Articles tagged with Games
A new study analyzing interactions between players in a virtual universe game has provided large-scale evidence to prove an 80-year-old psychological theory called Structural Balance Theory. The research shows that individuals tend to avoid stress-causing relationships when they develop a society, resulting in more stable social networks.
A new study found that those who expect unexpected events are no better at detecting them than those who don't, and may even be worse. The study used a video featuring basketball players and a gorilla, and showed that familiarity with the original experiment did not improve detection of other unexpected events.
Researchers at the University of Miami designed intelligent 3D simulation robots to participate in the Robocup 2010 competition. The team developed a soccer team of six autonomous robots that can acquire strategic knowledge and real-time reasoning, setting their sights on making it through the first round.
Research suggests that MLB pitchers who are 'morning types' tend to perform better in early games and have an advantage over evening types. The study analyzed the statistics of 18 pitchers from five teams and found a correlation between sleep preference and pitching performance.
A UC Davis study found that online games and websites marketed to children are predominantly branding tools, with nutrition information often buried or absent. The researchers recommend increased regulation to prevent childhood obesity and promote healthier eating habits.
A study by British and Spanish researchers found that cooked game meat exceeded EU maximum lead levels due to ammo residue. The presence of lead in hunted animals increases the risk of exposure, particularly for vulnerable groups.
A study found that ultrasound can effectively diagnose muscle tears in soccer players during games, allowing for immediate play cessation. This non-invasive imaging modality helps prevent further injuries by detecting partial or complete muscle tears on-site.
A study by Loveland et al. found that people prefer nostalgic products in situations where they feel a heightened need to belong. In experiments, participants who felt excluded chose more nostalgic products than contemporary ones.
Bruce Bukiet's mathematical model predicts the top-performing teams in Major League Baseball for the 2010 season. His predictions focus on the power and relevance of math, demonstrating how it applies to baseball, and are based on a more realistic runner advancement model.
Subhash Khot, a NYU Courant professor, has received the NSF's Waterman Award for his work on computational complexity and its significance in computer security. He is recognized for his groundbreaking research on the Unique Games Problem, which sheds light on computationally intractable problems with far-reaching consequences.
Researchers from UC San Diego and Harvard found that cooperative behavior is contagious and spreads through a social network. When people benefit from kindness, they are more likely to help others, creating a cascade of cooperation.
Kerry Whisnant, a physicist at Iowa State University, has developed a formula that predicts baseball team success by considering run consistency and slugging percentage. His study shows that more consistent teams with higher SLG tend to win more games for the same RPG.
Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston are using real-time intelligence systems to monitor potential infectious disease threats to mass gatherings like the Olympics. The collaboration is providing actionable intelligence to help organizers prepare for and respond to emerging infectious diseases.
Researchers at Duke University used brain scans to study the emotional impact of sports on memory. The study found that fans remember successful shots by their own team better than misses or opposing team successes. Positive emotion improves memory and activates multiple brain areas, including the amygdala and hippocampus.
A Cornell study analyzing 27 million online poker hands found that novice players tend to lose money despite winning more hands, as they struggle with occasional large losses versus frequent small gains. Small pairs are more valuable for small-stakes players than medium pairs due to their less ambiguous value.
Researchers found that custom videogames improved hand function and forearm bone health in teens with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. The games were designed to be used remotely, reducing costs and increasing accessibility to rehabilitation therapy.
A large national study from Brandeis University found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly can make a difference in maintaining memory. Those with low education who engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles regularly had memory scores similar to people with more education
Research suggests that pushing toddlers to develop self-control too early may hinder brain development. Toddlers rely on brute-force competition to learn social conventions like language acquisition. Their immature brains are better equipped for learning through trial and error, allowing them to pick up skills effortlessly.
Researchers at USC's CRES are evaluating robots as exercise coaches for adults of all ages, particularly the elderly. The study examines how physical presence affects robotic exercise motivation in older subjects.
Michigan State University researchers are pairing college-age students with virtual workout partners to study the impact on exercise trends. The goal is to find characteristics of a virtual partner that motivate people to exercise harder, longer or more frequently.
A new study at the University of Haifa found that oxytocin hormone boosts positive feelings but also increases envy and gloating in individuals with a negative association, highlighting the narrow line between love and jealousy.
A virtual reality game called FearNot! was tested on 1,129 children aged eight to nine in the UK and Germany. The result: a 26% decrease in bullying victimization over a three-week period.
The Carnegie Mellon Mobile & Immersive Learning for Literacy in Emerging Economies (MILLEE) project will conduct a controlled study involving 800 children in 40 villages in Andhra Pradesh, India. The goal is to gauge the effectiveness of mobile phone-based games for teaching English lessons.
A study by researchers at Duke University and the University of Michigan found that men who voted for McCain or Barr experienced a significant drop in testosterone levels after the election results were announced. In contrast, Obama voters showed stable testosterone levels. The study suggests that vicarious participation in elections c...
Researchers at the University of Iowa challenge previous studies on social cues in babies and dogs, finding that distractions from adults lead to poor performance in a classic toy-hiding game. Computer simulations support this explanation, showing that attention and memory are key factors in the task.
The Together Anywhere project aims to simplify group communication via the Internet, creating a sense of presence among distant participants. The Fraunhofer Institute's Audio Communication Engine enhances video and telephone conference call quality with low-delay hi-fi audio.
A recent study published in Research in Sports Medicine found that football injuries sustained during the beginning and middle of a game are more severe than those occurring at the end or in overtime. The majority of severe injuries, including concussions, occurred during kickoff and punting phases.
A six-year study led by Panthera demonstrates that conservation strategies can significantly increase leopard populations and reduce human-cat conflict. The study, published in Biological Conservation, found that implementing regulations to disperse hunting pressure across a province helped stabilize the population, leading to increase...
A new study by Ana Valenzuela, Barbara Mellers, and Judi Strebel found that Westerner consumers are more receptive to unexpected promotional gifts than their East Asian counterparts. East Asians tend to view surprises as indicative of bad fortune, leading to a different emotional response.
Researchers found that counting money reduced social distress and physical pain compared to counting paper, while thinking about finances increased these negative reactions. The study suggests that the mere idea of money has considerable psychological power.
New research published in PLOS ONE found that men under stress are more likely to engage in risky behavior, including gambling, while stressed women tend to moderate their choices. The study used the Balloon Analogue Risk Task to assess participants' risk-taking tendencies.
Researchers from the University of Queensland studied semi-professional players and found that skill components are crucial to football performance. The study suggests that unambiguous metrics can help identify new talent and streamline selection criteria.
A Kansas State University study found that Girl Scout meetings can increase girls' physical activity and promote healthy habits. The two-year research involved nine Girl Scout troops, with five receiving an intervention aimed at teaching exercise sessions and nutrition.
Researchers at UT School of Public Health developed +CLICK, a game designed to educate HIV-positive youth on safe behaviors and reduce secondary transmission. The game received high credibiilty ratings from participants and showed promise in reducing risky sexual behaviors.
A new study found that consumers experience greater delight when winning a prize without immediate knowledge of its value. This positive uncertainty can stimulate mental imagery and prolong positive feelings, making winners more receptive to marketing messages.
A new music search engine developed by UC San Diego engineers uses artificial intelligence to analyze songs and provide accurate song suggestions based on user input. The system uses machine learning algorithms to identify patterns in music genres, emotions, and instruments, enabling users to find specific songs through descriptive words.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center studied monkeys playing a game similar to
US researchers have developed a forensics toolkit for the Xbox console that enables investigators to access and analyze hidden data. The XFT utility allows users to mount an image of the FATX file system, explore directory structures, and view files in detail.
According to Sheldon H. Jacobson, a University of Illinois professor, a team's seeding is statistically insignificant in predicting their chances of winning in the later rounds of the tournament. Ignoring a team's seeding can lead to more accurate predictions, especially after the Sweet Sixteen round.
Researchers found that describing past actions in the imperfective aspect (e.g. I was solving word puzzles) improves memory recall and performance on similar tasks compared to the perfective aspect (e.g. I solved word puzzles). This technique may be useful in behavioral therapy for increasing healthy behaviors.
Researchers analyzed nearly 60 terabytes of data from EverQuest II, a fantasy massive multiplayer online role-playing game, to study social network configurations. They found that players tend to stick close to home, forming groups with people they already know, and women are often the most dedicated and satisfied players.
A recent study found that playing games against a virtual opponent activates different brain areas than those activated when playing against a human opponent. The medial prefrontal cortex and other regions associated with 'Theory of Mind' were more active in male players believing they were competing with another human.
A new study suggests that synchrony fosters cooperation, even when individuals have financial incentives to behave selfishly. Volunteers who participated in synchronized activities, such as walking in step or moving cups to music, were more likely to cooperate with others and report feeling part of a team.
A new mathematical model developed at Duke University could help robots navigate strange surroundings to find hidden explosives. The model, inspired by the popular board game CLUE, uses a strategy of selecting movements and optimizing information incorporation to achieve success.
A new study suggests that betraying trust early on can be devastating and plant seeds of doubt, making it harder to rebuild. In experiments, students who experienced immediate trust breaches showed less cooperation and more negative evaluations of their partners compared to those whose partner defected later.
A new study found that African American adolescent girls whose mothers used psychological control, such as guilt trips and withdrawn affection, reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. In contrast, boys showed no such effect. The researchers suggest a need for parents to strike a balance between giving children autonomy and guidi...
Researchers use supercomputers to model air flow around golf balls, optimizing dimple size and pattern for lower drag. The study reveals the physics of a flying golf ball with unprecedented detail, paving the way for future improvements in ball design.
Researchers at the University of Central Florida are developing a virtual reality program to help stroke survivors improve their range of motion. The program, which will track patients' progress, aims to make physical therapy exercises more engaging and enjoyable, encouraging patients to work harder and increase their mobility.
A study published in Psychological Science found that people who rely on their emotions during negotiations tend to make simpler and cleaner offers, but still achieve good outcomes. This suggests that emotional decision making may be both simpler and more lucrative than traditional calculation-based approaches.
Researchers at New York University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study patterns of brain activation during experimental auctions. They found that participants' exaggerated response to losses in the auction game correlated with their tendency to overbid, suggesting that the fear of losing social competition may le...
A USC survey of 7,000 EverQuest II players found that older players were more typical, with playing time increasing with age. Women logged more hours in the game and were less likely to quit, while also exercising regularly. The study suggests that online gaming may not compromise mental health, contrary to stereotypes.
A new study has discovered a specific brain association in people with borderline personality disorder, linked to difficulties in understanding others' actions. The findings suggest a potential diagnostic tool and treatment approach using functional MRI technology.
Researchers found that excluding participants from a game led to automatic mimicry of another person's behaviors, influencing feelings of belonging. This phenomenon suggests that nonconscious mimicry is an automatic response to social exclusion, with implications for human behavior.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that children can learn flexible behavior and make correct choices without realizing why, challenging traditional theories. The study used a computer game to test children's ability to choose objects based on shape or color in different contexts.
A study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that MLB teams with a greater circadian advantage tend to win more games. The researchers analyzed data from over 24,000 games and discovered that the winning percentage increased when teams held a larger time zone difference.
A study from Karolinska Institutet found that golfers have a lower death rate than non-golfers, with a 5-year increase in life expectancy. Golfing, especially with a low handicap, has beneficial health effects.
Researchers mapped brain regions for social standing and money rewards, finding that both engage the same reward circuitry. This discovery sheds light on complex social behaviors and could lead to better understanding of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
A 14-year-old CEO has created a chemistry trading card game called Elementeo that teaches chemical elements and compounds through interactive gameplay. The game's unique mechanics aim to combine fun and learning, with the goal of reducing opponents' electrons to zero.
Playing numerical board games boosts preschoolers' counting, numeral recognition, and estimation skills, with benefits lasting nine weeks. The study found that such activities can bridge the gap in math knowledge between low-income and middle-income children.
A study by Case Western Reserve University psychologist found that skills play a significant role in winning at poker, rather than luck. The research involved college students playing multiple rounds of Turbo Texas Hold'em, with those given strategies performing better and improving their games.