The purpose of this study was to test whether video game use is associated with more problems with spending time together among married couples, whether problems with time together are associated with relationship quality, and whether attachment behaviors can moderate the association between time together as a problem and relationship quality. Previous studies have found a negative association between excessive video game use and couple relationship outcomes. Excessive video game use may negatively impact relationships by taking away from time spent on shared leisure and relationship maintenance activities. The Double ABCx model provided a theoretical framework for understanding how attachment behaviors such as accessibility, responsiveness, and engagement may act as protective factors that buffer the stress created by video game use and perceiving time together as a problem on couple relationships. A sample of 415 married couples who took the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire between 2011 and 2013 and indicated that one or both partners played video games was used. Results indicated that there was a negative indirect effect of women's sports and music game use on women's relationship quality via women's reports of time together as a problem in the relationship. There was also a positive indirect effect of women's exercise game use on relationship quality. There was also a negative association between men's and women's reports of time together as a problem on own relationship quality. Men's attachment behaviors moderated the association between women's reports of time together as a problem and women's relationship quality. Clinical implications include more thoroughly assessing why video game use may be a problem in the relationship and fostering healthy attachment behaviors.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulty paying attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Diagnosis of ADHD rose 42% from 2003–2004 to 2011–2012. In 2011, 3.5 million children were treated with drugs. Optimizing therapy can take a year, and may not be completely effective. A clinical trial is currently being conducted of a device/drug combination using the computer game Minecraft, to determine how certain activities affect executive function, working memory, and restraint in patients diagnosed with ADHD. The human subjects’ responses are being modeled using artificial neural networks (ANNs), an artificial intelligence method that can be utilized to interpret highly complex data. We propose using ANNs to optimize drug and Minecraft therapy for individual patients based on the initial NICHQ Vanderbilt assessment scores. We are applying ANNs in the development of computational models for executive function deficiencies in ADHD. These models will then be used to develop a therapeutic video game as a drug/device combination with stimulants for the treatment of ADHD symptoms in Fragile X Syndrome. As a first step towards the design of virtual subjects with executive function deficits, computational models of the core executive functions working memory and fluid intelligence were constructed. These models were combined to create healthy control and executive function-deficient virtual subjects, who performed a Time Management task simulation that required the use of their executive functions to complete. The preliminary working memory model utilized a convolutional neural network to identify handwritten digits from the MNIST dataset, and the fluid intelligence model utilized a basic recurrent neural network to produce sequences of integers in the range 1-9 that can be multiplied together to produce the number 12. A simplified Impulsivity function was also included in the virtual subject as a first step towards the future inclusion of the core executive function inhibition.

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a commonly diagnosed mental disorder with an estimated global prevalence of 5.29% that exhibit inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors, many of which can negatively impact an individual’s social, academic, occupational and everyday-life. Studies based on the Delay Aversion Hypothesis have shown that video-games effectively contribute to the neutralization of some of the inattentive symptoms of ADHD, and that games could act as a possible treatment option for individuals with ADHD. Attempts to use video games as a treatment option has previously been tried, however to a limited extent. This study approaches the topic from the game design perspective, and discusses which game mechanics, activities and stimuli contribute to the possible neutralization of the inattentive symptoms of ADHD, in order to lay a foundation for future research within the area. The study found that the participants with ADHD acted in ways that contradicted some of the described symptoms of ADHD in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) when playing video games, which could be attributed to the amount of stimuli available in video games. Additionally, the participants’ level of motivation when playing video games seemed to be strongly correlated to the principles of andragogy, which could indicate that children with ADHD might benefit from an educational system that combines and incorporates principles from both andragogy and pedagogy.

ABSTRACT This article explores the nature of narrative in video games, and how it can be applied to the contemporary classroom to help teach literature and composition. Specifically, it is concerned with the idea of embodiment in video games. First proposed by theorist James Gee, embodiment is a word describing the phenomenon wherein a player inhabits the character that s/he plays. This article takes the idea of embodiment a step further, by introducing the idea of the embodied narrative, the idea that players do not only embody their characters, but those characters’ stories as well, and are composing unique, personal stories as they play. This article also explores the importance of narrative in teaching writing, as narrative and stories are fundamental to the ways in which we think and learn. It proposes that, because video games are a literary medium in which composition is actively taking place, they have the potential to be used in literature and composition classrooms alongside, or even in place of, more traditional methods of teaching. In addition, they can serve as an excellent way of integrating the study of narrative into the composition classroom.

Over the past few years, video games have served as a catalyst for virtual reality (VR) technology to become more accessible to the average consumer, resulting in an increased interest in VR’s potential applications across several disciplines. To best capitalize on these applications, however, researchers require a thorough understanding of the user’s experience in virtual environments. And while many studies on VR experiences tend to focus on presence, video games offer another angle of approach: immersion. This study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the relationships between the VR experience of presence and the gaming experience of immersion. First, a focus group of individuals with VR gaming experience explored variables impacting presence. Then a survey questionnaire consisting of items from the multimodal presence scale (MPS), Jennett et al.’s (2008) immersion questionnaire, and the focus group was distributed online. Finally, the collected data was analyzed using factor analysis and linear regression to explore the relationships between presence and immersion. Results of the analysis identified involvement to be an important factor impacting a user’s perceived presence in a VR gaming experience.

According to a 2009 study, 68% of American households played video games (Entertainment Software Association). With this number continually on the rise, video games and their cultures are in need of further scholarly exploration. A video game of particular interest is a massive online game known as World of Warcraft, drawing over twelve million players worldwide (Blizzard Entertainment, 2010). With a cyberspace-based culture, World of Warcraft exposes its players to phenomenon that are unique to it, and thereby not easily understood through the same measures and evaluations offered by society at large. One such phenomena is that of gender, or more specifically the bending of gender by which players assume characters of the opposite gender. Although a common practice in video games like World of Warcraft, its motivations have yet to receive adequately scholarly attention. The present study seeks to explore the process of gender selection in the massive online game World of Warcraft through qualitative methods utilizing interviews, texts, and field notes. The data is then analyzed using Kellner's (2003) methods of critical analysis of media and Langian's (1975) work on thematization.

This thesis examines the evolution of gaming criticism (specifically ludology and narratology) and games as a medium of expression through the use of case studies. These case studies look at some of the core aspects of four major titles (The Last of Us, Horizon Zero Dawn, various BioWare games and Journey) and survey how these games work to effectively employ a narrative while maintaining an immersive, intuitive system for the player to interact with. Through these titles, the thesis suggests that in order to gain a full scope of a game’s intentions, studies should analyze more than the base story or gameplay, but rather the correlations between them as well as the ways that the visuals and audio aspects interact and enhance the narrative. Furthermore, it suggests the importance of creating gameplay that works with the story in order to ensure that the player always feels as though they have a stake in the outcome of the game, regardless of the nature of the narrative.

Although there is ample information on the negative aspects of video game playing, we know less about the benefits and how the benefits transfer to the gamers’ workplace. Further understanding of these relationships may offer employees and employers more insight on how they can reduce counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWB) while also improving workplace morale and productivity. The purpose of this quantitative nonexperimental study is to examine the relationships between time spent engaging in gameplay, workplace self-esteem, and positive and negative workplace behaviors among gamers. Participants anonymously completed an online questionnaire utilizing the Behind the Screen Measure, Counterproductive Workplace Behavior Checklist, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Work Extrinsic Intrinsic Motivation Scale. The crosssectional design consisted of 202 self-identified employed gamers over the age of 18 living in the United States. A series of linear regressions was used to test the hypotheses. According to the study results, frequency of gameplay and workplace self-esteem levels predicted CWB and intrinsic motivation, with low workplace self-esteem being a significant predictor of negative work-related behaviors. Employers, gamers, and friends and family also benefit from the knowledge that over two and a half hours of gaming could have negative effects on their self-esteem and work behaviors. This study facilitates positive social change by promoting a need for increased awareness to gamers and organizations which offer support and long-term positive social change among two different populations.

Ten subjects ranging from 9 to 16 years in age wi.th IQ's ranging from 23 to 62 were randomly selected as contingent or noncontingent subjects for two experiments. Five subjects received contingent access to two electronic games for performance within a specified learning session, while five subjects received noncontingent access to the games. These experiments were designed to determine the effect on performance, attending, and compliance skills in the classroom, when contingent access to the electronic games was based on performance. The development of fine motor skills and/or eye-hand coordination skills as a result of game usage was examined. The generalization of any effect to the remainder of the classroom day was also evaluated. The experimental design for these experiments was a single subject multiple baseline design for data on performance with the additional collection of attending and compliance data in a multiple baseline fashion. Probes were utilized to assess generalization effects. A change in performance related to experimental manipulation was noted in three of five of the contingent subjects, while support for subsequent change in attending and compliance was demonstrated by fewer subjects (one subject in regard to attending; three subjects in regard to compliance) . No changes in performance, attending, or compliance related to experimental manipulation were demonstrated by subjects receiving noncontingent access to the games. Nine of ten subjects (contingent and noncontingent) demonstrated gains in age equivalencies on the Upper Limb Coordination subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency in excess of the duration of the experiment. In addition, six of ten subjects demonstrated gains on the Fine Motor Composite of this test.

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