Flow Experience in Virtual Worlds: Individuals versus Dyads

Flow is a state of mind in which one is deeply absorbed and immersed in an activity to the point where nothing else matters. Although flow can occur in solitary and social contexts, which context fosters greater flow is unclear. Consistent with self-determination theory, dyads working collaboratively achieved higher states of flow than individuals working alone. In other words, dyads achieved higher states of focused concentration and experienced greater temporal dissociation than individuals working alone. Surprisingly and contradictory to previous findings, dyads did not experience greater enjoyment than individuals working alone. We attributed this surprising finding to the hedonic nature of the virtual world environment which afforded an intrinsically rewarding experience; hence, adding a social dimension may not further increase heightened enjoyment. Our findings provide theoretical and practical implications on the use of virtual worlds for individual versus collaborative tasks

Co-Creation and Collaboration in a Virtual World: A 3D Visualization Design Project in Second Life

One of the most successful and useful implementations of 3D virtual worlds is in the area of education and training. This paper discusses the use of virtual worlds in education and describes an innovative 3D visualization design project using one of the most popular virtual worlds, Second Life. This ongoing project is a partnership between IBM and three universities in the United States: the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Iowa State University, and Wright State University. More than 400 MBA students have participated in this project by completing a creative design project that involves co-creation and collaboration in Second Life. The MBA students from the three universities worked in pairs to create designs to represent concepts related to IBM Power Systems, a family of IBM servers. The paper discusses observations and reflections on the 3D visualization design project. The paper concludes with a discussion of future research directions in applying virtual worlds in education

Classification of EEG signals of user states in gaming using machine learning

In this research, brain activity of user states was analyzed using machine learning algorithms. When a user interacts with a computer-based system including playing computer games like Tetris, he or she may experience user states such as boredom, flow, and anxiety. The purpose of this research is to apply machine learning models to Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of three user states -- boredom, flow and anxiety -- to identify and classify the EEG correlates for these user states. We focus on three research questions: (i) How well do machine learning models like support vector machine, random forests, multinomial logistic regression, and k-nearest neighbor classify the three user states -- Boredom, Flow, and Anxiety? (ii) Can we distinguish the flow state from other user states using machine learning models? (iii) What are the essential components of EEG signals for classifying the three user states? To extract the critical components of EEG signals, a feature selection method known as minimum redundancy and maximum relevance method was implemented. An average accuracy of 85 % is achieved for classifying the three user states by using the support vector machine classifier --Abstract, page iii

ENHANCING BRAND EQUITY THROUGH FLOW: COMPARISON OF 2D VERSUS 3D VIRTUAL WORLD

This research uses the theory of flow to examine the effect of 2D versus 3D virtual world environments on brand equity and use intention. The results suggest that a 3D virtual world environment has both positive (indirect) and negative (direct) effects on brand equity. The positive, indirect effect of the 3D virtual world environment occurs through feelings of telepresence and enjoyment, both of which contribute positively to brand equity and, in turn, induces a higher behavioral intention. The negative, direct effect can be explained using distraction-conflict theory, where attentional conflict is faced by users of a highly interactive and rich medium. This paper explains the flow experience and its effects on brand equity in 2D versus 3D virtual world environments, and provides insights to practitioners for designing 3D virtual world sites to enhance brand equity and behavioral intention

Cognitive absorption and behavioural intentions in virtual health communities : a focus on posters

Abstract: Purpose - This paper aims at providing a conceptual model that elucidates the role of cognitive absorption in explaining behavioural intentions in virtual health communities. Design/methodology/approach - Data was collected from 361 contributing members of virtual health communities from Gauteng, South Africa using a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modelling using AMOS software was used to analyse the data. Findings - The findings show that cognitive absorption has significant direct positive influence on members’ intentions to continue participating on virtual health community platforms. Cognitive absorption was also found to have indirect influence on behavioural intentions through its influence on members’ attitude. It was also found to play a mediating role on the influence of perceived usefulness and behavioural intention. Research limitations/implications - The study shows the value of linking the flow theory and the technology acceptance model to provide a comprehensive understanding of behavioural intentions in virtual health community forums. Practical Implications - Managers of virtual health communities need to pay attention to experiential aspects of their sites. Success in ensuring that community members are cognitively absorbed is key to the development of positive attitude and intentions towards virtual health community forums. Originality/value - Virtual health communities play a new and growing role in the way health-related information and support is offered and accessed by those in need. Despite their importance, not much research has been done to explain the role of consumer experience on member behaviour on such forums. The study contributes to this understanding by demonstrating the value of cognitive absorption..

The Feedback Loop of Flow: Controlled Experiment Shows Task-relevant Feedback Increases Flow

Flow theory suggests three flow conditions lead to flow: optimal challenges, clear goals, and immediate feedback. Previous research has only confirmed the link between optimal challenges and flow with controlled experiments. Inspired by Miller’s test-operate-test-exit (TOTE) units and Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory, we introduce a feedback loop of flow model of the cognitive processes that lead to flow in computer-based tasks. This model illustrates how the flow conditions come together to create the flow experience. In particular, the feedback loop of flow model we present suggests the feedback must be task-relevant to generate a flow state, which means there must be feedback that pertains to the goals of the task. We conducted a controlled experiment to test the causal relationship between task-relevant feedback and flow. Participants who experienced designs with task-relevant feedback rated their experience higher on a measure of flow than those in either the no feedback or randomized feedback control groups. Our findings provide evidence that feedback increases flow and specifically that designs with task-relevant feedback increase flow. We present a design for flow model and discuss design guidelines for how to create interactive systems that will facilitate users getting into a flow state. Task-relevant feedback communicates how well users are performing actions that make progress towards the goal of the optimally challenging task that is getting them into flow and how they can get better at that task. As with TOTE units, the feedback loop of flow is a recursive process, which suggests task-relevant feedback must be presented continuously and for each subtask of the overall task

Engaging Consumers with Advergames: An Experimental Evaluation of Interactivity, Fit and Expectancy

Advergames are increasingly popular for online advertising campaigns. However, few IS studies have investigated the effectiveness of this unique advertising strategy. This study sheds light on the effectiveness of advergames by studying three design factors of advergame: interactivity, fit, and expectancy. We use multiple dependent variables (e.g., attitude toward advergames, attitude toward brand, and purchase intention) to evaluate the effectiveness of advergames. Based on work from human-computer interaction research and the transportation theory, we propose two-way interaction effects of interactivity, fit, and expectancy on attitudes toward advergame, and also their main effects on attitude toward brand. A positive mediating relationship from attitude toward advergame to attitude toward brand, and to purchase intention is also hypothesized. We conducted a 2*2*2 factorial design experiment in an online 3D virtual world environment to test our hypotheses. The results show that, in the high fit condition, both high interactivity and low expectancy lead to a more favorable attitude toward advergames. However, in the low interactivity condition, low expectancy generates a more positive attitude toward advergames. Interactivity and attitude toward advergames have significant positive effects on attitude toward brand, which, in turn, positively impacts purchase intention

VIRTUAL TOURISM: IDENTIFYING THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT A TOURIST\u27S EXPERIENCE AND BEHAVIORAL INTENTIONS IN A 3D VIRTUAL WORLD

Given the increase in the use of technologies within the tourism industry, particularly the rising interest in virtual worlds such as Second Life, the purpose of this study is to identify the factors related to the 3D virtual tourism experience and behavioral intentions after visiting a virtual tourism destination. Two theories, the Technology Acceptance Model and Self-Determination Theory, were used to guide this study, both of which were found to be useful frameworks. Basecamp Maasai Mara in Second Life was selected as the research site, designed and developed through a collaborative effort at Clemson University. The results revealed that technological acceptance factors of tele-presence, perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use as described by the Technology Acceptance Model are significant factors related to both virtual tourist experiences and the behavioral intentions. In addition, the results obtained here indicate that psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as specified by the Self-Determination Theory, are significantly associated with virtual tourist experiences and behavioral intentions. The results of this study suggest that in designing virtual destinations, tourism practitioners need to consider consumers\u27 psychological needs of competence, autonomy and relatedness; for instance, the activities provided in Second Life Maasai Mara such as riding animated animals and listening to Maasai music were found to increase the virtual tourist\u27s autonomy. In addition, tourism marketers should consider the types of information provided as well as the media used to present the information, by including videos and music, for example, in order to enhance the perception of ease-of use and usefulness. As technology continues to evolve, more research is needed to understand the significance of the use of virtual worlds in the tourism industry as well as to generate a new paradigm shift in tourism literature