on how Minecraft can be used as a psychological research tool. And primary school teachers in Ireland have reported success in engaging entire classes of pupils via Minecraft Education – a version of the game designed for classroom activities – says Éadaoin Slattery, a lecturer in psychology at the Technological University of the Shannon Midwest.
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