Flow Theory in Video Games

In the week of August 28th, 2016, in Project and Team Management class, I was prompted to find four topics to research in the video game industry. After picking 4 subjects that I was passionate about, I found two peer-reviewed, scholarly resources for each one. Below I will list the areas I have chosen to investigate, the scholarly resources used, how I would apply the information once in the industry, and how the data can be utilized in my Month 3 project.

Flow Theory in Video Games (Topic #1) 

Flow Theory was first thought up and named by Mihaly Csikszentmihayi’s in 1975 (Snyder & Lopez, 2009). So when you’re in a state of flow, you are intrinsically motivated by the activity for its own sake, according to Csikszentmihayi’s work in the field. In this state, you will perform at your ABSOLUTE BEST and become engrossed in the activity and be flooded with positive emotions (Snyder & Lopez, 2009). Klasen, Weber, Kircher, Mathiak, & Mathiak state that there is a general understanding that flow effects video game players and their enjoyment too (2011, p. 486).

This means there is a neurological response in your body when you become immersed in a video game for hours at a time, often putting off food or sleep. That response allows you to act and think at a subconscious level, where button combos become reflexes. You’re no longer consciously thinking about the fact that you are pressing buttons on a controller. By using flow theory, we can research what those underlying neural connections are, thus understanding how the process works (Klasen, Weber, Kircher, Mathiak, & Mathiak, 2011).

a. Neural contributions to flow experience during video game playing

i.I learned that there is conclusive evidence of neural activity correlating to flow state via brain scans, as seen in the figure below.

ii.                           (via Klasen, Weber, Kircher, Mathiak, & Mathiak, 2011)

iii. The information in this study will be vital in my approach to the video game industry. Understanding the involuntary, instantaneous reactions that players undergo will allow me to influence the experience being shared with the audience.

iv. For my project this month, I will be working with a group to plan a Game Expo for the Game Development undergraduate degrees at an off-campus location. The teams will present games to the public for testing to get feedback. I will be involved in coordinating the event with the off-site location, vendors, merchants, and students. Advertising, budgeting, and strategizing an effective marketing campaign are some of my roles. By understanding these primal, neural reactions, I can then market the event in such a way to trigger positive responses. Additionally, understanding what elements trigger which corresponding synapse will be vital in understanding the feedback given.

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v.                                  (via Associated Press, photo ID #040821015084)

 b.Measuring Video Game Engagement Through the Cognitive and Affective Dimensions

i.This report detailed research conducted on the flow state of video game players and laid a solid, validated foundation for further research to be conducted in this field (Sharek & Wiebe, 2014). The main achievement of the project was the production of an enhanced, methodological measurement tool to access the many different facets of the flow state. This tool was a game-clock device used during load screens and intermission periods to calculate the player’s motivation for reengagement. This tool, coupled with the NASA-TLX cognitive load questionnaire, provided a validated overview of Cognitive-Affective Outcomes (Sharek & Wiebe, 2014).

ii.Here’s a great table showing the correlation between cognitive load and motivation for reengagement. Understanding these different relationships will be vital tools in the video game industry, especially during the game design process, allowing designers to share the best experience possible with the audience.

(via Sharek & Wiebe, 2014)

iii. I can also utilize the conclusions formed in this paper for my Game Expo project I discussed above. By understanding what factors can trigger boredom, flow, and frustration in a game, I can help understand feedback that relates to these areas of study. Before we move on to the next topic, here are the references for topic #1. The references in blue are peer-reviewed, scholarly journals selected via EBSCOhost.


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Topic #1 References

Favre, J. (2004, August 21). Image ID 040821015084 [Photograph]. Retrieved from Associated Press        Images

Klasen, M., Weber, R., Kircher, T., Mathiak, K., & Mathiak, K. (2011). Neural contributions to flow         experience during video game playing. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 7(4), 485-495.                                 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsr021

Sharek, D. & Wiebe, E. (2014). Measuring Video Game Engagement Through the Cognitive and               Affective Dimensions. Simulation & Gaming, 45(4-5), 569-592.                                                             http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1046878114554176

Snyder, C. & Lopez, S. (2009). Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (2nd ed., pp. 195-198).            Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.