Game Theory (Psychology)

Laxenburg TECT: Reflections on a literature that GIScientists and Historians do not know

by J. B. (Jack) Owens

Report for the DynCoopNet Project, TECT (The Evolution of Cooperation and Trading), EUROCORES Scheme, European Science Foundation

Report on the TECT Conference at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria,... more Report on the TECT Conference at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria, 15-18 September 2009. Conference title: “Evolution of Cooperation: Models and Theories”; prepared especially for the nineteen core researchers of the TECT project “Dynamic complexity of self-organizing, cooperation-based commercial networks in the first global age”, who were excluded from participation by the collapse of TECT networking funds. The DynCoopNet Project within TECT focuses on cooperation within the networks linking the global domains of Iberian Monarchies during the First Global Age, 1400-1800.

The effects of consequential thinking on trust game behavior

by Edgar E. Kausel

Co-authored with Tamar Kugler and Terry Connolly, published in Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 2009

Contrary to rational Expected Monetary Value (EMV) predictions that no money will be transferred in Trust Games, in... more Contrary to rational Expected Monetary Value (EMV) predictions that no money will be transferred in Trust Games, in experiments players make positive transfers. Theorists have proposed modifying the Sender’s utility function while retaining utility- maximization assumptions to account for this behavior. Such accounts assume that Senders can grasp the possible outcomes of their choices, their probabilities, and utilities. In reality, however, Senders’ choices are unexpectedly complex, and the assumption that they approximate expected utility maximization is highly implausible. Instead, we suggest that Senders are guided by general propensities to trust others. Two experiments examine the effect of inducing consequential thought on Sender behavior. One induced consequential thought directly; the other did so indirectly. The amount sent was significantly reduced following either manipulation. This suggests that models of Sender behavior in Complex Trust Games should not assume that participants routinely engage in consequential thinking (CT) of the depth that would be required for utility maximization.

Cognitive Load and Empathy in Serious Games: A Conceptual Framework

by Sharon Tettegah

co-authored with Wen-Hao David Huang (2010).

Gamers’ Personality and Their Gaming Preferences

by Veronica Zammitto

Zammitto, V. “Gamers’ Personality and Their Gaming Preferences“. MSc Thesis, Simon Fraser University, 2010.

This thesis work researches the hypothesis that people with certain personality traits would prefer certain video game... more This thesis work researches the hypothesis that people with certain personality traits would prefer certain video game genres. The motivation is to contribute to demographic game design by identifying gamers’ personality profiles in order to better satisfy their needs and enjoyment. A Gaming Preferences Questionnaire was developed and validated to identify gamers’ preferences. The NEO-FFI questionnaire based on the Five Factor model was selected for measuring gamers’ personality traits.
Data from 545 participants was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Eight game genre models were found statistically significant, and accounted for 2.6% to 7.5% of gamers’ preferences for game genres based on personality factors. The relevant personality traits of the models matched game elements of the genre. This work shows that a refined itemization helps to begin to understand the psychological human complexity that drives players’ preferences.

Keywords: personality; game elements; game preference; genre; demographic game design.

"Exploring Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Sports Games"

by Veronica Zammitto

Zammitto, V., Seif El-Nasr, M, Newton, P. “Exploring Quantitative Methods for Evaluating Sports Games“. CHI 2010 Workshop on Brain, Body and Bytes: Psychophysiological User Interaction, 2010

The evaluation of Game User Experience is an
emergent and important field in game and HCI research
due to... more The evaluation of Game User Experience is an
emergent and important field in game and HCI research
due to its direct impact on the multi-billion dollar
interactive entertainment industry. Special attention
has been given to the shooter genre. This paper
focuses on evaluation of sports games. In particular, it
presents an ongoing project that aims to assess the
utility of triangulating several quantitative methods,
including eye-tracking, psycho-physiological data and
game telemetry. This research is an on-going
collaboration between Simon Fraser University and
Electronic Arts. Results of research including the
triangulation of this data for the evaluation of the NBA
Live 10 title and evaluation of these methods by EA’s
production team will be discussed.