How interactivity in video games affects the perception of timed durations
Abstract
Research has found that participants routinely underestimate time when asked to make estimations of elapsed time. With the growth of video game research, it is important to understand how video games affect our perception of time. In this study, four hypotheses were formed in order to assess the role that interactivity in video games has on the perception and estimation of time intervals. To test these hypotheses, 24 College of Wooster undergraduates participated in two 20 minute conditions: one in which they played the video game Plants vs. Zombies and one in which they watched footage of another participant playing Plants vs. Zombies. Results failed to support the hypotheses, however a link between gender and the amount of time spent playing video games per week was discovered.