With the growing popularity in video games, there has been increased concerns over the prolonged exposure to the entertainment medium. Problematic gaming is defined as a pattern of gaming behavior that causes significant impairment in personal, social, other important areas of functioning, often characterized by preoccupation and loss of interest in other areas. This study examined how problematic gaming behaviors may be influenced by insecure adult attachment and perceived social support from differing sources. It was hypothesized that avoidant attachment would have a significant direct and indirect effect (via perceived social support) on problematic gaming. In addition, perceived social support from online friends and from offline friends were hypothesized to moderate the relationship between attachment and problematic gaming, Participants were recruited from both SONA (n = 151) and Amazon's Mturk (n = 264) to complete an online research questionnaire that measured variables of interest. Results indicated that the direct and indirect effects of attachment avoidance on problematic gaming were supported in both subsamples but the moderator effects were not. Further exploratory analysis found that anxious attachment demonstrated a similar pattern as avoidant attachment, but with a significant moderator effect of perceived social support from online friends (enhance) on the attachment anxiety and problematic gaming relation. Additionally, anhedonia and depressive symptoms were found to be significantly correlated with problematic gaming. Limitations, future research directions, and clinical implications are discussed.

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Denna uppsats har haft avsikten att studera hur NPC:ers agerande påverkar spelupplevelsen. NPC:er är de figurerna inom ett spel som inte är spelbara. Deras syfte är att skapa en trovärdig spelvärld och interagera med spelaren. Spelupplevelse innebär de känslor och tankar som spelare får under tiden de spelar. För att besvara uppsatsfrågan så studerades hur NPC:ers beteende påverkade spelarnas upplevelser genom observationer och enkäter. Under iakttagelserna så testades sex olika spel för att se hur deltagarna uppfattade NPC:ers olika agerande. Enkäten användes för att ge deltagarna utrymme att själva kunna tillföra sina egna tankar till hur de uppfattade de datorstyrda figurernas agerande. Överlag visade resultatet från både observationerna och enkäterna att det fanns delade meningar kring hur NPC:ernas agerande uppfattades. Testpersonernas uppfattningar skiljde sig åt både inom ett spel och mellan spelen. Samtidigt fanns det även beteenden som testgruppen hade samma åsikt kring. Exempelvis tyckte de flesta testpersoner att spelupplevelsen försämrades när NPC:erna inte försökte nå spelaren strategisk eller inte arbetade som en enhet. Uppsatsen visar att det är svårt att ta en fram en NPC som agerar på ett sätt som passar samtliga spelare. När ett nytt spel utvecklas läggs mycket fokus på att spelupplevelsen ska bli så bra som möjligt. Eftersom denna uppsats visar på att NPC:er har en inverkan på spelupplevelsen så är det viktigt att studera detta ämne vidare. / The purpose of this thesis is to analyze in what way the gaming experience for the gamer is affected by the NPC´s behaviour. NPCs are characters in a game that the gamer himself cannot control. The main purpose with adding NPCs into a game is to create a more realistic world and for them to interact with the gamer. Gaming experience is concerning the emotions and thoughts that the gamer has while playing the game. In order to be able to answer the questions posed in this thesis, questionnaires and observations was conducted to study how the NPCs behaviour affected the players´ gaming experience negatively or positively. During these observations, six different games were tested to see how the players reacted to the NPC´s behaviours and actions. The questionnaire was used as a tool for the players to be able to express their feelings and thoughts about the computer-controlled characters. The result from both the observation and the questionnaire shows that the participating people´s thoughts about the behaviours of the NPCs vary greatly. These differences could be found both concerning one specific game but also between games. On the other hand, there were specific behaviours that the participating people agreed upon. For example, a majority of the people thought that if NPCs did not try to get to the gamer in a more strategic way or if they did not work as a unit, lead to a negative gaming experience for the gamer. The conclusion of this thesis is that creating a NPC who has behaviour traits which suit all types of gamers is a very difficult task. The main focus of a new game in development is to create the best gaming experience possible for the gamer. This thesis shows the importance that the effect of the NPC´s behaviour has on the gaming experience and therefore it is a subject that is important to study more closely.

Children undergoing Dialysis spend a lot of time on self-care, including three hospital visits a week, three to ve hours in length, accounting for 30% of their after-school time. As a result, many of these children lack the time to lead an active life, and combined with their ailing health, leads to deteriorating quality of life. As a result, many of these children lack con dence in their capabilities and cannot answer questions such as \Can I bike to school?". Cyclescape, an exercise VR game, aims to provide entertainment to patients undergoing dialysis, improve their quality of life, and help them answer such questions. This thesis explores converting real-world data into a personal game level, consisting of a path in a game that players (patients) can traverse on a stationary bike while undergoing dialysis. We will explore the di erent types of real-world map data available and how they are used in video games. We will then derive di erent goals the map should address to improve the player's condition and then design Cyclescape to meet them. Lastly, we will analyze how successful Cyclescape was in meeting these goals. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Background: In the past decades, there was a worldwide increase in people playing video games. Researchers have started to conduct studies and identified positive and negative associations with video gaming. Comparable studies have been done.   Aim: The aim is to analyse, if there is an association between the average hours an adult participant has played computer games per day and depression or social phobia.   Methods: Data from 4,936 adults who voluntarily participated in an online survey which was posted in the forum ‘www.reddit.com’ has been analysed. The survey included two verified Scales (CES-D and SPIN). Multiple linear regression was applied to test for significance respectively for each sex and after adjusting for other variables.   Results: More than 56% of the participants were above the suggested cut-off scores of the CES-D Scale and more than 44% of the SPIN Scale. Positive associations were found between ‘Computer Gaming Hours’ and the outcomes ‘Depression’ and ‘Social Phobia’ in the total population. After stratifying for gender, no associations were found in all groups in the variable ‘Gender’ towards the outcome ‘Depression’. However, a positive association was found towards the outcome ‘Social Phobia’ for ‘males’ and ‘females’.   Conclusions: The findings are not generalizable. Researcher need to investigate the differences between the results of this study compared to other studies, as well as the high prevalence of depression and social phobia among the participants. Additionally, more studies need to investigate, if having a depression or social phobia can lead to increased video gaming hours.

The development of video and computer games has been rapid and has received a large number of users among children and young people. Gaming online makes it a social place where users can do common activities in the game. For some users, gaming has had negative consequences in relation to their surroundings. There may be lost control over time played, social isolation, deteriorated school results or problems at work. The World Health Organization chose in its eleventh edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems to introduce the diagnosis of Gaming Disorder while the American Psychiatric Association chose to investigate the matter further to possibly introduce it into the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual for Psychiatric Disorders V. This study investigates from a pupil health perspective what consequences gaming can have for pupils in elementary school. In the study, ten respondents who work in elementary school F-9 are interviewed. The respondents consist of teachers and curators from all parts of the elementary school and a resource staff working in the primary school. To analyze the study, research is used based on Internet Gaming disorder and Gaming disorder as well as theory of risk and protection factors to develop norm-breaking behavior. The conclusions of the study are that all of the respondents had experienced some form of problems and consequences among pupils linked to gambling. It could affect the students as well as individuals but also the psychosocial environment in the school The individual consequences were often linked to the students' ambition and motivation level in the school while it contributed to offensive language use and difficult-to-solve conflicts that were based on things that took place outside the school. There are no specific measures for this type of problem, but students are often noticed in other systems such as absence or school results.

Thesis advisor: Richard McGowan / Gambling, both in the casino-style and lottery forms, has risen to become a major component of the entertainment industry in the United States. State governments are the gatekeepers of this growing industry, holding the power to legalize and regulate all aspects of gambling. This thesis explores the rationale state governments have for legalizing gambling as well as the impact gambling tax revenues have for state budgets. The main focus is casino-style gambling, as casino-style gambling in particular is being pursued for expansion by numerous states in a variety of forms. As various forms of gambling are legalized throughout the country, a state's gambling interests begin to face competition from both neighboring states and other forms of gambling within the state. Econometric models attempted to predict the tax revenues a state can obtain from legalized gambling based on such competition and a states own demographics. The results support a first-mover advantage for states expanding casino-style gambling and finds that new forms of gambling significantly erode established gambling industries. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2006. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics Honors Program.

Este estudo analisa os efeitos colaterais indesejados de avaliações externas quando combinadas a políticas de responsabilização (accountability) escolar no Brasil. Estes efeitos colaterais, denominados \"peiragênicos\" por Madaus e Russell, são previsíveis, indesejados e decorrem da manipulação (gaming) das regras do sistema pelos agentes envolvidos, levando à inflação de escores, vieses nos resultados reportados e interferências indevidas nos processos escolares que se pretendiam monitorar. Este estudo completa uma lacuna na literatura nacional, visando a medir a extensão de dois destes efeitos: a exclusão não aleatória de alunos de baixa proficiência de avaliações e a incidência de fraudes ingênuas, em desacordo aos protocolos de aplicação das avaliações. Duas abordagens são apresentadas. Para estimar as exclusões de alunos de baixa proficiência é proposta uma análise baseada na assimetria de distribuições de proficiência, usando distribuições normais truncadas. Para avaliar a extensão de fraudes ingênuas, definidas como a divulgação de respostas aos alunos testados sem levar em conta a existência de cadernos de itens ou permissividade com \"colas\" entre alunos, é introduzida uma abordagem baseada na contagem de blocos impróprios maximizadores. Ambos os algoritmos são aplicados à Prova Brasil, de 2013 e 2015. As medições obtidas são confrontadas com variáveis explicativas associadas às pressões da responsabilização, mediante modelos hierárquicos lineares. As pressões consideradas neste trabalho resultam de programas estaduais de bonificação docente e de acompanhamento do Indicador de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb), assim como variações em rankings do Ideb nos municípios. Os resultados indicam que tanto a exclusão de alunos de baixo desempenho quanto fraudes ingênuas ocorrem em associação a estas pressões. O gaming parece mais intenso em unidades da federação com políticas high-stakes, assim como em escolas com Ideb baixo verificado na avaliação anterior. Tendências de variação do Ideb, distâncias deste indicador às metas, ou mudanças em posições no ranking resultam não correlacionados significativamente às pressões. Exclusões medidas são menores em UFs com avaliações próprias para cálculo de bonificação. Um substancial aumento nas indicações de fraudes em 2015, versus 2013, pode estar associado às mudanças na participação mínima de alunos exigida nestas avaliações. Conclui-se que há necessidade dos formuladores de avaliações tomarem cuidados para controlar os dois efeitos estudados. / This survey analyzes the undesired side effects of standardized assessments when combined with accountability policies, in public schools in Brazil. These effects, identified as \"peiragenics\" by Madaus and Russell, are predictable, undesired and unplanned for, and arise from agents engaging in \"gaming the system\", leading to score inflation, biased reported results and undue interference in the schooling processes under assessment. This survey attempts to fill a void in Brazilian literature regarding the measurement of two side effects: exclusion of low performing students from assessments and undue interference of teachers or testers in the assessment protocols (cheating). To this effect, two analytic approaches are presented. To estimate non-random exclusions of low performing students from testing, a model based on the observed asymmetry of proficiency results, using truncated normal distributions, is proposed. A second model, to assess the extension of naive teacher cheating, defined as attempts to share common answers regardless of differences in test booklets or turning a blind eye to students\' copying answers from classmates, counts unexpected appearances of improper score-maximizing blocks, introduced in this study. Both algorithms are applied to Prova Brasil\'s 2013 and 2015 data sets, a federal assessment of mathematics and reading skills. Measurements are confronted with explanatory variables to test for accountability pressures and gaming-inducing drivers, using two-level hierarchical linear models. The pressures considered in this survey arise from teacher bonus programs adopted by several Brazilian states, performance tracking and rankings of the Ideb indicator (a nationwide metric of the development of elementary and middle-school public education). Results indicate that both selective exclusions of low performing students and naive teacher cheating occur, in patterns associated with pressures. Gaming behavior appears to be more intense in states with high-stakes linked to the assessment, in schools with lower Ideb ratings. Past trends and gaps versus targets in Ideb and changes in local rankings result not significantly correlated with gaming behavior. Lowest exclusion measurements occur in states where alternative assessments are used for bonus payments. A substantial increase in cheating indications in 2015 over 2013 was measured, possibly reflecting increased minimum participation requirements stressing schools to maintain performance through cheating attempts. In conclusion, the need for care in design of assessment policies to control for the two effects measured is made evident.

Os ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem estão cada vez mais populares e estão recebendo cada vez mais atenção das pesquisas acadêmicas devido ao avanço tecnológico na última década e na modernização das escolas e ambientes de ensino. Diversos estudos apontam que alunos que utilizam sistemas educacionais melhoram o seu desempenho e aprendem mais. Entretanto, problemas importantes que dificultam sua utilização ainda precisam ser investigados. Dentre eles, um dos principais problemas encontrados é o uso inadequado destes sistemas por parte dos alunos. O tédio, desinteresse, monotonia, a falta de motivação, entre outros fatores, acabam por fazer com que o aluno se comporte inadequadamente ao interagir com o sistema. O comportamento inadequado mais conhecido é trapacear o sistema (do Inglês \"gaming the system\"). Ao externalizar este comportamento, o aluno tenta identificar formas de resolver os exercícios mecanicamente, sem levar em consideração o que precisa ser aprendido. Nesse contexto, esse trabalho tem por objetivo estudar e definir uma alternativa para diminuir o comportamento indesejável nos sistemas por meio do uso de técnicas de Gamificação. Essas técnicas permitem \"persuadir\" o aluno a interagir de forma correta com o sistema. Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de um sistema educacional gamificado (E-Game) a fim de comprovar se os elementos de jogos auxiliam na diminuição de comportamentos como gaming the system nos alunos, aumentando a motivação deles durante a atividade. O sistema educacional foi submetido a experimentos empíricos em ambientes reais de aprendizagem para que fosse possível obter diferentes tipos de dados para análise. Dessa forma, um outro sistema educacional foi desenvolvido, sem técnicas de gamificação, a fim de obter dados comparativos. Um experimento foi realizado numa escola estadual de São Carlos com o total de 60 alunos. Observou-se, a partir do experimento, que há uma diferença estatisticamente significativa quando se usa os sistemas gamificado e não gamificado. Empiricamente, os resultados comprovam que há uma diminuição do comportamento externalizado gaming the system com o uso de sistemas educacionais gamificados. Além disso, foi observada uma diferença nos resultados relacionada aos gênero dos alunos, até então desconhecida pela literatura. Foi detectado que o gênero masculino externalizou menos trapaças durante o uso do sistema educacional gamificado, em relação ao gênero feminino. Por outro lado, o gênero feminino externalizou menos trapaças no ambiente não gamificado, em comparação ao ambiente gamificado. / Researches in Virtual Learning Environments are getting increasing attention from the research community due to the technological advances of the last decade, the modernization of schools and teaching environments. Several studies indicate that students who use virtual learning environments improve their performance and learn more. However, there are important problems that hinder their use and need to be further investigated. Among them, one of the main problems is the inappropriate use of these systems by students. The boredom, lack of interest, monotony, lack of motivation, among other factors, ultimately causes the student to behave inappropriately when interacting with these systems. The best known improper behavior is Gaming the System, which makes the student to ignore the content to be learned and find ways to perform mechanically the activities proposed by the system. In this content, this project aims to study and define an alternative to reduce the appearance of this undesirable behaviors through the use of gamification techniques, where it can persuade the student to interact with the system in a proper way. This work presents the development of a gamified educational system (E-Game) in order to prove if the game elements can reduce the behavior such as Gaming the System, increasing the motivation in the students during the activity. The educational system was submitted to empirical experiments in real virtual learning environments, in order to get real data to analyze. Also, another educational system was developed, without the game elements, in order to get comparative data. One of the experiments was executed in a school in São Carlos city, with 60 students in the sixth grade. The results of the experiment showed that statistically there is a significative difference during the use of gamified and non-gamified educational systems. Empirically, the results proved that the externalization of undesirable behaviors decreased during the use of gamified educational systems. Furthermore, it was observed a difference in the results related to the students gender, so far not noticed in the literature. It was detected that the male gender externalized less undesirable behaviors in the gamified systems, than the female gender. On the other hand, the female gender practiced less gaming the system in the non-gamified environment, compared to the gamified environment.

I det moderna samhället har internet och spelande av olika slag som sker genom internet blivit alltmer populära aktiviteter. I takt med den explosionsartade utvecklingen har även problematiskt beteende följt i form av onlinespelsmissbruk, som blivit ett så pass omfattande problem att det idag omnämns som diagnosen ”Internet Gaming Disorder”, IGD. Företeelsen har dock inte enbart blivit mer framträdande vad gäller aktiviteten i sig utan också gällande mängden forskning som görs inom området. Den population som studeras flitigast och där onlinespelandet är som mest framträdande är bland yngre människor och främst bland pojkar och män. Mycket av den forskning som genomförts har behandlat onlinespelandets påverkan på individen samt dess inverkan på skola och utbildning. Syftet med denna studie är därför att undersöka huruvida onlinespelandet hos tredjeårselever på gymnasiet samvarierar med dennes självupplevda sociala umgänge samt skolprestation. Studien är genomförd utifrån en kvantitativ metod där en enkätundersökning utfördes inom åtta olika program på fyra av Norrköpings gymnasieskolor. Totalt besvarade 99 gymnasieelever enkäten. Studien analyseras med ett socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv för att söka förstå bakomliggande aspekter av onlinespelandet genom att diskutera sociala grupperingar och kategoriseringar som sker genom social interaktion. Studiens resultat stämmer ur flera avseenden överens med tidigare forskning där det tydligt går att se att killar spelar mer än tjejer. Studien visar även ett samband mellan onlinespelande och skola på så sätt att individer engagerade i spel bland annat visar en tendens till minskat intresse för studier.