Granic et. al's meta-analysis:
Granic's article (2014) begins discussing the motivational benefits of playing video games by explaining two theories of how individuals believe their intelligence works. There is the entity theory of intelligence, in which an individual believes that intelligence, skills, and talent are inborn and cannot be changed over time (you have it or you don't), and there is the incremental theory of intelligence, when an individual believes that their intelligence, skills, and abilities are able to be changed and improved upon over time with effort and repeated practice.
The connection to the realm of video games is seen when Granic points out that video games largely orient themselves to supporting the incremental theory by rewarding the efforts given by the players. The consequences, whether positive or negative, that players experience when playing a video game is a major factor in what gets gamers hooked on one game or another. There is a level of challenge involved during play, and as the player improves, they are met with further challenges that require more effort to get past as the game gets more difficult as the player becomes more skillful (most games are created in this way). However, there are also rewards for persisting in the face of these challenges and overcoming them, in the form of in-game items or prizes.
An interesting point that was made regarding the motivational benefits of games is the observation that video game players are “relentlessly optimistic.” Even after failing a trial multiple times, they still keep trying, showing that they, through the game, are following the incremental theory of intelligence, simply by working to improve their skills and continue forward over and over, possibly developing new skills and new ideas regarding how to solve problems along the way. As stated in the article, more research is necessary to see if the continued persistence of gamers can/does benefit them in the “real world,” but if games can motivate players to persist in the face of ever mounting obstacles, it is possible that certain games may indeed improve upon players' motivations when it comes to jobs and businesses.
Granic's article (2014) begins discussing the motivational benefits of playing video games by explaining two theories of how individuals believe their intelligence works. There is the entity theory of intelligence, in which an individual believes that intelligence, skills, and talent are inborn and cannot be changed over time (you have it or you don't), and there is the incremental theory of intelligence, when an individual believes that their intelligence, skills, and abilities are able to be changed and improved upon over time with effort and repeated practice.
The connection to the realm of video games is seen when Granic points out that video games largely orient themselves to supporting the incremental theory by rewarding the efforts given by the players. The consequences, whether positive or negative, that players experience when playing a video game is a major factor in what gets gamers hooked on one game or another. There is a level of challenge involved during play, and as the player improves, they are met with further challenges that require more effort to get past as the game gets more difficult as the player becomes more skillful (most games are created in this way). However, there are also rewards for persisting in the face of these challenges and overcoming them, in the form of in-game items or prizes.
An interesting point that was made regarding the motivational benefits of games is the observation that video game players are “relentlessly optimistic.” Even after failing a trial multiple times, they still keep trying, showing that they, through the game, are following the incremental theory of intelligence, simply by working to improve their skills and continue forward over and over, possibly developing new skills and new ideas regarding how to solve problems along the way. As stated in the article, more research is necessary to see if the continued persistence of gamers can/does benefit them in the “real world,” but if games can motivate players to persist in the face of ever mounting obstacles, it is possible that certain games may indeed improve upon players' motivations when it comes to jobs and businesses.
Cheryl K. Olson article (2010) sought out to better understand what motivates children and adolescences to play video games. Referring to multiple quantitative and qualitative research as well as a survey of 1,254 students allowed the author to discover reasons for motivations, what affects motivations, and provides suggestions to teachers, parents, and educators on how to monitor video game play.
Video games give children and adolescences different forms of social motivations when playing. Even though adults view playing video games as isolating, children view it as a sociable interaction. Individuals can play with their friends and can have video game play as being structured time with peers. Children feel that video games are a form of communication and conversation starter to meet new people. Video games are the evolved version of interactive games from the past such as board games.
Children that were surveyed expressed that the chance to compete and win was one of the main motivators to playing video games, more so for the male participants. In the Cragg, Taylor, and Toombs et al. (2007) study, they discovered that male participants discussed the bragging rights that come from competing. Men are also more likely to participate in multiplayer experiences, group interactions. Greenberg et al. (2008) research purposed that age and developmental stage affected the motivations to play video games. For instance, a 5th grader would play for the challenge they would receive whereas an 8th or 11th grader would play for the competitive aspect. While playing games, individuals get a sense of pride and accomplishment when owning or performing well at a game. This leads to higher self-esteem in the individual. These multiplayer platforms allow for individuals to negotiate rules and test the boundaries of creative strategies without it being viewed as a form of cheating or unfair advantage.
Video games allow for teaching and peer-based learning to occur. Peer-based learning is whenever young individuals congregate around common interests and motivate one another to learn via affiliation and competition. Some examples of unprovoked teaching and learning patterns that occur between peers and siblings are just-in-time advice on overcoming and obstacle, collaborative learning with shifting teacher-learner roles, and ongoing “apprenticeships” where an older or more experienced player recommends games, informally models how to play, and is available for guidance. Being able to discuss video games with other individuals, allows for bonds of friendships to occur because of the common interests. This also gives individuals the feeling of acceptance and feeling connected to their fellow peers. These interactions that one’s have with their peers could result in possibly displaying a form of leadership role and learn leadership skills such as mediation, persuasion, and motivation for others to play.
When playing video games, emotional motivations are also a factor. Participants expressed using video game play as a way to regulate their feelings. If they are bored or want to relax, they play a fun and stimulating video game to entertain them. If individuals are trying to forget problems or cope with loneliness, they might play a video game. Also, video games are a way for individuals to cope with anger in an acceptable manner. These individuals are more likely to play mature-rated games. When playing video games, one strives for flow, which is the state of being pleasantly and completely absorbed by the goal-driven activity. Being able to achieve flow allows for games to be more enjoyable.
Individuals may have intellectual or expressionism motivators to playing video games. When playing video games, one is met with different challenges and may need to have some skills in different areas. These participants expressed having certain traits were beneficial, such as having a high tolerance to failure. One may need to have specialized knowledge when it comes to installing a game or understanding the game specific mechanics. Having a challenge is more appealing, and having multiple storylines allow for individuals to replay the game multiple times to understand every plot twist.
Video games allow for creativity to emerge. In the gaming community, modding has a large impact on the game play. These individuals that create the mods need to have an understanding of the game rules, structure, and programming. Modding could range from just a simple customization to your character to a completely new game level. Another way to show creativity is by playing the types of games referred to as sandbox games. These games allow the individual to have self-expression and customize games based off of their personalities and interests. It is also another form to gain self-esteem and pride from your creations. Sandbox games also allow gamers to experience different paths which lead to different ways to learning.
If an individual wants to experiment with a different identity, video games allow this to be achieved. Game characters can be created in the individual’s likeness or other ways to express their ideas of masculinity and femininity. Some individuals have fantasies of portraying someone as powerful or famous, or they want to experience different roles such as being the “bad guy” without real world consequences and saving face. There’s an appeal to being able to partake in different acts that would be viewed as unacceptable or illegal without any consequences, but the realism of games are also appealing and fun. Different qualities of realism are the inclusion of popular music, fashion, and having realistic looking graphics. Numerous other qualities of realism are factuality; incorporating facts, such as historical events, geographic locations, training procedures, weapons; authenticity; having well-developed characters whose emotions and actions feel real; a sense of virtual experience; increased by more freedom to choose courses of action or allowing a game character to evolve based on player behavior; and involvement or identification with the characters which may be affected by the player’s ability to shape the story or customize a character or by a first-person perspective. Having a sense of virtual experience and involvement with the characters is heavily impacted whether or not the game has a storyline. The storyline introduces character development as well as numerous challenges that could even be affected by the choices you make. This is turn, promotes factual learning and introspection concerning moral dilemmas.
Violent video games have different qualities that make it appeasing to individuals, like regulating and having control over emotions such as venting anger and relieving stress. One has the power to choose whether or not they want to avoid particular feelings or elicit situations. If a video game contents violence, the emotional appeal of the game is increased. This is possibly due to two different types of emotions, artifact and representative. Artifact emotions reflect aesthetic appreciation for beautifully rendered or creative graphics; and representative emotions are the feelings that arise from immersion in and engagement with the game world, as when one’s game character achieves a goal or is thwarted. The challenges that come with violent video games such as mastering weapons, creative ways to defeat your adversaries, and experiencing different sounds, images, and colors are entertaining. Video games allow for opportunities of mastery and autonomy, the aspect of violence being involved added little difference to the value of the game. Individuals exposed to frightening images allow these individuals to master sensations that occur when being afraid or frightened. Video games containing violence are more appealing to men possibly due to the feeling dominant.
Olson (2010) discovered that video games impact individuals in numerous ways emotionally, socially, and intellectually. The individual’s development stage and cognitive development influenced the games they played. Older children are more inclined to play complex games containing storylines. Video games are a healthier and safer outlet for expressionism, instead of experimenting with harmful substances like drugs or alcohol. Parents should regulate how much the child plays and have a limit on unsupervised play. If consoles or computers are kept in common areas, such as the living room, these children have a lower chance of playing violent video games. Another way of being an effective parent is asking the child to teach them how to play. This reverses the parent-child role and shows respect for the child’s interests and skill. Olson (2010) stated however that there is no data on how violent video games affect children who have serious behavioral or emotional problems or developmental delays. Future studies could have a closer look at this.
Video games give children and adolescences different forms of social motivations when playing. Even though adults view playing video games as isolating, children view it as a sociable interaction. Individuals can play with their friends and can have video game play as being structured time with peers. Children feel that video games are a form of communication and conversation starter to meet new people. Video games are the evolved version of interactive games from the past such as board games.
Children that were surveyed expressed that the chance to compete and win was one of the main motivators to playing video games, more so for the male participants. In the Cragg, Taylor, and Toombs et al. (2007) study, they discovered that male participants discussed the bragging rights that come from competing. Men are also more likely to participate in multiplayer experiences, group interactions. Greenberg et al. (2008) research purposed that age and developmental stage affected the motivations to play video games. For instance, a 5th grader would play for the challenge they would receive whereas an 8th or 11th grader would play for the competitive aspect. While playing games, individuals get a sense of pride and accomplishment when owning or performing well at a game. This leads to higher self-esteem in the individual. These multiplayer platforms allow for individuals to negotiate rules and test the boundaries of creative strategies without it being viewed as a form of cheating or unfair advantage.
Video games allow for teaching and peer-based learning to occur. Peer-based learning is whenever young individuals congregate around common interests and motivate one another to learn via affiliation and competition. Some examples of unprovoked teaching and learning patterns that occur between peers and siblings are just-in-time advice on overcoming and obstacle, collaborative learning with shifting teacher-learner roles, and ongoing “apprenticeships” where an older or more experienced player recommends games, informally models how to play, and is available for guidance. Being able to discuss video games with other individuals, allows for bonds of friendships to occur because of the common interests. This also gives individuals the feeling of acceptance and feeling connected to their fellow peers. These interactions that one’s have with their peers could result in possibly displaying a form of leadership role and learn leadership skills such as mediation, persuasion, and motivation for others to play.
When playing video games, emotional motivations are also a factor. Participants expressed using video game play as a way to regulate their feelings. If they are bored or want to relax, they play a fun and stimulating video game to entertain them. If individuals are trying to forget problems or cope with loneliness, they might play a video game. Also, video games are a way for individuals to cope with anger in an acceptable manner. These individuals are more likely to play mature-rated games. When playing video games, one strives for flow, which is the state of being pleasantly and completely absorbed by the goal-driven activity. Being able to achieve flow allows for games to be more enjoyable.
Individuals may have intellectual or expressionism motivators to playing video games. When playing video games, one is met with different challenges and may need to have some skills in different areas. These participants expressed having certain traits were beneficial, such as having a high tolerance to failure. One may need to have specialized knowledge when it comes to installing a game or understanding the game specific mechanics. Having a challenge is more appealing, and having multiple storylines allow for individuals to replay the game multiple times to understand every plot twist.
Video games allow for creativity to emerge. In the gaming community, modding has a large impact on the game play. These individuals that create the mods need to have an understanding of the game rules, structure, and programming. Modding could range from just a simple customization to your character to a completely new game level. Another way to show creativity is by playing the types of games referred to as sandbox games. These games allow the individual to have self-expression and customize games based off of their personalities and interests. It is also another form to gain self-esteem and pride from your creations. Sandbox games also allow gamers to experience different paths which lead to different ways to learning.
If an individual wants to experiment with a different identity, video games allow this to be achieved. Game characters can be created in the individual’s likeness or other ways to express their ideas of masculinity and femininity. Some individuals have fantasies of portraying someone as powerful or famous, or they want to experience different roles such as being the “bad guy” without real world consequences and saving face. There’s an appeal to being able to partake in different acts that would be viewed as unacceptable or illegal without any consequences, but the realism of games are also appealing and fun. Different qualities of realism are the inclusion of popular music, fashion, and having realistic looking graphics. Numerous other qualities of realism are factuality; incorporating facts, such as historical events, geographic locations, training procedures, weapons; authenticity; having well-developed characters whose emotions and actions feel real; a sense of virtual experience; increased by more freedom to choose courses of action or allowing a game character to evolve based on player behavior; and involvement or identification with the characters which may be affected by the player’s ability to shape the story or customize a character or by a first-person perspective. Having a sense of virtual experience and involvement with the characters is heavily impacted whether or not the game has a storyline. The storyline introduces character development as well as numerous challenges that could even be affected by the choices you make. This is turn, promotes factual learning and introspection concerning moral dilemmas.
Violent video games have different qualities that make it appeasing to individuals, like regulating and having control over emotions such as venting anger and relieving stress. One has the power to choose whether or not they want to avoid particular feelings or elicit situations. If a video game contents violence, the emotional appeal of the game is increased. This is possibly due to two different types of emotions, artifact and representative. Artifact emotions reflect aesthetic appreciation for beautifully rendered or creative graphics; and representative emotions are the feelings that arise from immersion in and engagement with the game world, as when one’s game character achieves a goal or is thwarted. The challenges that come with violent video games such as mastering weapons, creative ways to defeat your adversaries, and experiencing different sounds, images, and colors are entertaining. Video games allow for opportunities of mastery and autonomy, the aspect of violence being involved added little difference to the value of the game. Individuals exposed to frightening images allow these individuals to master sensations that occur when being afraid or frightened. Video games containing violence are more appealing to men possibly due to the feeling dominant.
Olson (2010) discovered that video games impact individuals in numerous ways emotionally, socially, and intellectually. The individual’s development stage and cognitive development influenced the games they played. Older children are more inclined to play complex games containing storylines. Video games are a healthier and safer outlet for expressionism, instead of experimenting with harmful substances like drugs or alcohol. Parents should regulate how much the child plays and have a limit on unsupervised play. If consoles or computers are kept in common areas, such as the living room, these children have a lower chance of playing violent video games. Another way of being an effective parent is asking the child to teach them how to play. This reverses the parent-child role and shows respect for the child’s interests and skill. Olson (2010) stated however that there is no data on how violent video games affect children who have serious behavioral or emotional problems or developmental delays. Future studies could have a closer look at this.