The Gamer's Brain: How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Video Game Design

267 Pages·2018·6.05 MB·English

by  Celia Hodent

The Gamer’s Brain

how neuroscience and ux can

impact video game design

The Gamer’s Brain

how neuroscience and ux can

impact video game design
Celia Hodent
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2018 by Celia Hodent
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Printed on acid-free paper
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4987-7550-2 (Paperback)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable
efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher can-
not assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The
authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in
this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not
been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know
so we may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced,
transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.
copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
(CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organiza-
tion that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been
granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
To the scientists, artists, designers, and game developer
magicians out there. You never cease to inspire me.

Contents
Foreword xiii
Author xv
1 Why You Should Care about the Gamer’s Brain 1
1.1 Disclaimer: The “Neuro-Hype” Trap .......................................................2
1.2 What This Book Is about and Who It Is for ............................................4
Part I Understanding the Brain
2 Overview about the Brain 9
2.1 Brain and Mind Myths ..............................................................................9
2.1.1 “We Only Use 10% of Our Brains” .......................................10
2.1.2 “Right-Brained People Are More Creative than
Left-Brained People” ...............................................................10
2.1.3 “Men and Women Have Different Brains” ..........................11
2.1.4 Learning Styles and Teaching Styles ....................................11
2.1.5 “Video Games Are Rewiring Your Brain and Digital
Natives Are Wired Differently”............................................12
2.2 Cognitive Biases .......................................................................................12
2.3 Mental Models and the Player-Centered Approach ............................15
2.4 How the Brain Works, in a Nutshell .....................................................16
vii
3 Perception 19
3.1 How Perception Works ............................................................................19
3.2 Limitations of Human Perception ........................................................20
3.3 Application to Games ..............................................................................24
3.3.1 Know Your Audience .............................................................24
3.3.2 Playtest Your Game Regularly and Test
Your Iconography ...................................................................26
3.3.3 Use Gestalt Principles of Perception ..................................26
3.3.4 Use Affordances ......................................................................31
3.3.5 Understand Visual Imagery and Mental Rotation .............32
3.3.6 Be Aware of the Weber–Fechner Bias .................................32
4 Memory 35
4.1 How Memory Works ................................................................................35
4.1.1 Sensory Memory ....................................................................36
4.1.2 Short-Term Memory ...............................................................37
4.1.3 Working Memory ...................................................................38
4.1.4 Long-Term Memory ...............................................................40
4.2 Limitations of Human Memory ............................................................42
4.3 Application to Games ..............................................................................45
4.3.1 Spacing Effect and Level Design ..........................................46
4.3.2 Reminders ...............................................................................48
5 Attention 51
5.1 How Attention Works ..............................................................................51
5.2 Limitations of Human Attention ...........................................................52
5.3 Application to Games ...............................................................................55
6 Motivation 59
6.1 Implicit Motivation and Biological Drives ..........................................60
6.2 Environmental-Shaped Motivation and Learned Drives ...................61
6.2.1 Extrinsic Motivation: Of Carrots and Sticks ......................61
6.2.2 Continuous and Intermittent Rewards ...............................63
6.3 Intrinsic Motivation and Cognitive Needs ..........................................65
6.3.1 Undermining Effect of Extrinsic Incentives ......................65
6.3.2 Self-Determination Theory ...................................................66
6.3.3 The Theory of Flow.................................................................67
6.4 Personality and Individual Needs .........................................................68
6.5 Application to Games ...............................................................................70
6.6 Quick Note on the Importance of Meaning .........................................71
7 Emotion 73
7.1 When Emotion Guides Our Cognition .................................................75
7.1.1 The Influence of the Limbic System......................................75
7.1.2 The Somatic Markers Theory ................................................76
viii Contents
7.2 When Emotion “Tricks” Us ...................................................................77
7.3 Application to Games ..............................................................................80
8 Learning Principles 83
8.1 Behavioral Psychology Principles .........................................................83
8.1.1 Classical Conditioning ..........................................................84
8.1.2 Operant Conditioning ...........................................................84
8.2 Cognitive Psychology Principles ...........................................................86
8.3 Constructivist Principles ........................................................................86
8.4 Application to Games: Learning by Doing with Meaning ................87
9 Understanding the Brain: Takeaway 91
9.1 Perception .................................................................................................92
9.2 Memory .....................................................................................................93
9.3 Attention ...................................................................................................93
9.4 Motivation.................................................................................................93
9.5 Emotion .....................................................................................................94
9.6 Learning principles ..................................................................................94
Part II A UX Framework for Video Games
10 Game User Experience: Overview 97
10.1 A Short History of UX ............................................................................98
10.2 Debunking UX Misconceptions ..........................................................100
10.2.1 Misconception 1: UX Will Distort the Design
Intents and Make the Game Easier....................................100
10.2.2 Misconception 2: UX Will Restrict the Creativity
of the Team .............................................................................101
10.2.3 Misconception 3: UX Is Yet Another Opinion .................103
10.2.4 Misconception 4: UX Is Just Common Sense ..................104
10.2.5 Misconception 5: There Is Not Enough Time
or Money to Consider UX ...................................................104
10.3 A Definition of Game UX .....................................................................105
11 Usability 109
11.1 Usability Heuristics in Software and Video Games ..........................110
11.2 Seven Usability Pillars for Game UX ...................................................115
11.2.1 Signs and Feedback ...............................................................115
11.2.2 Clarity .....................................................................................117
11.2.3 Form Follows Function .......................................................123
11.2.4 Consistency ...........................................................................125
11.2.5 Minimum Workload............................................................127
11.2.6 Error Prevention and Error Recovery ...............................129
11.2.7 Flexibility ................................................................................131
Contents ix