Effects of Contingent and Non-Contingent Audio on Performance and Quality of Experience in a Role-Playing Video Game
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Authors
Baxa, John P.
Issue Date
2008
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The aim of this study was to explore the influence of different levels of sound on
players’ video game performance and quality of experience. Twenty-three male
participants with previous Role-Playing Game experience played The Legend of Zelda:
Twilight Princess (Nintendo, 2006) on the Wii console for five 45-min sessions.
Employing a within-subjects design, we exposed gamers to four levels of video game
audio: Full Sound (screen and Wiimote), Partial-Sound (Wiimote only), No Sound, and
Non-Contingent Music (unrelated background music played on a boombox). Measures
included multiple performance scores. Questionnaire ratings included enjoyment, selfappraisal
of performance, telepresence, and flow. Surprisingly, no significant
differences were found for the sound conditions for most performance and quality of
experience measures. However, significant results were found for the number of
‘continues,’ which are a game feature players use when they run out of ‘life.’ Further,
when some performance measures were recalculated to include only scores earned
before the first continue was used, significant results were found for the positive effect
of sound on performance. Unexpectedly, highest scores for most performance measures
were yielded in the non-contingent music condition. Findings of general interest to
video game research were also discussed.
Description
vii, 90 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo, Mich. : Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.