Skilled in the Videogames, Skilled on the Road? Analysis of racing videogames and comparison between performances of Drivers and Non-Drivers

The present study\r\nexplores\r\nthe\r\nway\r\neleven\r\ncommercial\r\nracing-­‐videogames\r\nsimulate\r\nthe\r\ndriving\r\nexperience,\r\nand\r\nhow\r\ndrivers\r\nand\r\nnon-­‐\r\ndrivers\r\ninteract\r\nwith\r\nthem.\r\nAn\r\nexpert\r\nanalysis\r\nwas\r\nconducted\r\nin\r\norder\r\nto\r\nrate\r\nthe\r\nsimulation\r\nand\r\ncreate\r\na\r\nbenchmark\r\nof\r\nvideogames\r\nin\r\nterms\r\nof\r\nroad-­‐environment,\r\ndriving\r\nrealism,\r\ncar\r\ncrashes\r\ndynamics\r\nand\r\nconsequences,\r\nand\r\nemotional\r\nimpact\r\nof\r\nthe\r\nvideogames.\r\nAfter\r\nhaving\r\nselected\r\ntwo\r\ndifferent\r\ntype\r\nof\r\n“top-­‐realistic”\r\ngames,\r\nsubjects\r\nwere\r\nasked\r\nto\r\nplay\r\nthem\r\nin\r\na\r\nlaboratory\r\nsetting,\r\nwhile\r\ntheir\r\ndriving\r\nbehavior,\r\narousal\r\nactivation\r\nand\r\nfacial\r\nexpressions\r\nwere\r\nrecorded.\r\nAfter\r\nthe\r\ngaming\r\nexperience\r\nthey\r\nwere\r\nasked\r\nto\r\nfill\r\na\r\nquestionnaire\r\nabout\r\nthe\r\n“driving\r\nsimulation”\r\nrecreated\r\nby\r\nvideogames\r\nand\r\none\r\nabout\r\ntheir\r\nbehavior\r\nin\r\nthe\r\nvideogames.\r\nResults\r\nshowed\r\nthat\r\nis\r\nhard\r\nfor\r\nnaïve\r\nsubjects\r\nto\r\ndifferentiate\r\na\r\nvideogame\r\nwith\r\na\r\nrealistic\r\ngraphic\r\nbut\r\nan\r\nunrealistic\r\ndriving\r\nsimulation,\r\nfrom\r\na\r\nvideogame\r\nwith\r\nboth\r\na\r\nrealistic\r\ngraphic\r\nand\r\na\r\nrealistic\r\ndriving\r\nsimulation.\r\nThey\r\nare\r\nalso\r\naware\r\nof\r\nwhat\r\nare\r\nthe\r\nrisky\r\nbehaviors\r\non\r\nthe\r\nroad,\r\nbut\r\nnonetheless\r\nthey\r\nact\r\nthe\r\nsame\r\nrisky\r\nbehaviors\r\nsystematically\r\nin\r\nthe\r\nvideogames,\r\nwhile\r\nenjoying\r\nthe\r\ngaming\r\nexperience.In\r\na\r\nsecond\r\nstudy\r\na\r\nvideo\r\ntaken\r\nfrom\r\na\r\nvideogame\r\nwith\r\nhighly\r\nrealistic\r\ngraphic\r\nsimulation,\r\nwas\r\ncompared\r\nto\r\na\r\nvideo\r\ntaken\r\nfrom\r\nreality.\r\nIn\r\nparticular\r\ntests\r\nwere\r\nconducted\r\nin\r\norder\r\nto\r\nanalyze\r\nvisual\r\nexploration\r\nof\r\ndifferent\r\ntypes\r\nof\r\ncrossroads\r\nby\r\nexperienced\r\ndrivers\r\nand\r\nby\r\nyoung\r\nnon-­‐\r\ndrivers;\r\nin\r\nthe\r\nreal\r\ndriving\r\nvideo\r\nand\r\nin\r\na\r\ncorresponding\r\nvideogame\r\nvideo.\r\nThe\r\nresults\r\nshowed\r\nsignificant\r\ndifferences\r\nbetween\r\ndrivers\r\nand\r\nnon-­‐drivers\r\nin\r\nvisual\r\nexploration\r\nof\r\nthe\r\nroad\r\nand\r\nawareness\r\nin\r\ndetection\r\nof\r\nsalient\r\nroad\r\ninteractions;\r\nin\r\nboth\r\nthe\r\nreal\r\ndriving\r\nvideo\r\nand\r\nin\r\nthe\r\nsimulated\r\nvideo.\r\nIn\r\nparticular\r\nthe\r\nnon-­‐drivers\r\nseemed\r\nto\r\nexplore