<p>Video games players (VGPs) regularly demonstrate marked success over non-video game players (NVGPs) on a variety of tasks that tap visuospatial attention. Localization of these benefits remains elusive. Drawing from experiments reported in this thesis and considering each in light of the current literature, it would appear that said benefits are the result of development of the mechanisms and processes involved in the representation of visuospatial information rather than due to a benefit of higher cognitive control mechanisms. This assertion is supported by a series of effects. First, experience with an action video game immediately prior to a measure of visuospatial attention showed no effect on performance. VGPs demonstrated only a general tendency to complete the task more rapidly than NVGPs. There was no indication that VGPs may have been engaging contextually-related control mechanisms to more efficiently search through displays. Second, VGPs did not experience a general task switching benefit during trials that included a high level of proactive interference, only outperforming NVGPs when provided with enough time and information to engage in endogenous task-set reconfiguration. Finally, previous work has demonstrated parietal slow wave ERP correlates of central executive activity in working memory, with greater amplitudes of these components indexing increased executive control demands. In the present work, VGPs showed distinctively smaller degrees of central-executive (CE) related ERP activity in a demanding visuospatial WM condition relative to NVGPs, while maintaining equivalent behavioural performance. Thus, VGPs appear to recruit smaller degrees of CE-related processing compared to NVGPs on difficult visuospatial tasks. Taken together, these findings suggest that the observed performance benefits for VGPs in visuospatial tasks are likely not due to improved cognitive control ability, but are more probably the result of a superior representational ability for visuospatial information.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The ability to hold visual information in mind over a brief delay is critical for acquiring information and navigating a complex visual world. Despite the ubiquitous nature of visual short-term memory (VSTM) in our everyday lives, this system is fundamentally limited in capacity. Therefore, the potential to improve VSTM through training is a growing area of research. An emerging body of literature suggests that extensive experience playing action video games yields a myriad of perceptual and attentional benefits. Several lines of converging work provide evidence that action video game play influences VSTM as well. The current study utilized a training paradigm to examine whether action video games cause improvements to the quantity and/or the quality of information stored in VSTM and whether these VSTM advantages extend visual working memory (VWM). The results suggest that VSTM capacity is increased after action video game training, as compared to training on a control game, and that some limited improvement to VSTM precision occurs with action game training as well. The VSTM improvements seen in individuals trained on an action video game are not better accounted for by differences in motivation or engagement, differential expectations, or baseline differences in demographics as compared to the control group used. However, these findings do not appear to extend to measures of VWM, nor to verbal working memory. In sum, action video game training represents a potentially unique and engaging platform by which this severely capacity-limited VSTM system might be enhanced. / Psychology

The relationship between video games and learning is a topic of interest for academic fields. But how can a voluntary activity, like playing video games, motivate students to be academically productive? This dissertation used the popular video game, Minecraft, to measure the intrinsic motivation of 7th and 8th grade students in mathematics class, using a Self-Determination Theory (SDT) framework. The results demonstrated that intrinsic motivation remained at high levels, as long as students are competent in game controls and were relatively free to do what they wanted within the general guidelines in the video game environment. Second, the role of social presence contributed to immersion in the video game environment and played a role in the continued motivation to play. Third, although there was no impact on rote measures of learning, such as memorizing vocabulary definitions, the Minecraft video game environment affected students’ ability to problem solve, as was evidenced by pre- and post-tests of rote and conceptual learning. / Media & Communication

This dissertation explores how discourses surrounding race and economics inform the way in which videogame creators understand their world and use that understanding to create content. Employing a Foucauldian discourse analysis, the content of two videogames, Skyrim and Max Payne 3, were analyzed. The analysis of Skyrim revealed that race is constructed as an inherently biological phenomenon. Moreover, culture is constructed as emerging from biology. The analysis of Max Payne 3 revealed that capitalism grounds the construction of race so that biology and culture serves to justify the economic position of light-skinned and dark-skinned Brazilians. These constructions come from various sources such as the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and film noir. The dissertation also interviews videogame developers using semi-structured interviews to examine the extent to which content creators are aware of these discourses and how industry norms and economics affect those discourses. Videogame developers revealed that these discourses stem from a market pressure to make videogame narratives understandable and sellable. / Media & Communication

No description available.

Using a quantitative survey distributed to regular players of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) (N = 777), the current study employed a correlation matrix and a parallel mediation model to assess the relationship between play frequency, motivating factors, and video game addiction. The results demonstrated that each of these elements were related to one another to varying degrees (p < .001). The motivating factors identified by Yee (2006) included achievement, immersion, and social interaction, which were tested as mediators and indicated that achievement (a1 = 0.2817, p < 0.001; b1 = 0.4073, p < 0.001) and immersion (a2 = 0.3217, p < 0.001; b2 = 0.2574, p < 0.001) are mediators in the relationship of play frequency and addiction. Social interaction was not significant as a mediator (a3 = 0.3217, p < 0.001; b3 = -0.0235, p = 0.6753). Higher levels of addiction were present for those who were motivated by achievement (rewards) and immersion (storyline/diversion) to play more frequently per week. However, those who were motivated by social interaction to play frequently did not demonstrate a statistically significant relationship with higher levels of addiction. Findings suggest that motivating factors of gameplay may have a mediating effect on the relationship between play frequency and addiction.

This dissertation addresses user responses to the introduction of Brain-Computer Interface technologies (BCI) for gaming and consumer applications in the early part of the 21st century. BCI technology has emerged from the contexts of interrelated medical, academic, and military research networks including an established computer and gaming industry. First, I show that the emergence and development of BCI technology are based on specific economic, socio-cultural, and material factors, and secondly, by utilizing user surveys and interviews, I argue that the success of BCI are not determined by these contextual factors but are dependent on user acceptance and interpretation. Therefore, this project contributes to user-technology studies by developing a model which illustrates the interrelations between producers, users, values, and technology and how they contribute to the acceptance, resistance, and modification in the technological development of emerging BCI technologies. This project focuses on human computer interaction researchers, independent developers, the companies producing BCI headsets, and neuro-gadget companies who are developing BCI's for users as an alternative interface for the enhancement of human performance and gaming and computer simulated experience. Moreover, BCI production and use as modes of enhancement align significantly with social practices of play which allows an expanded definition of technology to include cultural dimensions of play. / Ph. D.

No / This four volume set provides the complete proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction held June, 2003 in Crete, Greece. A total of 2,986 individuals from industry, academia, research institutes, and governmental agencies from 59 countries submitted their work for presentation at the conference. The papers address the latest research and development efforts, as well as highlight the human aspects of design and use of computing systems. Those accepted for presentation thoroughly cover the entire field of human-computer interaction, including the cognitive, social, ergonomic, and health aspects of work with computers. The papers also address major advances in knowledge and effective use of computers in a variety of diversified application areas, including offices, financial institutions, manufacturing, electronic publishing, construction, health care, and disabled and elderly people.

<p dir="ltr">This dissertation explored the media features of interactivity (i.e., watching vs. playing) and audio to understand the role they play in shaping media experiences. The study provides additional insights into feelings of presence, levels of empathy, and intentions for continued engagement based on individual media experiences in response to media features. The video game <i>Florence</i> was used as the stimulus for an experimental design investigating media features at multiple levels to better understand how design of those features can potentially improve media experiences for individuals in different contexts, which might increase their desire to continue engaging with the same media or franchise in the future.</p>

The objective of the present study was to investigate the use of a video game task in comparison to _a pursuit tracking task for the purpose of· detecting alcohol impairment. To carry out this objective, the two tasks used in this study were compared for difficulty in Phase I. The conclusions from Phase I are: 1) that subjects selected higher RPM's to represent a higher level of difficulty, and 2) that the higher RPM's selected resulted in decreased performance compared to lower RPM's. Performance on the two tasks under various levels of BAC was then measured in Phase II. The general conclusions from Phase II are: 1) that performance of both tasks was significantly affected by BAC and Difficulty, and 2) that a greater decrement in performance due to BAC was observed for the video game task than for the pursuit tacking task. The results and implications of the two phases of research will be discussed further in the following two subsections. / Master of Science