2old2play has recently stumbled across an interesting article published on Science Daily which explains why we love video games.
It was written on a study that was aimed at finding out exactly what motivates people to play, and more importantly, keep playing video games.
A study conducted by Psychologists at the University of Rochester and Immersyve, Inc., a virtual environment think tank, suggests that people enjoy playing video games because they find them fundamentally satisfying. Researchers polled 1,000 gamers, and the results were published in the journal Motivation and Emotion this month. The basic conclusions were that gamers will remain preoccupied with video games “because the fun of playing actually is rooted in fulfilling their basic psychological needs.”
According to the research, “games can provide opportunities for achievement, freedom, and even a connection to other players.” These qualities seem to be more important to the gamer than “a shallow sense of fun, which doesn’t keep players as interested.”
Richard M. Ryan, a psychologist who took part in the study suggested that gamers claimed they received more from the games that connected to what they know in the real world. Ryan was quoted as saying, "We think there's a deeper theory than the fun of playing." He continued by adding, it's our contention that the psychological 'pull' of games is largely due to their capacity to engender feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness."
Ryan along with Andrew Przybylski, a graduate student at the University of Rochester, and Scott Rigby, the president of Immersyve, Inc., “believe that some video games not only motivate further play but also can be experienced as enhancing psychological wellness, at least short-term."
Those who volunteered to participate in the study were given questionnaires both pre- and post-game play sessions. According to the researchers, these questions “were applied from a psychological measure based on Self-Determination Theory, a widely researched theory of motivation developed at the University of Rochester.”
This particular study was unique because, “Rather than dissect the actual games, which other researchers have done, the Rochester team looked at the underlying motives and satisfactions that can spark players' interests and sustain them during play.”
So the reason I can’t seem to get enough WoW is because it makes me feel good psychologically. Investing in a $69 game and spending hundreds of hours playing it is actually mentally healthy. I am sure my wife would beg to differ. At least now I have an excuse!
Source: Science Daily
A study conducted by Psychologists at the University of Rochester and Immersyve, Inc., a virtual environment think tank, suggests that people enjoy playing video games because they find them fundamentally satisfying. Researchers polled 1,000 gamers, and the results were published in the journal Motivation and Emotion this month. The basic conclusions were that gamers will remain preoccupied with video games “because the fun of playing actually is rooted in fulfilling their basic psychological needs.”
According to the research, “games can provide opportunities for achievement, freedom, and even a connection to other players.” These qualities seem to be more important to the gamer than “a shallow sense of fun, which doesn’t keep players as interested.”
Richard M. Ryan, a psychologist who took part in the study suggested that gamers claimed they received more from the games that connected to what they know in the real world. Ryan was quoted as saying, "We think there's a deeper theory than the fun of playing." He continued by adding, it's our contention that the psychological 'pull' of games is largely due to their capacity to engender feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness."
Ryan along with Andrew Przybylski, a graduate student at the University of Rochester, and Scott Rigby, the president of Immersyve, Inc., “believe that some video games not only motivate further play but also can be experienced as enhancing psychological wellness, at least short-term."
Those who volunteered to participate in the study were given questionnaires both pre- and post-game play sessions. According to the researchers, these questions “were applied from a psychological measure based on Self-Determination Theory, a widely researched theory of motivation developed at the University of Rochester.”
This particular study was unique because, “Rather than dissect the actual games, which other researchers have done, the Rochester team looked at the underlying motives and satisfactions that can spark players' interests and sustain them during play.”
So the reason I can’t seem to get enough WoW is because it makes me feel good psychologically. Investing in a $69 game and spending hundreds of hours playing it is actually mentally healthy. I am sure my wife would beg to differ. At least now I have an excuse!
Source: Science Daily
