The strategic tile-matching game of Mahjong keeps players addicted to the game. Emerging from ancient China, it has become an international game that has an appeal that goes beyond pleasant entertainment. In this four player game memory, strategy and social interaction are needed for play and it has many benefits which are good for general health.
Studies have emphasized its part in improving brain functioning and creating contacts, as well as in relieving stress, thereby being of special benefit to the elderly as well as those deteriorating cognitively. Read on to learn about the variety of benefits of playing Mahjong and why it is a favorite game of mental and social stimulation.
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Cognitive benefits to playing Mahjong
Mahjong improves memory of players since they must remember tiles which have been discarded and they have to recognize patterns of the 144 different characters which are in the game, which has the effect of training the hippocampus memory. Studies have shown that those who frequently play the game have a higher score on the Mini-Mental State Exam cognitive test which tests all brain performance over many points.
Playing the game trains working memory which is based in the continued use of subjects and numbers, thus preventing senescence lower effect. So playing the game benefits from increased brain career habits of providing working habits which keep a reserve of memory, which will be used as a back up to use in case of the lower memory functioning.
Players improve executive functions such as planning and decision making in that they must touch alternate moves in attempts at forming melds, which increases prefrontal cortex activity. Studies show that the playing of the game of Mahjong has been shown to be related to improvement in prior assessments of cognitive functions of problem solution, in that players have to cogitate their partners moves also in dynamic events. This brain agility extends to everyday happenings in that one processes information faster, as is noted in other uses of maintaining one’s mental skill by playing Mahjong.
Players improve in attention and focus ability, in that the game calls for an alert mind to scan the board for success possibilities in winning, in that one must filter out distracting elements that inhibit vision.
Longitudinal data shows that regular participation is correlated with decreased risk of mild cognitive impairment, fostering neural plasticity. New participants quickly find they have a greater ability to focus, while long time players learn the art of selective attention, giving them a significant edge against their opponents. So, the work that Mahjong demands has the social and cognitive consequences of positive repeat experiences.
Social Interaction Through Group Play
Mahjong creates a sense of bonding when four players are brought together at a table, promoting conversation and excitement from the game they play. Participants regularly report reduced feelings of isolation, as these group experiences provide unity and fellowship and emotional support so necessary for emotional satisfaction.
These participatory actions help reduce feelings of loneliness common to the aged population, making the person more likely to participate in community activities. The social nature of the game further develops feelings of support, bonding and relationships, giving people a greater connection with their social networks.
Regular participation in the game creates a greater sense of empathy and performance between the players as they read non verbal signals and learn strategy through cooperative negotiations. Studies show that participants have lower incidences of depression when they engage in playing Mahjong, attributing these benefits to the feeling of belonging to a group activity. Families and friends who do play together experience greater bonding feelings, increasing understanding of one another.
Thus, the game of Mahjong acts as a binding source to inter generational bonding and greater social resilience.
Within therapeutic and support type environments, such as cancer recovery therapy groups, there is an increase in participatory feelings which lend themselves to greater feeling of emotional well-being from the increased satisfaction of others involved in the game. Cross sectional studies show that more players indicate that they have greater chance of successful aging due to the ability to expand socially. These greater relational depths go beyond the play of the game and lead to greater feelings of life satisfaction.
Thus the social framework created by the game of Mahjong produces a flash point of community support that encourages the development of these family and community relationships.
Gains in feelings of Emotional Well Being
The game of Mahjong decreases feelings of stress or anxiety due to the requirement that the person be involved in the flow of the strategic game, releasing endorphins that result in greater feelings of satisfaction/happiness after the game. The person often feels that he has accomplished successfully during the playing experience, and any negative feeling they may have had has been erased due to the feeling of accomplishment that comes from winning the game. This benefit of an emotional boost is especially valuable in periods of adversity such as convalescence when distraction helps in recovery.
Thus the game provides a way of therapeutic expression for mental relaxation.
The psychological effects of stress are diminished because Mahjong encourages a consciousness of the moment and a concentration upon the moment which mitigates tensions. Evidence is forthcoming of lessened incidence of depressive conditions in those who play it repeatedly, because of the happy influences of competition and common interests. Self-esteem is higher because of the attainment of complicated hands, which helps to produce a feeling of self-confidence which is reflected in action in the other phases of mentation.
Thus Mahjong is pleasurable in its effects upon emotional adjustment and mental health.
The element of light repartee which proceeds in connection with the game enables the ventilation of stresses by ensuring much laughter and optimism in the group. Reports of longitudinal studies connect those in general who are addicts of the game with a slow increase of negative feelings with the years and continued optimistic mentalities. This productive check contributes positively to the general quality of life but mainly to those groups who are vulnerable.
Mahjong thus acts as a means of producing in an atmosphere of whimsical joy a permanence of peace of mind.
Health Benefits of Playing Mahjong Physical
Mahjong is advantageous for the co-ordination of eye and hand since the players have to manipulate the tiles spatially and thus improves that type of co-ordination of motor factors which is necessary in practical life. Investigations have shown that reaction times and the activity of pointers’ function are superior in those people who play this game than in those who do not. This manipulation of fine motor factors keeps them in good repair and assists in preventing the falling off associated with extreme old age.
Thus this game assists in physical co-ordination without the player being aware of it since it requires little work on his part.
The period of active participation in the sessions gives better results in sleep pattern, players feeling more rested after the working of the brain entailed in playing Mahjong. There is a fair amount of evidence connecting Mahjong with a reduced incidence of functional incapacity, for it is quite obvious that so far as the working of the brain is concerned the work and demands of the working of the brain involved in the game coincide with maintenance of good physical independence. [/url] [url=https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/whatsapp?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsunoshayari.com%2Fbenefits-of-playing-mahjong-cognitive-social%2F&linkname=Benefits%20of%20Playing%20Mahjong%3A%20Cognitive%2C%20Social%2C%20Emotional%2C%20Health] [/url] [url=https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsunoshayari.com%2Fbenefits-of-playing-mahjong-cognitive-social%2F&linkname=Benefits%20of%20Playing%20Mahjong%3A%20Cognitive%2C%20Social%2C%20Emotional%2C%20Health] |
