Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications

There is increasing interest in creating computer games for learning, problem solving, and other high-level cognitive activities. When investigating whether gameplay is conducive to such activities, gameplay is often studied as a whole. As a result, cognitive implications can be linked to the game b...

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Main Authors: Kamran Sedig, Robert Haworth, Michael Corridore
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:International Journal of Computer Games Technology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/208247
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author Kamran Sedig
Robert Haworth
Michael Corridore
author_facet Kamran Sedig
Robert Haworth
Michael Corridore
author_sort Kamran Sedig
collection DOAJ
description There is increasing interest in creating computer games for learning, problem solving, and other high-level cognitive activities. When investigating whether gameplay is conducive to such activities, gameplay is often studied as a whole. As a result, cognitive implications can be linked to the game but not to its structural elements. Given that gameplay arises from interaction between the player and the game, it is the structural components of interaction that should be investigated to better understand the design of gameplay. Furthermore, minor variations in the components of interaction can have significant cognitive implications. However, such variation has not been studied yet. Thus, to gain a better understanding of how we can study the effect of interaction on the cognitive aspect of gameplay, we conducted an exploratory investigation of two computer games. These games were isomorphic at a deep level and only had one minor difference in the structure of their interaction. Volunteers played these games and discussed the cognitive processes that emerged. In one game, they primarily engaged in planning, but in the other game they primarily engaged in visualizing. This paper discusses the results of our investigation as well as its implications for the design of computer games.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1687-7047
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publishDate 2015-01-01
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series International Journal of Computer Games Technology
spelling doaj-art-090408df178442c78a20fb61601c8a982025-08-20T03:55:29ZengWileyInternational Journal of Computer Games Technology1687-70471687-70552015-01-01201510.1155/2015/208247208247Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive ImplicationsKamran Sedig0Robert Haworth1Michael Corridore2Middlesex College, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, CanadaMiddlesex College, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, CanadaMiddlesex College, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, CanadaThere is increasing interest in creating computer games for learning, problem solving, and other high-level cognitive activities. When investigating whether gameplay is conducive to such activities, gameplay is often studied as a whole. As a result, cognitive implications can be linked to the game but not to its structural elements. Given that gameplay arises from interaction between the player and the game, it is the structural components of interaction that should be investigated to better understand the design of gameplay. Furthermore, minor variations in the components of interaction can have significant cognitive implications. However, such variation has not been studied yet. Thus, to gain a better understanding of how we can study the effect of interaction on the cognitive aspect of gameplay, we conducted an exploratory investigation of two computer games. These games were isomorphic at a deep level and only had one minor difference in the structure of their interaction. Volunteers played these games and discussed the cognitive processes that emerged. In one game, they primarily engaged in planning, but in the other game they primarily engaged in visualizing. This paper discusses the results of our investigation as well as its implications for the design of computer games.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/208247
spellingShingle Kamran Sedig
Robert Haworth
Michael Corridore
Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications
International Journal of Computer Games Technology
title Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications
title_full Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications
title_fullStr Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications
title_full_unstemmed Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications
title_short Investigating Variations in Gameplay: Cognitive Implications
title_sort investigating variations in gameplay cognitive implications
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/208247
work_keys_str_mv AT kamransedig investigatingvariationsingameplaycognitiveimplications
AT roberthaworth investigatingvariationsingameplaycognitiveimplications
AT michaelcorridore investigatingvariationsingameplaycognitiveimplications