The Psychology of Video Games

Author: Celia Hodent
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000194760
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 105

Book Description
What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.

Getting Gamers

Author: Jamie Madigan
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 9781538121337
Category : Video games
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A psychologist and life-long fan of video games helps you understand what psychology has to say about why video games and mobile game apps are designed the way they are, why players behave as they do, and the psychological tricks used to market and sell them.

The Gaming Mind

Author: Alexander Kriss
Publisher: The Experiment + ORM
ISBN: 161519682X
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 259

Book Description
Are videogames bad for us? It’s the question on everyone’s mind, given teenagers’ captive attention to videogames and the media’s tendency to scapegoat them. It’s also—if you ask clinical psychologist Alexander Kriss—the wrong question. In his therapy office, Kriss looks at videogames as a window into the mind. Is his patient Liz really “addicted” to Candy Crush—or is she evading a deeper problem? Why would aspiring model Patricia craft a hideous avatar named “Pat”? And when Jack immerses himself in Mass Effect, is he eroding his social skills—or honing them via relationship-building gameplay? Weaving together Kriss’s personal history, patients’ experiences, and professional insight—and without shying away from complex subjects, such as online harassment—The Gaming Mind disrupts our assumptions about “gamers” and explores how gaming can be good for us. It offers guidance for parents, clinicians, and the rest of us to better understand the gaming mind. Like any mode of play, at their best, videogames reveal who we are—and what we want from our lives.

The Video Game Debate 2

Author: Rachel Kowert
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000224244
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 130

Book Description
This student-friendly book provides an accessible overview of the primary debates about the effects of video games. It expands on the original The Video Game Debate to address the new technologies that have emerged within the field of game studies over the last few years. Debates about the negative effects of video game play have been evident since their introduction in the 1970s, but the advent of online and mobile gaming has revived these concerns, reinvigorating old debates and generating brand new ones. The Video Game Debate 2 draws from the latest research findings from the top scholars of digital games research to address these concerns. The book explores key developments such as virtual and augmented reality, the use of micro-transactions, the integration of loot boxes, and the growth of mobile gaming and games for change (serious games). Furthermore, several new chapters explore contemporary debates around e-sports, gamification, sex and gender discrimination in games, and the use of games in therapy. This book offers students and scholars of games studies and digital media, as well as policymakers, the essential information they need to participate in the debate.

Video Game Influences on Aggression, Cognition, and Attention

Author: Christopher J. Ferguson
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319954954
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 205

Book Description
This book addresses the ongoing scientific debates regarding video games and their effects on players. The book features opposing perspectives and offers point and counterpoint exchanges in which researchers on both sides of a specific topic make their best case for their findings and analysis. Chapters cover both positive and negative effects of video games on players’ behavior and cognition, from contributing to violence and alienation to promoting therapeutic outcomes for types of cognitive dysfunction. The contrasting viewpoints model presents respectful scientific debate, encourages open dialogue, and allows readers to come to informed conclusions. Key questions addressed include: · Do violent video games promote violence? · Does video game addiction exist? · Should parents limit children’s use of interactive media? · Do action video games promote visual attention? · Does sexist content in video games promote misogyny in real life? · Can video games slow the progress of dementia? · Are video games socially isolating? Video Game Influences on Aggression, Cognition, and Attention is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians and professionals as well as graduate students in developmental psychology, social work, educational policy and politics, criminology/criminal justice, child and school psychology, sociology, media law, and other related disciplines.

Playing Video Games

Author: Peter Vorderer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135257477
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 605

Book Description
From security training simulations to war games to role-playing games, to sports games to gambling, playing video games has become a social phenomena, and the increasing number of players that cross gender, culture, and age is on a dramatic upward trajectory. Playing Video Games: Motives, Responses, and Consequences integrates communication, psychology, and technology to examine the psychological and mediated aspects of playing video games. It is the first volume to delve deeply into these aspects of computer game play. It fits squarely into the media psychology arm of entertainment studies, the next big wave in media studies. The book targets one of the most popular and pervasive media in modern times, and it will serve to define the area of study and provide a theoretical spine for future research. This unique and timely volume will appeal to scholars, researchers, and graduate students in media studies and mass communication, psychology, and marketing.

Effects of Video Games on Children’s Behavior

Author: Patrick Kimuyu
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668695628
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 15

Book Description
Project Report from the year 2018 in the subject Medicine - Neurology, Psychiatry, Addiction, grade: 1.2, Egerton University, language: English, abstract: In retrospect, technology seems to have a dark shadow behind its benefits. Effects of computer games on the behavior of children is one of the most debated topics in psychology studies because of the robust growth in video game industry in the last few years. A background study on the growth of the video industry shows that it is one of the fastest growing industries in the entertainment industry with the video games of all genres becoming the most popular form of media. The children are one of the most players in the industry and as a result, its effect on children cannot be ignored. Contrary to the public perception, the video game industry is catching speed as research shows that over 45 million households in the United States posses a video game console. It is also debatable that young children are gaining access to violent video gamers in the United States and other countries across the globe. As a result, the young people are more susceptible to the negative effects of video games compared to the older adults (above 34 years of age). The effects of the video games among children have, therefore, attracted concerns among the parents, medical professionals, educators, society, and policy makers. Research shows that school shooting and youth violence are on the rise in the United States attributed to the growth of video games hence attracting public concerns in the country. For instance, the growth of several violent games such as brutality and gore, two games well known for their use of guns, and doom and resident evil are popular violent video games in the United States and their increasing violent content has been linked with the school shootings and youth violence in the country. Therefore, this report explores the link between video games and children’s behavior. The methodology used in this report is the analysis of both primary and secondary literature that focuses on the correlation between violent video games and acts of aggression in the society such as violent crimes. Relevant books and journals have been utilized with intensive research and debates on the effects of video games on the behavior of children.

Video Games and Well-being

Author: Rachel Kowert
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot
ISBN: 9783030327729
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
This book examines how video game mechanics and narratives can teach players skills associated with increased psychological well-being. It integrates research from psychology, education, ludology, media studies, and communication science to demonstrate how game play can teach skills that have long been associated with increased happiness and prolonged life satisfaction, including flexible thinking, openness to experience, self-care, a growth mindset, solution-focused thinking, mindfulness, persistence, self-discovery and resilience. The chapters in this volume are written by leading voices in the field of game studies, including researchers from academia, the video gaming industry, and mental health practitioners paving the way in the field of “geek therapy.” This book will advance our understanding of the potential of video games to increase our psychological well-being by helping to mitigate depression, anxiety, and stress and foster persistence, self-care, and resilience.

Psychology of Gaming

Author: Youngkyun Baek
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers
ISBN: 9781624175848
Category : Games
Languages : en
Pages : 176

Book Description
The idea that such pervasive and ever-growing immersion in digital gaming affects gamers' real life seems obvious and is the focus of this volume. A wide range of topics was collected under the "Psychology of Gaming" header. The 8 chapters in this edited book do not represent all the topics in the psychology of gaming, however, this book includes a variety of topics in this field: game theory, emotional engagement, fantasy world, game designs and development, and gambling with online games. This book discusses the psychological impact of games shaping gamer's self-perception and self-concept, socio-psychological implications of gaming, design criteria in games, educational uses, the role of fantasy in game play, psychological treatment of gambling-related behaviors, psychological factors of collaborative learning, and gaming as a means of gaining empathy and understanding for another culture.

Gamer Psychology and Behavior

Author: Barbaros Bostan
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319299042
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 161

Book Description
This book provides an introduction and overview of the increasingly important topic of gamer psychology and behavior by presenting a range of theoretic perspectives and empirical evidence casting new light on understanding gamer behavior and designing interactive gaming experiences that maximize fun. This book aims to provide a snapshot on research approaches/advances in player psychology and behavior, discuss issues, solutions, challenges, and needs for player behavior research, and report gameplay experience and lessons as well as industry case studies from both social sciences and engineering perspectives. The nine chapters in this book, which are divided into three sections: Neuro-Psychology and Gaming; Player Behavior and Gameplay; Player Psychology and Motivations, do not represent all the topics in the psychology of gaming, however, they include a variety of topics in this field: the effects of violent video games on cognitive processes, the reward systems in the human brain and the concept of 'fun', goal-directed player behavior and game choices, psychological player profiling techniques, game design requirements and player psychology, motivational gamer profiles, and many more. This book is suitable for students and professionals with different disciplinary backgrounds such as computer science, design, software engineering, psychology, interactive media, and information systems. Students will be interested in the theory of gamer psychology and its impact on game design. Professionals will be interested in the fundamentals of gamer behavior and how interactive virtual environments can improve user experience.