Reading SKWOK's post, I was interested to look into the self-esteem games. I think that their goal is largely important for today's society where insecurities run rampant. The efforts of MindHabits Inc. are backed by extensive research in the field of psychology that suggest such games can make a person feel more secure and confident. Feelings of self-doubt derive largely from anxieties about whether one will be liked and accepted by peers. For the most part, people are aware of these concerns; however, social insecurities can influence people's feelings and actions without a lot of deliberate thought.
I played all three of the self-esteem games to find out logistics behind their work. The main proposition being tested is if a person wakes up and does this game for five minutes, he or she will be happier and more confident for the rest of the day. I am unable to confirm or deny the validity of such a hypothesis, but I can see where the researchers are coming from with their analysis. Seeing smiling faces and pointing them out in a crowd is a good way to make yourself focus on the positivity around you and ignore the bad. Yet, I'm not sure that this observation is essentially connected with building self-confidence. I also found it hard to see the direct correlation between clicking your own name and happiness. Maybe it's like matching your name with a happy face. I think that this theory is definitely something that needs to be tested further with such repetitive playing.
