Search Results (275)

Background/Objectives: Primary Care Physicians (PCPs) are widely regarded as trusted sources of health information and can play a pivotal role in increasing seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) within their communities. We aimed to explore PCPs’ attitudes toward SIV and their views regarding proposed strategies to enhance SIV uptake in the evolving post-pandemic landscape. Methods: A qualitative study utilizing semi-structured individual interviews with a nationwide sample of 25 PCPs was conducted. Results: Physicians’ attitudes toward SIV were overwhelmingly positive; they recognized its protective value for individuals and the community alike, its efficacy in averting serious illness, and its proven safety profile. Regarding strengthening SIV uptake, PCPs positively appraised the following strategies: (a) viewing all clinical encounters as opportunities for vaccination; (b) outsourcing vaccination to nursing, allied health staff and community pharmacists, provided that specific prerequisites are met; (c) forwarding personalized notifications to health providers and (d) the public; and (e) establishing at-home vaccinations. Financial incentives would reportedly act as tangible acknowledgement and motivate PCPs to work toward primary prevention. However, others have argued that SIV is inherently embedded in their duty as PCPs, and potential remunerations would dwindle the public’s confidence in PCPs. Establishing incentives for the general population reportedly minimizes confidence and the perceived value of SIVs and was assessed to be ineffective in the Greek context. Promoting SIVs through video games was considered to be less effective for the adult population. Conclusions: Mapping PCPs’ insights is key in designing effective SIV strategies that are concurrent with communities’ values, needs, and learnt experience from the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

This study employs a reflexive autoethnography, guided by flow and place attachment theory, to examine how gaming experiences influence attachments to virtual environments and inspire real-world travel intentions. Data comprise reflexive journal notes written over a 10-month period after playing multiple video games and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis following a hybrid deductive–inductive approach. The analysis identified eight themes across three dimensions: temporal immersion, escapism, narrative immersion, and self-expression under flow; emotional, cognitive, and behavioural attachment under place attachment; and place-induced travel intention as the behavioural outcome. The findings establish flow as a critical antecedent to the development of place attachment within virtual environments. Consistent with emerging scholarship, the study confirms that attachment formation does not require physically tangible places; rather, it can emerge through digitally mediated presence and interaction, indicating that virtual environments are capable of eliciting place attachment. More significantly, it demonstrates that these virtual attachments can fluidly extend toward real places depicted in games, revealing a cross-environmental continuity in attachment processes. The integrated framework thus contributes a novel theoretical proposal linking flow, virtual and real place attachment, and tourism behaviour, an area that remains conceptually fragmented and empirically underdeveloped. Full article

Elementary music teachers in the United States face many challenges today, including an increasing cultural divide between teachers and students, worsening student behavior, and excessive exposure to technology in children’s lives. These challenges are magnified due to the hundreds of students elementary music teachers see weekly, the lack of teaching and planning time, and inadequate teaching resources, making it difficult to fully understand the culture and learning needs of every child. However, music educators may find culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) a useful tool for meeting the needs of a diverse student body. Further, when teachers engage in kid culture, the environments and activities that only children have, there is a plethora of music and media to use that children prefer that can help increase engagement and reduce behavioral problems. In this Perspective article, I provide three sample lessons that model instructional strategies that challenge current systems of power and representation in music education and center student agency through singing, chanting, moving, playing, and creating. Using repertoire that students already know and prefer, such as “Old Town Road,” Fortnite dances, and the song “See You Again”, draws from children’s funds of knowledge. Moving away from the Western art music canon and traditional formal education structures (like standard notation) in favor of learning by ear, peer collaboration, and improvisation decolonizes the curriculum. Critical reflexivity occurs when the teacher acts as a learner, constantly adjusting lessons to ensure student agency and addressing ethical issues, such as the intellectual property rights of creators whose work is used in media like Fortnite. By using melodies, songs, and video game movements children already know, music teachers can use the materials and learning processes in kid culture to engage in culturally sustaining pedagogy. I aim to inspire educators and researchers to reflect on sustaining children’s dynamic, cultural practices and better understand how to authentically bring popular music and media into elementary music lessons to provide a more engaging, relevant, and transformative music education. Full article

Electronic sport (esport) refers to competition in video games. Injuries in esports have hardly been studied so far. A total of 1229 e-athletes of all levels and genres answered a retrospective questionnaire about injuries and overuse damages that occurred in the course of their careers. The average age of the 1229 participants was 23.8 ± 5.5 years. A total of 198 (16.1%) of the e-athletes take part in competitions. The most common injury location was the trunk/spine (319, 26.0%) followed by the wrist region (225, 18.3%). Degenerative and overuse injuries were in the foreground. Professional athletes were injured more frequently than amateur athletes (p = 0.006). Tactical shooter players have significantly more injuries than sports game players (p = 0.021) and MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) players (p = 0.042). E-athletes are just as susceptible to injury as athletes in traditional disciplines. The high injury rate is certainly not due to acute injuries but to overloading and overuse injuries, with a focus on the thoracocervical area and the upper extremities. Terms such as “Nintenditis”, “gamer’s thumb” and “PlayStation thumb”, which describe injuries caused by repetitive strain, are becoming increasingly common. Injuries in esports should be taken seriously, as they can cause long-term health problems in the event of overuse injuries. Prevention is a critical and promising approach for such a young patient clientele, especially in a sport that is growing so rapidly and is unknown to the majority. Full article

This study co-designed and developed multimodal educational games in collaboration with parents and teachers to engage girls in STEM from early childhood onward. Recent studies examine the supportive and complementary role of digital educational technology, such as multimodal games, in engaging girls in STEM education during primary and secondary schooling. Different skills, such as computational thinking, mathematical and scientific skills, can be developed via simulations, models, narrative-rich videos, and digital games. However, there is limited research on how parents and teachers perceive how multimodal games can engage children, especially girls in STEM, in early years learning environments, both at home and in formal educational classroom play-based learning contexts. Employing a multi-case study approach, the study conducted focus group discussions (N = 10) with 15 parents and 15 teachers of children from birth to 8 years of age. The theoretical framework underpinning Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological lens guided the thematic data analysis, particularly acknowledging theoretical ideas that a young girl’s natural learning environment comprises parents, siblings, peers, and early childhood professionals (e.g., educators) who play an essential role in the development of a child’s early STEM engagement. Findings indicate the essential role of the pedagogue (both parents and educators), with multimodal technologies (games) acting as the third teacher, being critical in scaffolding girls’ early STEM education by capitalising on multimodal learning environments. Implications pertain to designing hands-on, multimodal games that enable children to engage seamlessly with science and mathematics concepts through a variety of design features, including problem-solving, doing, constructing, role-play, and gamification. Full article

Background: Although several studies have reported associations between screentime and shortened sleep duration among adolescents, contextual relationships between different forms of screentime are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine how television (TV) watching (passive media use) and video/computer gaming (interactive media use) are associated with short sleep duration among 8th and 11th grade adolescents. Methods: We used data from adolescents (8th and 11th grade students) who participated in the Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (Texas SPAN) survey in 2015–2016. Sleep duration was the outcome variable, which was dichotomized into short sleep duration (less than 8 h) and meeting sleep recommendations (more than 8 h). Independent variables included daily TV screentime and video/computer game screentime. We used weighted logistic regression models to understand associations between sleep duration and both TV screentime and video/computer game screentime. Results: Among both 8th grade boys and Hispanic 8th grade girls, spending more than 2 h/day playing video/computer games was associated with greater odds of shorter sleep duration. Among 11th graders, TV screentime was associated with lower odds of shorter sleep duration. Conclusions: Watching TV and playing video/computer games have differential associations with sleep duration among adolescents, and these associations differ by grade, gender, and ethnicity. Researchers and public health agencies interested in associations between meeting sleep recommendations and screentime in adolescents should consider these contextual differences when designing and conducting studies related to electronic media use and sleep. Full article

Background/Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the associations among achievement motivation, meaning in life, and well-being among video game players and to investigate differences between players with approach- and avoidance-oriented motivations. Methods: The sample consisted of 296 university students who reported playing video games (192 men and 104 women), aged 18 to 35 years (M = 22.62; SD = 2.64). Participants completed a battery of self-report measures, including the Achievement Goal Questionnaire, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, administered anonymously. Results: Mediation analyses revealed that meaning in life was a significant mediator in the relationship between approach-oriented mastery goals and well-being (Ind = 0.07; 95% CI [0.02, 0.12]). However, no significant mediation effect was found for approach-oriented performance goals (Ind = 0.04; 95% CI [−0.01, 0.09]). Independent-samples t-tests indicated that participants with approach-oriented motivations reported significantly higher levels of meaning in life (t(294) = 4.44; p < 0.001), presence of meaning (t(294) = 5.74; p < 0.001), and well-being (t(294) = 5.52; p < 0.001) compared to those with avoidance-oriented motivations. Conclusions: The findings suggest that approach-oriented achievement motivations among players are positively associated with meaning in life and are indirectly associated with higher well-being, whereas avoidance-oriented motivations are associated with lower levels of well-being. These results carry potential implications for game design, education, and psychotherapy. Full article

With the promotion and development of anime, manga, and video games in Japan and beyond, a substantial number of fans have been attracted. These people began to dress up as their favorite characters. Cosplay has found applications in different fields. This essay argues that cosplay has played a positive role in promoting gender expression, enhancing mental health, and fostering cultural consumption that transcends mere escapism. Cosplay provides a safe environment for gender expression, challenging traditional gender norms, embracing diversity of gender expression, and allowing cosplayers to showcase their gender identities. Cosplay helps cosplayers not only overcome mental pressure in real life by enabling them to play superheroes and build their resilience, but also brings them a sense of achievement and cultivates their problem-solving abilities through the creation of costumes. Cosplayers utilize these characters for cultural consumption, promoting the cosplay-related economic industry in Japan. Cosplayers, audiences, and organizers of anime conventions form a sustainable consumption cycle by making or purchasing costumes, spending money on merchandise, and organizing comic conventions. Cosplay has driven economic benefits in the catering, photography, and venue rental industries by incorporating anime themes and catering to the demands of three major consumer groups. Full article

Background: The consequences of video games have been a hotly debated topic in recent decades. While the media tend to focus on and publicize the alleged negative effects of video games, the empirical literature continues to research to illustrate the benefits of playing certain types of video games. Objective: With this paper we want to highlight the utility of virtual reality technology for improving reaction time. Methods: A total of 32 Romanian students, aged 17 to 19, were recruited from a high school in Cluj-Napoca. The experimental group took part in a virtual realitybased intervention, while the control group only attended the standard physical education classes included in the school curriculum. To assess simple and complex reaction time, we used the Deary–Liewald reaction time test. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to compare participant characteristics between the two groups. The significance level for all statistical analyses was set at p < 0.05. Results: Subjects in the experimental group (M = 382.75, SD = 21.30) showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) at final testing compared to the control group (M = 396.88, SD: 25.37) in the complex reaction time Deary–Liewald test (t = −1.70, p = 0.04, d = −0.60). Conclusions: As technology continues to advance, new possibilities have emerged for reducing reaction time through cutting-edge tools like virtual reality. Our study shows that a well-structured 6-month virtual reality program can improve simple and complex reaction time in high school students. Full article

As video games increasingly replicate real-world locations, they have become powerful tools influencing players’ perceptions and behaviors toward travel destinations. Based on the principles of Transfer Trust Theory (TTT), this research investigates how the trust established in a destination within a virtual game context, referred to as perceived destination trust, translates into real-world travel willingness. Using data from a survey of 262 Tunisian gamers who played games set in real-world environments, we employed a structural equation modeling approach incorporating SPSS and SmartPLS analyses. The results indicate that immersion and enjoyment of the game significantly strengthen emotional attachment and the image of the destination, thereby reinforcing perceived trust. This trust positively predicts the willingness to visit real-world destinations. Furthermore, moderation analysis reveals that this effect is more pronounced among individuals classified as Explorers and Achievers, highlighting the influence of motivational typologies on the translation of virtual behaviors into real-world actions. These results extend the scope of TTT to video game-induced tourism (VGIT), empirically validating the psychological mechanisms that link virtual trust to real-world travel behaviors. From a practical standpoint, tourism organizations and game developers are advised to collaborate on creating immersive and authentic environments that enhance destination credibility while aligning with brand objectives. Full article

Video games prioritize “fun” and “immersion”, yet suffering can disrupt play. Using phenomenology of emotion, this study examines Black Myth: Wukong as a case where suffering is integral to gameplay and narrative. It argues that suffering awakens player subjectivity, enabling resistance to algorithmic and biopolitical constraints. As mass art, video games harness suffering’s affective power to transform players from passive participants to active agents, revealing their potential for resistance. Full article

Three-dimensional (3D) scene model retrieval has emerged as a novel and challenging area within content-based 3D model retrieval research. It plays an increasingly critical role in various domains, such as video games, film production, and immersive technologies, including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), where automated generation of 3D content is highly desirable. Despite their potential, the existing 3D scene retrieval techniques often overlook the rich semantic relationships among objects and between objects and their surrounding scenes. To address this gap, we introduce a comprehensive scene semantic tree that systematically encodes learned object occurrence probabilities within each scene category, capturing essential semantic information. Building upon this structure, we propose a novel semantics-driven image-based 3D scene retrieval method. The experimental evaluations show that the proposed approach effectively models scene semantics, enables more accurate similarity assessments between 3D scenes, and achieves substantial performance improvements. All the experimental results, along with the associated code and datasets, are available on the project website. Full article

In recent years, video games have become an increasingly popular form of entertainment and enjoyment for consumers of all ages. Given their rapid rise in production, projects such as PlayMyData aim to organize the immense amounts of data that accompany these games into sets of data for public use in research, primarily games bound specifically to modern platforms that are still being actively developed or further improved. This study aims to examine the particular differences in video game review scores using this set of data across the four listed platforms—Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation, and PC—for different gaming titles relating to each platform. Through analysis of variance (ANOVA) testing and several other statistical analyses, significant differences between the platforms were observed, with PC games receiving the highest amount of positive scores and consistently outperforming the other three platforms, Xbox and PlayStation trailing behind PC, and Nintendo receiving the lowest review scores overall. These results illustrate the influence of platforms and their differences on player ratings and provide insight for developers and market analysts seeking to develop and invest in console platform video games. Full article

Current autonomous vehicles require human drivers to take over control during emergencies or in environments the system cannot handle. During other periods, drivers are permitted to engage in non-driving-related tasks. It is essential to investigate how the immersion in non-driving-related tasks affects drivers’ takeover performance under different scenarios. To address this, a mixed-design simulated driving experiment was conducted with 40 participants, incorporating three non-driving-related tasks (no task, watch video, play game), three takeover request lead times (3 s, 5 s, 7 s), and two obstacle types (dynamic, static). The takeover process was divided into three phases: preparation, obstacle avoidance, and recovery. Analysis of the areas of interest showed that engaging in non-driving-related tasks substantially reduced drivers’ visual attention tothe road ahead during the preparation phase. The Generalized Estimating Equations method was employed to investigate the effects of various factors on takeover performance. Model results showed that scenarios with static obstacles and longer takeover request times led to a significant reduction in mean lane deviation but a significant increase in the standard deviation of lane deviation, suggesting improved lateral control performance. A significant interaction was observed between the watch video task and static obstacles, which corresponded to a notable decrease in the mean vehicle speed during obstacle avoidance. Performance in the recovery phase was strongly predicted by that in the obstacle avoidance phase, indicating that the stability of the avoidance maneuver is a critical determinant of the subsequent recovery. These findings offer valuable insights for managing non-driving-related tasks and setting appropriate takeover request timings in automated driving systems. Full article

There is growing interest in exploring the positive effects of commercial video games for educational purposes. These investigations focus on enhancing learning outcomes but also on improving emotional and physical well-being, which may lead to greater motivation to learn and more positive learning experiences. However, few studies focus on the role of flow state in these phenomena. In line with this, we present two studies, the former conducted in a primary school in Northern Italy, and the latter in two secondary schools in Central Italy. Both of them aim to investigate the hidden effects of gaming at school in connection with the flow state. The first study, involving students from four classes, aimed at revealing collective dynamics unique to each class. The second study involved students from three classes of two different schools. This study investigated the peculiarity of the effects of different genres of games played in classes. We observed how flow state in context raised meaningful differences in some of the variables measured. These variations seem to reflect distinctive traits regarding playing in general and in the specifics of each class. These findings suggest that educators could consider the unique characteristics that gaming makes evident when designing educational strategies, potentially tailoring the learning process to better align with the specific dynamics of the context. Full article