ITAG conference 2013Nottingham Trent University, UKCouncil House, Nottingham, 17 October 2013.

International Gaming Research Unit

Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari & Mark D. Griffiths

The psychosocial implications of Game Transfer Phenomena

Background: Video games effects

Videogames have been used effectively as learning tools in therapy and in the school (e.g., Griffiths, Kuss, & Ortiz de Gortari, in press).

Social skills: Pro-social game play predicted later increases in pro-social behaviour (e.g., Gentile et al., 2009).

Background: Video games’ effects

The effects of videogames’ contents examines particular videogames types and contents such as violent, stereotypical and risk behaviour contents (e.g., Anderson, Gentile, & Buckley, 2007).

Background: Video games’ effects

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The effects of intense and prolonged videogame playing: Internet Gaming Disorder (DSM5) Focus on a particular group of the population who play video games excessively (e.g., Grusser, Thalemann, Griffiths, 2007).

Background: Video games’ effects

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The psychophysiological side effects: •Neural adaptations - Have mainly been investigated on virtual simulators (e.g., motion sickness) have hardly investigated side effects in commercial video games played on a screen (Champney et al., 2007).

•Negative effect on sleep patterns - (Dworak, Schierl, Bruns, & Strüder, 2007; King, 2013).

Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP)

Cognitions

BehavioursEmotions

Perceptions

VisualAuditory

Body sensations

Impulses

Mood states

Episodic/recurrent thoughs

Voluntary behaviour

Involuntary behaviour

GTP usually occur spontaneously and without gamers’ control.

Transfer of video game experiences into the real world Includes: VG content, in-game actions and the use of cues in the game

Holistic approach to understand VG effects

Holistic approach to understand VG effects

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MethodMethod

Aim:

To overview of all the GTP modalities and to discuss the psychological and psychosocial implications of GTP.

Three qualitative studies have been conducted to identify, classify and explain the different modalities of GTP:

(i) visual, (ii) auditory, (iii) thoughts and behaviours.

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MethodMethod

Data collection:

60 online video game forums

Participants:

1,681 posts from 1,244 players

Procedure:

Each GTP modality were coded into a database for classification and quantification.

Videos of game play were observed.

Games associated with the data were played.

Perseverative statesMix-ups between

videogames and real life experiences

Perceptually

Cognitively

Behaviourally

Results:Re-classification of GTP in two main categories:

Manifestation

Perseverative states

• Lack of cognitive and motor flexibility to change between tasks: Neural adaptation to virtual tasks.

• Directly after or a short while after stopping playing.• Encounters with certain real life stimuli appear to be

incidental.

Perceptually Cognitively BehaviourallyManifestation

Altered perceptions: Altered perceptions:

Visual aftereffects - shapesVisual aftereffects - shapes

“After few hours of nonstop Frozen Bubble, I saw everything insanely blocky. Even quite round shapes were looking like blocks. It only lasted a few minutes though” (Dan)

Seeing video game elements Seeing video game elements in back the of the

eyelids recurrently

“I would see Rock Band drum notation scrolling whenever I closed my eyes for a good month” (Kingz)

Perseverative mental state:

Automatic mental actions

Perseverative mental states: Keep the setting of the game in their mind.

"I played Vice City and got all the hidden packages at once. When I quit playing I was looking in the corners of the rooms for hidden packages. It was really odd" (Forlife9)

Perseverative mental state

“After playing the game Miner Dig Deep for about 5 hours straight, I literally sat there semi-confused afterwards wondering how I was going to make it to the door to leave my living room since I couldn't see where I was going to dig my tunnels” (Jols)

Perseverative mental state:

Perseverative mental state: Lowered motor flexibility

Lack of motor flexibility when changing from the virtual world to the real life. Moving as they would in the videogame such as strafing (i.e., moving side-ways).

" Many times! Quake 2 made me literally strafe my way around corners in real life!"

Carrying out stereotypical motor executions

Reduction of complex psychomotor flexibility, reduced motor control has been previously reported (e.g., as neural adaptation effects) after the exposure to virtual environment simulators (Champney et al., 2007).

Perceptually Cognitivetly BehaviourallyManifestation

Mix-ups between videogames and real life experiences

• External stimuli appears to have been crucial as triggers in such experiences.

• Associations between RL and video games stimuli.

• Failures of reality monitoring.

Altered perceptions triggered by external stimuli: Seeing VG images superimposed IRL objects

“After a long Black Ops [Call of Duty] session I saw a red player tag above a woman riding a bicycle. Fortunately, I didn't have my gun on hand” (Max4)

Altered perceptions triggered by external stimuli: Seeing videogame elements open eyes: Seeing videogame elements open eyes: TriggeredTriggered

by activitiesby activities

“The Mass Effect conversation wheel comes up at the bottom of my vision every time I talk to someone” (Rosk)

Involuntary actions: Body reflexes triggered by stimuli

“A friend flung out his arm. He became embarrassed and told me that without thinking he was trying to use the grappling hook from a Quake 2 mod to swing under the bridge. I absolutely believe this study.”

Here, the gamers' thoughts resulted in involuntary body movements of fingers, hands or arms when they tried to use videogame elements in real life.

Cognitive distortions –false expectations

The gamers interpreted real life events and/or objects using the logic from the videogame.

"After a marathon of Grand Theft Auto, I was driving and saw a car flipped upside down and thought "Go! It is going to explode in 5 seconds!"

Videogames comprise sequences of events.

Responding to real life stimuli and events as in the game:Impulses and paying attention to certain stimuli

“I've felt this most strongly after playing a lot of Assassins Creed 2. I came very close to instinctively trying to scale the fenced leading to my apartment. It also trains you to see possible holds on buildings a lot more readily. The sensations mostly faded about two days later though.”

Responding to real life stimuli and events as in the game

Selective attention: Gamers found themselves paying attention to real life objects relevant to the videogame.

Alcohol addiction/Gaming addiction (Cox, W. M., Hogan, L. M., Kristian, M. R., & Race).

Fast reaction time

“Needs for Speed 2 helped me through a bad slide on ice. When I hit the ice my brain immediately went into gaming mode. I did 180. It felt like I was with the PS2 controller in my hand. I just did what I did in the game and I ended up of the slide” (Pax7)

Short moment of dissociation

Failures of control of impulses:

Executions of behaviours as in the VG Executions of behaviours as in the VG

without awarenesswithout awareness

“I'm going to confess something I'm not proud of … after 3 days in a row of 12-14 hour DK [Donkey Kong] Country marathons I was in a store and there was a ring of wood barrels that I instinctive broke looking for the bananas so I could get the extra life. I didn't get arrested but I had to write a check for 250 dollars and was banned from the store nationwide for 12 months” (Calx)

Avoid RL objects and events

“When I played too much World Ware 2 Online, I always refused to go near churches… People asking me why… The truth is that I was afraid that French snipers where laying down under the bell, waiting for pull the trigger.” (Sals3)

Conclusions 1/6Conclusions 1/6

The gamers' self-reports showed strategic thinking: exploring, planning, critical evaluation of situations, tracking objects.

Moral reasoning and personal boundary testing when urges to do controversial things were stimulated.

Hyper-vigilant mood states, confusion, fright, odd situations, sleep deprivation, behaving irrationally and uncontrollably, and engaging in risky behaviours.

Conclusions 3/6Conclusions 3/6

What factors appear to be more relevant?

Virtual embodiment, repetitive activities and

movements.

Simulation of RL stimuli Similarities

between real life and videogame stimuli

appear to facilitate some types of GTP.

Gamers’ habits: Prolonged videogame

sessions, skipping meals and playing while

sleep deprived may facilitate GTP.

Conclusions 1/6Conclusions 1/6Who is more susceptible to experience

GTP?

It is speculated that individuals who are

fantasy prone

Individuals with low trait self-control may

have increased risk to experience

negative consequences of GTP might

not be able to control their impulses when

automatic associations occur

Individuals with some mental disorder

GTP have been experienced positively

and negatively.

Conclusions 4/6Conclusions 4/6

Findings suggest that it is necessary to

investigate the neuro-adaptations associated

with VG (e.g., lowered cognitive/motor

flexibility to switch from virtual to real life

tasks)

Warnings about epileptic seizures from

playing VG are already included in

videogame booklets, console screens (e.g.,

Guitar Hero)

But, more work needs to be done for

encouraging safe and healthy gaming

Conclusions 5/6Conclusions 5/6

GTP experiences did not only occurred

directly or shortly after stopping playing and

immediately disappearing; some experiences

happened recurrently and became intrusive.

Setup campaigns to inform, educate and

encourage healthy gaming habits.

Developers should be aware of the effects of

the exposure to certain visual and auditory

cues, and the implications about the use of

simulation of RL stimuli in the game

Conclusions 6/6Conclusions 6/6

Findings in the GTP studies invites us to reflect about the challenges that the human mind affront due to the technology advance that is still to come.

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