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The Tetris Effect is when people who may play games like Tetris see floating pieces. Studies by American Psychologist Richard Haier discovered in 1992 that the brain used less energy as players' gaming skills got better. The study showed that regular Tetris playing allowed the brain to perform more optimally, and even increased the thickness of the cerebral cortex.

Harvard University Researcher Robert Stickgold conducted extensive studies in 2000 relating sleep to Tetris. After playing several hours each night before bed, 60% of users reported seeing pieces of Tetris as they fell asleep, and even when they are waking up. This is a result of hours of game play, which allows the brain to start creating new neural pathways. This helps the brain recognize patterns easier and perform well with less effort. The brain starts to get trained to search for more images to organize. Players have been found to unconsciously think about ways they can fit objects together in real life, such as visualizing buildings or store shelves. Using his findings to build off of Richard Haier's previous work, he coined the term Tetris Effect.

A study conducted by Mind Research Network in 2009 noticed that girls who played Tetris for 30 minutes over a 3 month period showed a higher function in brain efficiency, and cortical thickness. Prolong Tetris playing may have significant improvement on players' cognitive skills, spatial awareness, and memory retention.

A study in 2021 conducted a data extraction on 28 studies conducted between 2006-2021, and found a positive correlation to reduced stress with playing casual games. The study categorized Tetris as a casual video game. Tetris was also included in this category as a relaxation tool for many who struggled with anxiety.