Leistungshandeln und Unterhaltungserleben im Computerspiel

Das zentrale Neue am Medium Computerspiel ist die interaktive Darbietungs- und Nutzungsform (Vorderer 2000). Sie bedingt erhebliche theoretische und methodische Herausforderungen fur die Forschung (vgl. Klimmt, in diesem Band). Dies gilt in geradezu prototypischer Weise fur die (kommunikationswissenschaftliche) Unterhaltungsforschung (Vorderer 2001;Vorderer 2003), denn das (inter-)aktive Eingreifen der Rezipientinnen und Rezipienten ist in den konventionellen Konzepten zum unterhaltsamen Mediengebrauch nicht vorgesehen. Verschiedene Versuche wurden deshalb unternommen, die Implikationen interaktiver (Spiele-)Nutzung fur das Unterhaltungserleben aufzudecken und zu modellieren (z. B. Klimmt 2…

Permanently online and permanently connected : development and validation of the Online Vigilance Scale

Smartphones and other mobile devices have fundamentally changed patterns of Internet use in everyday life by making online access constantly available. The present paper offers a theoretical explication and empirical assessment of the concept of online vigilance, referring to users' permanent cognitive orientation towards online content and communication as well as their disposition to exploit these options constantly. Based on four studies, a validated and reliable self-report measure of online vigilance was developed. In combination, the results suggest that the Online Vigilance Scale (OVS) shows a stable factor structure in various contexts and user populations and provides future work i…

The motivational appeal of interactive storytelling: Towards a dimensional model of the user experience

A conceptual account to the quality of the user experience that interactive storytelling intends to facilitate is introduced. Building on socialscientific research from `old' entertainment media, the experiential qualities of curiosity, suspense, aesthetic pleasantness, self-enhancement, and optimal task engagement ("flow") are proposed as key elements of a theory of user experience in interactive storytelling. Perspectives for the evolution of the model, research and application are briefly discussed.

Effectance and control as determinants of video game enjoyment

This article explores video game enjoyment originated by games' key characteristic, interactivity. An online experiment (N = 500) tested experiences of effectance (perceived influence on the game world) and of being in control as mechanisms that link interactivity to enjoyment. A video game was manipulated to either allow normal play, reduce perceived effectance, or reduce perceived control. Enjoyment ratings suggest that effectance is an important factor in video game enjoyment but that the relationship between control of the game situation and enjoyment is more complex. © 2007 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Experimental evidence for suspence as determinant of video game enjoyment

Based on theoretical assumptions from film psychology and their application to video games, the hypothesis is tested that suspense is a major factor in video game enjoyment. A first-person shooter game was experimentally manipulated to create either a low level or a high level of suspense. Sixty-three participants were randomly assigned to experimental conditions; enjoyment was assessed after playing by a 10-item rating scale. Results support the assumption that suspense is a driver of video game enjoyment. © 2009 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

A magically nice guy: Parasocial relationships with Harry Potter across different cultures

This study explored parasocial relationships (PSRs) with Harry Potter that readers from different cultures have developed. An overall sample of 2551 Potter fans from Germany (individualistic culture) and Mexico (collectivistic culture) completed an online questionnaire assessing their parasocial relationship with the character. Fans from the collectivistic culture rated Potter’s sociability higher than fans from the individualistic culture. For fans from both cultures, social attraction turned out as most important determinant of PSRs with Potter, while homophily ranked lowest. Overall, PSRs and fandom turned out to be quite similar across cultures, with some differences in character perce…

Die Nutzung von Computerspielen

Lange Zeit war der Aufstieg von Computerspielen zu einem Schlusselmedium (zumal fur Kinder und Jugendliche) von den meisten Wissenschaftsdisziplinen ubersehen oder vernachlassigt worden. Zumindest gewinnt man diesen Eindruck, wenn man resumiert, wie wenig gesichertes Wissen uber Produktion, Angebotsweisen, Inhalte, Nutzung und Wirkungen von Computerspielen vorliegt. Erst seit wenigen Jahren werden die Forschungsanstrengungen in verschiedenen Wissenschaftsdisziplinen ausgeweitet (Hartmann 2006; Klimmt 2006; Vorderer & Bryant 2006) und empirische Studien (vgl. z.B. Anderson 2004 sowie diverse Beitrage in diesem Band) zum Thema ‚Games‘ vorgelegt.

Permanently Online—Always Stressed Out? The Effects of Permanent Connectedness on Stress Experiences

Abstract Concerns have been expressed that permanent online connectedness might negatively affect media user’s stress levels. Most research has focused on negative effects of specific media usage patterns, such as media multitasking or communication load. In contrast, users’ cognitive orientation toward online content and communication has rarely been investigated. Against this backdrop, we examined whether this cognitive orientation (i.e., online vigilance with its three dimensions salience, reactibility, monitoring) is related to perceived stress at different timescales (person, day, and situation level), while accounting for the effects of multitasking and communication load. Results acr…

The video game experience as 'true' identification: A theory of enjoyable alterations of players' self-perception

This article introduces an explication of video game players' identification with a game character or role that is based on social-psychological models of self-perception. Contrasting with conventional ("dyadic" ) notions of media user-character relationships (e.g., parasocial interaction or affective disposition theory), ("monadic" ) video game identification is defined as a temporal shift of players' self-perception through adoption of valued properties of the game character. Implications for media enjoyment, the measurement of identification, and media effects are discussed. © 2009 International Communication Association.

Exploring the Enjoyment of Playing Browser Games

Browser games--mostly persistent game worlds that can be used without client software and monetary cost with a Web browser--belong to the understudied digital game types, although they attract large player communities and motivate sustained play. The present work reports findings from an online survey of 8,203 players of a German strategy browser game ("Travian"). Results suggest that multiplayer browser games are enjoyed primarily because of the social relationships involved in game play and the specific time and flexibility characteristics ("easy-in, easy-out"). Competition, in contrast, seems to be less important for browser gamers than for users of other game types. Findings are discuss…

Measuring user responses to interactive stories: Towards a standardized assessment tool

With the increasing number of prototypes and market applications of interactive storytelling, the understanding and optimization of how end users respond to computer-mediated interactive narratives is of growing importance. Based on a conceptual model of user experiences in interactive storytelling, a measurement instrument for empirical user-based research was developed. We report findings from an initial test of the self-report scales that was conducted with N=80 players of the adventure game "Fahrenheit". Interactivity was manipulated experimentally in order to validate the measures. Results suggest that the scales will be useful for comparing user responses to 'real' interactive storyte…

Enjoyment/Entertainment Seeking

Player performance, satisfaction, and video game enjoyment

An experiment (N = 74) was conducted to investigate the impact of game difficulty and player performance on game enjoyment. Participants played a First Person Shooter game with systematically varied levels of difficulty. Satisfaction with performance and game enjoyment were assessed after playing. Results are not fully in line with predictions derived from flow and attribution theory and suggest players to (1) change their view on their own performance with its implications for enjoyment with increasing game experience and (2) to switch strategically between different sources of fun, thus maintaining a (somewhat) positive experience even when performance-based enjoyment is low.