Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger? The Relationship between Cognitive Task Demands in Video Games and Recovery Experiences

Tim Wulf,Anna Sophie Kümpel,Leonard Reinecke,Diana Rieger

doi:10.17645/mac.v7i4.2297

Abstract

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that the use of interactive media is associated with recovery experiences, suggesting that engaging with media can help people to alleviate stress and restore mental and physical resources. Video games, in particular, have been shown to fulfil various aspects of recovery, not least due to their ability to elicit feelings of mastery and control. However, little is known about the role of cognitive task demand (i.e., the amount of cognitive effort a task requires) in that process. Toward this end, our study aimed to investigate how cognitive task demand during gameplay affects users’ recovery experiences. Results of a laboratory experiment suggest that different dimensions of the recovery experiences seem to respond to different levels of cognitive task demand. While control experiences were highest under low cognitive task demand, there was no difference between groups regarding experiences of mastery and psychological detachment. Nevertheless, both gaming conditions outperformed the control condition regarding experiences of mastery and psychological detachment. Controlling for personal gaming experiences, relaxation was higher in the low cognitive task demand condition compared to the control condition. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for research on the multilayered recovery effects of interactive media.

Highlights

People adopt various strategies to recover from stress; some engage in sports, others enjoy a special meal, or just relax while watching their favorite series
While such research suggests that video games may be a significant recovery resource, the gaming environment places continual demands on the player: Players engage in continuous “input–output loops” (Klimmt & Hartmann, 2006, p. 137) with the gaming environment and need to react to new challenges
Participants in both gaming conditions showed slower reaction times compared to the control condition (M = .47, SD = .28)

Summary

Introduction

People adopt various strategies to recover from stress; some engage in sports, others enjoy a special meal, or just relax while watching their favorite series. Video games in particular have been in the focus of media research given their interactive nature that challenges players to master quests, win out over other players or the game itself and, in doing so, fulfill psychological needs for recovery and well-being (e.g., Reinecke, 2009a; Reinecke, Klatt, & Krämer, 2011). While such research suggests that video games may be a significant recovery resource, the gaming environment places continual demands on the player: Players engage in continuous “input–output loops” The role of the fit between a game’s cognitive task demand and players’ abilities to recover through gaming has been largely neglected by media psychological research far. As suggested by previous gaming research, experiences that fit media users’ (cognitive) capacities may be enjoyable, motivating users to push further, helping them to address their recovery needs (Schmierbach, Chung, Wu, & Kim, 2014)

Results

Discussion

Conclusion