Study Claims Videogame Mechanics Persist in Real Life

Marshall Honorof

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Feb 16, 2011
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Study Claims Videogame Mechanics Persist in Real Life


You can turn the game off, but that won't get it out of your head.

If you've ever cut yourself and waited for regenerating health to kick in, or messed up a huge social engagement and tried to find your last save file, you're not alone. A recent study found that a significant number of gamers carried game mechanics over into the real world via a process called Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP). Researchers found that regular gamers tended to contextualize real-life tasks, from using menus to formulate responses to button-mashing on a controller, even while empty-handed.

The study comes by way of Nottingham Trent University and Stockholm University. Professor Mark Griffiths, along with a team of researchers, interviewed 42 regular gamers between the ages of 15 and 21. During the study, he observed GTP again and again. "Almost all the players reported some type of GTP, but in different ways and with varying degrees of intensity," said Griffiths. The study is not rigorously scientific, but rather, meant to introduce a topic that merits further investigation in the future. "We are now following this up with a further study of a much larger number of gamers."

Common instances of GTP involved players reaching for controllers when none was present, but more extreme examples involved reaching for an imaginary search bar when trying to find a person in a crowd. Griffiths is unsure what further research will uncover, but believes the topic is well worth investigating. "A recurring trend suggests that intensive gaming may lead to negative psychological, emotional or behavioural consequences," he explained, "with enormous implications for software developers, parents, policy makers and mental health professionals."

The link between GTP and negative behavior remains to be seen, but the idea that people contextualize reality based on a frequent hobby sounds reasonable. Hopefully, this preliminary research will spark enough interest for a more cohesive project in the future. Those interested in the full article can read it in the upcoming issue of the International Journal of Cyber Behaviour, Psychology and Learning.

Source: The Press Association [http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5j4AUIvO_hvQeAUbCyITPHteSRu1g?docId=N0492081316528498444A]

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IndianaJonny

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Jan 6, 2011
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I always attested to the fact that my University library had a very good cover system.
 

Austichar

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Jul 18, 2009
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This is true, when Mass Effect 2 first came out I played it a lottttt. The next day I was talking to my friend about some business and I swear to god it felt like time slowed down and the conversation wheel popped up.
 

PoweD

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Mar 26, 2009
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I do this every single time i screw up.
How i wish Save/Load feature was in real life.
 

Panzervaughn

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Jul 19, 2009
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"reaching for a search bar?" Thats... sounds like someone shielding their eyes from the sun. Thats a stupid way to do it anyway. you go into VATS-Style target recognition and flip through everyone for the name, Durr.

Throwing something into the garbage? No. you HADOKEN things into the trashcan.
 

Woodsey

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Aug 9, 2009
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Something that's relatively reflex-based isn't surprising (or that happens when you're day-dreaming). I don't think we need to worry that this will lead to (real) evidence of us eventually feeling the need to pick up a weapon and fuck shit (people) up with it.
 

Adam Jensen_v1legacy

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Sep 8, 2011
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After a long session of any game I start walking like the character or turning fast like I'm in an FPS game.
This doesn't last long though. Only a few hours at most after playing a game. The undo/save/load effect can last for a day or two. It doesn't happen only to gamers. It happens to people who work with Word, Excel or some other program a lot as well. Like my mother. The effect is never permanent. I play games all my life and every time I go on a vacation without any games or means to play them, the effect disappears.
 

Rylot

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May 14, 2010
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Seems like they just interviewed crazy people. I've played games to the point that they'd keep going in my head, but I've never thought of myself as in a game or still playing a game when I put the controller down, no matter how long I gamed.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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In other words, they kind of proved that "The Tetris Effect" exists. Which is something we've known for years.

Or is this studying what kind of effects it has, instead of just seeing if it just exists. Because that'd be less stupid.
 

Fiad

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Apr 3, 2010
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I can vouch for this, after binging Minecraft I went to a Walmart and started thinking of the best way to tunnel through the shelves and how to arrange the boxes for the best fort.
 

MordinSolus

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Feb 10, 2011
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I did this once as a kid. My brother kicked a soccer ball at me, I tried to pause the game, but when I realized the ball was still rolling, and I wasn't playing Super Smash Bros., I got jolted back to reality and laughed it off.
 

kouriichi

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Sep 5, 2010
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Yes, video game mechanics totally follow into the real world.
In fact, im punching my wall right now trying to see if theres any iron on the other side of it i can make tools out of.

While i will concede, the thoughts you have of videogames my persist, but thats where it ends for 99% of "gamers" these days. Anyone whos tie on reality is that tenuous to begin with SHOULDNT be playing video games.
 

OCAdam

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Oct 13, 2010
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Fiad said:
I can vouch for this, after binging Minecraft I went to a Walmart and started thinking of the best way to tunnel through the shelves and how to arrange the boxes for the best fort.
"Well it's not my fault that you didn't build shelves that you couldn't tunnel through by punching them!"
 

No_Remainders

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Sep 11, 2009
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When I was sick, I played Terraria for 12 hours, then went to sleep, and dreamed I was IN Terraria.

Does that count?

Edit: Oh, and I know someone who, after playing Assassin's Creed, walks with his shoulders slightly hunched and his arms slightly out from his sides.
 
Jun 11, 2008
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I think it is fair to discount the quick save/load thing as to be honest who doesn't want the ability to be able to redo things?