Investigation of Videogame Flow: Effects of Expertise and Challenge

<p>The number of participants in this expertise and videogame flow test totaled 80 from multiple target locations. Participants engaged in various levels of the videogame Super Mario Bros. Twenty experts and twenty novices experienced the easier level of World 1-2 while the other twenty experts and novices were exposed to the more difficult level World 6-1. After gameplay, participants completed a modified survey measuring flow. This survey, along with overall percentage game score, was analyzed. A significant interaction was found between game level (challenge level) and skill levels in perceived immersion, with significant main effects for expertise in perceived skill, for game level (challenge level) in perceived challenge, and for game level (challenge level) in overall percentage score. No significant correlation was found between perceived skill and overall percentage score, between perceived challenge and overall percentage score, or between perceived immersion and overall percentage score. These findings are relevant for understanding videogame flow in videogames of varying degrees of challenge and in players of different expertise levels. Discussion on these findings highlights the purpose of this paper.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Factors and Systems

Year

2013

Author dc:creator

• Gascon, Jolie G.

• video games
• flow
• expertise
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.erau.edu/edt/68

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.erau.edu:edt-1067