Behind the Door: Exploring Horror VR Game Interaction and its Influence on Anxiety

What is it about?

Videogames are increasingly present and are currently a dominant vehicle not only for entertainment, but also for information. This position has generated a rapid growth and consequent increase in competitiveness in the game development industry, which has required the exploration of new techniques to engage users. Considering the crucial role of emotions in this domain, an increasingly appreciated approach is the integration of psychophysiology in this context. This project is thus included in the field of psychophysiological analysis, framed within the branch of video games, and consists of the study of different actions and how they can influence emotional intensity. To understand the emotional reactions of players, two versions of a horror game in virtual reality were created, which differ in the way users interact with doors along a virtual scenario. The objective of this work is to understand if more intricate interactions can increase the intensity of human bodily reactions. Thus, to observe this potential phenomenon physiological data was acquired: electrodermal activity, electrocardiogram and respiration; in addition to self-reported questionnaires. Results showed that the version that had a more positive global evaluation by the participants was also the one that presented a higher variation in some physiological indicators, such as heart rate and respiratory signal amplitude. Despite this, no significant differences were observed between both versions, indicating that further study is necessary for any in-depth conclusions.

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Photo by Milo Bauman on Unsplash

Photo by Milo Bauman on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Video games are currently one of the most dominant ways of entertainment, which makes them one of the fastest growing industries. This huge potential means that there is a constant push to make games more engaging and attractive to their users. In this respect, and to stand out in the market efforts have been directed at stimulating certain emotional responses in players. This project seeks to explore psychophysiological analysis in the context of games and consists in studying different actions and how they can influence the emotional intensity of a VR experience.