Bated Breath - Feasibility of a Respiration-based Biofeedback System in Affective Horror Experiences: How is the player experience in the survival horror game Maid of Sker affected by replacing the button-held breathing mechanic used to avoid enemies with real-life breath-holding?

Hansen, Mikkel Gede

4. term

Medialogy, Master

2022

2022-12-21

23

Inspired by research on Affective Gaming (how games shape and respond to emotions) and Recreational Fear (enjoying safe scares), this study asked whether using players’ real breathing could create a different kind of horror experience. We modified the commercial survival-horror game Maid of Sker, which normally lets players ‘hold their breath’ by pressing a key to avoid blind but sound-sensitive enemies. In our version, a respiration belt detected when players actually held their breath, and a simple binary algorithm translated that signal into the in-game action. We ran a between-subjects experiment with 20 volunteers. The control group used the keyboard (Z) to hold breath, while the experimental group held their breath in real life. During a short, linear level, we recorded galvanic skin response (GSR), a measure of arousal based on tiny changes in skin sweating, and afterwards participants rated their enjoyment, fear, and sense of presence (feeling of “being there”). The breath-based interface proved feasible, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups on enjoyment, fear, or presence. Even so, exploratory observations suggest potential benefits and trade-offs: some players found breathing more intuitive than keys; real breathing sometimes calmed fear; conversely, ease-of-use issues reduced the sense of agency and increased fear; heightened fear could still be enjoyable; and familiarity with the horror genre seemed to matter more for fear responses than familiarity with the specific game. Overall, breath-based biofeedback in commercial horror appears promising, but it needs further refinement and testing.

Inspireret af forskning i Affective Gaming (hvordan spil påvirker og reagerer på følelser) og Recreational Fear (at nyde sikre gys) undersøgte vi, om spilleres egentlige vejrtrækning kan skabe en anderledes horror-oplevelse. Vi ændrede i det kommercielle survival-horrorspil Maid of Sker en mekanik, hvor man normalt ‘holder vejret’ ved at trykke på en tast for at undgå blinde, men lydfølsomme fjender. I vores udgave registrerede et åndedrætsbælte (respirationsbælte), når deltagerne faktisk holdt vejret; en simpel binær algoritme omsatte signalet til den tilsvarende handling i spillet. Vi gennemførte et mellem-personer-eksperiment med 20 frivillige. Kontrolgruppen brugte tastaturet (Z) til at holde vejret i spillet, mens forsøgsgruppen holdt vejret i virkeligheden. Under en kort, lineær bane målte vi galvanisk hudrespons (GSR), et mål for følelsesmæssig aktivering baseret på små svedændringer, og efterfølgende vurderede deltagerne nydelse, frygt og tilstedeværelse (følelsen af at “være der”). Den vejrtrækningsbaserede kontrol fungerede teknisk, men der var ingen statistisk signifikante forskelle mellem grupperne i nydelse, frygt eller tilstedeværelse. Alligevel peger eksplorative observationer på muligheder og afvejninger: nogle fandt vejrtrækning mere intuitiv end taster; virkelig vejrhold kunne til tider dæmpe frygt; omvendt øgede brugervenlighedsproblemer frygt ved at mindske kontrolfølelsen; forstærket frygt kunne stadig opleves som nydelse; og kendskab til horror-genren så ud til at betyde mere for frygtreaktioner end kendskab til det konkrete spil. Samlet set virker vejrtrækningsbaseret biofeedback lovende i kommerciel horror, men kræver yderligere forfining og test.

[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

Psychophysiology ; Horror ; Respiration ; Biofeedback ; Novel Interaction ; Enjoyment ; Fear ; Presence ; Thesis ; Master ; Recreational Fear ; Affective Gaming

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