Real-Time Impact of Video Gameplay Variables on Motivated Behaviors, Affective States, and Cognitive Resource Allocation

Research on motivation and emotion has traditionally used static or non-interactive stimuli, such as affective pictures or videoclips. However, real life does not consist of passively viewing isolated pictures. Instead, we constantly interact with the world. To capture the dynamic nature of human-environment interactions, we built an original predator-prey video game. Guided by the Evaluative Space Model and Motivation Oscillation Theory, we assessed the real-time impacts of two dynamic gameplay variables—imminence and urgency—on players’ behaviors, affective states, and cognitive resource allocation. Imminence refers to the spatial proximity of prey or predator agents in the game. Urgency refers to the pressing need to restore player health at each moment. Results showed that imminence and urgency, as well as their interactions, are strong predictors of real-time behavior, and affective and cognitive processes. There was a dissociation between aversive motivation and negative emotion, suggesting game players enjoyed an appropriate level of challenge. Lastly, we present physiological evidence of cognitive offloading in dynamic, interactive environments. This work contributes to understanding human motivational systems and their influence on information processing within a dynamic world.