Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

Online gaming addiction in children and adolescents: a review of empirical research

Background and aims: Research suggests that excessive online gaming may lead to symptoms commonly experienced by substance addicts. Since games are particularly appealing to children and adolescents, these individuals may be more at risk than other groups of developing gaming addiction. Methods: Given these potential concerns, a literature review was undertaken in order (i) to present the classification basis of online gaming addiction using official mental disorder frameworks, (ii) to identify empirical studies that assess online gaming addiction in children and adolescents, and (iii) to present and evaluate the findings against the background of related and established mental disorder criteria. Results: Empirical evidence comprising 30 studies indicates that for some adolescents, gaming ad - diction exists and that as the addiction develops, online gaming addicts spend increasing amounts of time preparing for, organizing, and actually gaming. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that problematic online gaming can be conceptualized as a behavioral addiction rather than a disorder of impulse control

Duration of Time Spent Playing Online Video Games, Interpersonal Skills, and Introversion Personality Traits as Predictors for Social Anxiety Symptoms

This study sought to determine if time spent engaging in online gaming, interpersonal communication skills, and introvert personality traits are predictors of an individual’s likelihood of experiencing symptoms of social anxiety. A sample of 128 participants (82 males and 46 females) completed measures of demographics, interpersonal communication skills, problematic online gaming, social anxiety, and introversion. Participants were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. There were significant correlations among social anxiety and interpersonal communication skills, problematic online gaming, and introversion. There was no significant correlation among social anxiety and time spent playing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG), a specific form of online video game. It was also found that interpersonal communication skills, problematic online gaming, and introversion were all significant predictors of social anxiety. However, time spent playing MMORPGs was not a significant predictor of social anxiety

Silence and Sensemaking: The Effects of Newcomer Status on Ostracism

Ostracism involves being ignored and rejected by an individual or group, typically without explanation. Being accepted and valued by others is a fundamental human motivation (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Consequently, ostracism is often a debilitating experience. This experiment was designed to test how a situational variable, namely being a newcomer to a group, can influence recovery from ostracism. Participants were included or ostracized during an online ball-tossing game. They were also led to believe that other participants playing the game were new as well, or that they were joining a group whose members had played before. I hypothesized that being a newcomer would decrease the effects of ostracism over time by providing an explanation for mistreatment. Participants that believed they were newcomers to an existing group were indeed quicker to recover from ostracism's harmful effects than were individuals that did not have this explanation for their ostracism

Online Gaming Issues in Offline Couple Relationships: A Primer for Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)

Although the challenges around participation in online gaming grow, gamers and their partners who experience online relationship issues related to gaming, present a new set of treatment challenges for therapists. In this article, we report on the findings of a hermeneutic research study aimed at evaluating the scholarly literature related to online gaming and interpret these texts to determine the effect such online activity has on the couple relationship. We reviewed 18 articles published between 1998 and 2010 related to online gaming and interpersonal relationships, focusing solely on empirical articles related to the search criteria. Our interpretation of the text concluded that online gaming might add to and/or interfere with a couple’s life. Based on these potential problem areas, practical considerations for treatment are also outlined

Gender swapping and socialising in cyberspace: an exploratory study

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are one of the most interesting innovations in the area of online computer gaming. Given the relative lack of research in the area, the main aims of the study were to examine (a) the impact of online gaming (e.g., typical playing behavior) in the lives of online gamers, (b) the effect of online socializing in the lives of gamers, and (c) why people engage in gender swapping. A self-selecting sample of 119 online gamers ranging from 18 to 69 years (M = 28.5 years) completed a questionnaire. The results showed that just over one in five gamers (21%) said they preferred socializing online to offline. Significantly more male gamers than female gamers said that they found it easier to converse online than offline. It was also found that 57% of gamers had engaged in gender swapping, and it is suggested that the online female persona has a number of positive social attributes in a male-oriented environment

The mediating effect of gaming motivation between psychiatric symptoms and problematic online gaming: an online survey

Background: The rapid expansion of online video gaming as a leisure time activity has led to the appearance of problematic online gaming (POG). According to the literature, POG is associated with different psychiatric symptoms (eg, depression, anxiety) and with specific gaming motives (ie, escape, achievement). Based on studies of alcohol use that suggest a mediator role of drinking motives between distal influences (eg, trauma symptoms) and drinking problems, this study examined the assumption that there is an indirect link between psychiatric distress and POG via the mediation of gaming motives. Furthermore, it was also assumed that there was a moderator effect of gender and game type preference based on the important role gender plays in POG and the structural differences between different game types

Attachment, attraction and communication in real and virtual worlds: a study of massively multiplayer online gamers

Potential differences between relationships formed in online versus offline venues were explored using an online survey of massively multiplayer online gamers. Participants (N=1654) provided information about two or more relationships (kin, friends, and romantic relationships), indicating whether these had originated in online or offline venues. Attachment, attraction and communication were assessed for each relationship. Relationship security was predicted by attraction, but the effects of venue were limited to avoidance towards online romantic relationships. Personality, gaming motivation, age and sex all made negligible contributions to relationship security. Limitations, including the correlational nature of the data and the high proportion of male participants, as well as suggestions for how relationship research might proceed in an increasingly online world, are discussed

Relationship between online role-playing games, personality and interpersonal relationships

Online gaming is a relatively new concept, yet due to the millions of followers these games have attracted over the past decade; it is not difficult to deduce that they are not going away any time soon. Individuals use the Internet for many things, including news, email, shopping, instant messaging and entertainment (gaming) (Griffiths, et al., 2003; Yee, 2006a; 2006b). Millions of these same individuals play Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) as their source of entertainment. These players interact socially within the game with one another, many on a daily basis, and spend huge amounts of time doing so. During these long hours, research has shown that many of these players form relationships and some of these relationships lead to real life relationships (Cole &amp; Griffiths, 2007; Yee, 2006b). Many of these individuals consider these online relationships equal to their offline relationships (Ng &amp; Wiemer-Hastings, 2005). It is suggested that these players are introverted and lack social interaction; however, some believe that using the Internet in this manner is equivalent to offline face to face social interaction. Many lose track of the time while playing MMORPGs and when engaging in other online activities, and some of these individuals experience symptoms related to loneliness (Ng &amp; Wiemer-Hastings, 2005). Therefore, previous research suggests there is a relationship between Online Gaming, Personality, and Interpersonal Relationships. This study was designed to examine relationships between personality characteristics and amount of time playing a popular game called World of Warcraft (WoW). Additionally, this study examined how motivations to play the game are related to personality characteristics, preference for online interpersonal interaction, and social anxiety. A Demographics Questionnaire including age, country of residence, sex, occupation, employment status and other information about their online game playing was used. Additionally, the M5-50 Personality Inventory (McCord, 2002) was used as a short measure of the participant’s personality traits, collected through a fifty item scale which resulted in scores for the five domains of: Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, and Agreeableness. The participants also completed the Preference for Online Social Interaction Questionnaire (Caplan, 2003) which is a 4 item measure of the individual’s preference for online vs. offline face to face social interaction. The items were summed for a total score with higher scores representing preference for online social interaction. Motivations for Play Questionnaire (Yee, 2006a), which measures activities the participant engages in while online, which MMORPGs they play, the amount of time spent playing the specified MMORPG per week, and activities they are involved in while playing the MMORPG. The scale consisted of 40 questions which participants answered using a five point response scale then the individual items were summed into each of the primary components. Finally, the Interaction Anxiousness Scale (IAS), a measure of social anxiety was completed by the participants. The scale consisted of 15 items which participants answered based on a five point Likert-type scale. Scores were summed and overall higher scores on the scale reflect higher levels of social anxiety. The study included 381 participants who were recruited from the Internet sites where WoW players frequently post and read messages. The participants were 88% male and 12% female and the range of participants’ ages was 18 to 69 years, with a mean of 24.29 years. Participants were actually engaged in playing the MMORPG “World of Warcraft”. The median amount of time spent playing WoW per week was 16 to 20 hours. A small, positive correlation was found between the amount of time spent playing WoW and Neuroticism and a small, negative correlation between of time spent playing WoW and Extraversion. Examination of the relationships between achievement motivation to play and Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness found small, negative correlations between achievement motivation to play and Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness with higher levels of motivation to play associated with lower levels of Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness. An examination of the relationship between social motivation to play, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Openness to Experience found small, positive relationships between social motivation to play and Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Openness to Experience. The relationship between immersion motivation to play and Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience was investigated which found small, negative relationships between immersion motivation to play and Extraversion and Conscientiousness; and a small, positive relationship between immersion motivation to play and Openness to Experience. Finally, the relationship between the preference for online social interaction and the interactive anxiousness scale was investigated resulting in a moderate to strong, positive relationship, with higher levels of preference for online social interaction associated with higher levels of interactive anxiousness

Putting the "Fun Factor" Into Gaming: The Influence of Social Contexts on Experiences of Playing Videogames

The increasingly social nature of gaming suggests the importance of understanding its associated experiences and potential outcomes. This study examined the influence of social processes in gameplay and different gaming contexts on the experience of individual and group flow when engaged in the activity. It also examined the affective experiences associated with different types of social gaming. The research consisted of a series of focus groups with regular gamers. The results of the thematic analysis revealed the importance of social belonging, opportunities for social networking and the promotion of social integration for game enjoyment. However, social experiences could also facilitate feelings of frustration in gameplay as a result of poor social dynamics and competitiveness. The analysis furthermore suggested that group flow occurs in social gaming contexts, particularly in cooperative gameplay. A number of antecedents of this shared experience were identified (e.g., collective competence, collaboration, task-relevant skills). Taken together, the findings suggest social gaming contexts enhance the emotional experiences of gaming. The study demonstrates the importance of examining social gaming processes and experiences to further understand their potential influence on associated affective outcomes. Areas of further empirical research are discussed in reference to the study’s findings