A behavioural analysis of computer game playing competence, experience and related physiological processes

The current research programme represents a rst step in the psychological analysis of on-line game playing. In the literature review presented in Chapter 1, Network Latency and 'game challenge' were identied as two important variables affecting participants' enjoyment of on-line games. The experiments presented in Chapter 2 define 'game challenge' in terms of levels of derived relational responding, and found that participants were able to consistently respond in accordance with both one and three-node derived relations in the context of a computer game. The presence of Network Latency in a game was found to be detrimental to the game playing experience, but increasing the length of those delays was not. The experiments presented in Chapter 3 defined 'game challenge' in terms of more complex forms of derived relational responding and found that participants were able to consistently respond in accordance with derived 'Same' and 'Opposite'relations in the context of a computer game. As in Chapter 2, the presence of Network Latency in a game was found to be detrimental to the game playing experience, but increasing the length of those delays was not. Participants were more successful at and preferred the simpler levels of the games examined in Chapter 3. Experiments in both Chapters 2 and 3 successfully modeled on-line game playing in terms of derived relational responding. The experiments reported in Chapter 4 were conducted in order to develop novel behavioural and physiological measures of enjoyment in game playing. It was found that participants' preference for games of varying diculty was dependent on their experience with those games. In addition, a novel methodology was developed for analyzing electro-dermal activity, which successfully differentiated games on the basis of the preference shown for them by participants. Finally, Chapter 5 reviewed the relevance of the research findings to the research literature

A behavioural analysis of computer game playing competence, experience and related physiological processes

The current research programme represents a rst step in the psychological analysis of on-line game playing. In the literature review presented in Chapter 1, Network Latency and 'game challenge' were identied as two important variables affecting participants' enjoyment of on-line games. The experiments presented in Chapter 2 define 'game challenge' in terms of levels of derived relational responding, and found that participants were able to consistently respond in accordance with both one and three-node derived relations in the context of a computer game. The presence of Network Latency in a game was found to be detrimental to the game playing experience, but increasing the length of those delays was not. The experiments presented in Chapter 3 defined 'game challenge' in terms of more complex forms of derived relational responding and found that participants were able to consistently respond in accordance with derived 'Same' and 'Opposite'relations in the context of a computer game. As in Chapter 2, the presence of Network Latency in a game was found to be detrimental to the game playing experience, but increasing the length of those delays was not. Participants were more successful at and preferred the simpler levels of the games examined in Chapter 3. Experiments in both Chapters 2 and 3 successfully modeled on-line game playing in terms of derived relational responding. The experiments reported in Chapter 4 were conducted in order to develop novel behavioural and physiological measures of enjoyment in game playing. It was found that participants' preference for games of varying diculty was dependent on their experience with those games. In addition, a novel methodology was developed for analyzing electro-dermal activity, which successfully differentiated games on the basis of the preference shown for them by participants. Finally, Chapter 5 reviewed the relevance of the research findings to the research literature

The Trail, 1987-05-07

https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/thetrail_all/2457/thumbnail.jp

Transparency or Opacity? Re-thinking Video Game Interfaces

This thesis presents the results of a two year research-creation project that sought to address a gap in the theorization of video game interfaces. The conceptual framework of game interface design borrows several concepts from more established schools of user experience design. However in doing so, it also imports the biases that are built into these concepts, i.e. that interfaces should always maximize transparency and control. While this holds true for regular software, it does not apply to game interfaces where lapses in transparency and control can be repurposed as sources of challenge. This leaves designers with no way to adequately represent the interface’s contribution to gameplay. This project used a research-creation approach to investigate the merits of possibilities that run against the grain of standard interface design practice. The creative part of the research (conducted in collaboration with the Lablablab team) has produced Hammurabi, a game that leverages the inefficiencies of its interface as the centerpiece of its gameplay. Building upon this success, the reflexive part of the research offers a new theoretical perspective that proposes to frame game interfaces in terms of opacity as opposed to transparency and control as well as concepts and design strategies that will assist the work of future designers