Hopefully, publication of the results and two other papers he's preparing will help him get into Purdue or Penn State for grad school.

The study didn't allow Jensen and Walker to determine whether video games are drawing college-age adults away from social settings or if they are a way for those already struggling with relationships to spend their time. Walker guesses both are at play.

They also want to know if multiplayer games are more positive than single-player games.

Jensen hasn't stopped playing video games with his wife and siblings, including sessions every few weeks with his brother, Rob Jensen, a BYU business professor.

"Those are great bonding experiences," he said.

Walker's family owns a Wii. She said her husband and son play together and that gaming could be a good way for parents to relate to their kids.

"We're looking at creating new measures to look at the difference between group gaming and individual gaming," Jensen said.

Jensen and Walker are joined as co-authors on the paper by BYU professors Jason Carroll and Larry Nelson.

E-mail: twalch@desnews.com