Articles tagged with Games
Researchers analyzed data from over 850,000 online gamers, finding that those who practiced more efficiently or explored game mechanics before achieving higher scores. This study suggests that optimal learning strategies can improve skill acquisition and become increasingly relevant as people live longer and acquire complex skills.
Duke University researchers analyzed data from 20 million virtual suitcase searches and found that players correctly identified ultra-rare items only 27% of the time. The study reveals a strong relationship between item frequency and detection rates, highlighting how rare objects can slip past us despite intense searching.
Researchers found that playing board games like Chutes & Ladders with the 'count-on' method yields learning gains in early number skills. This approach helps children develop their ability to encode the relationship between numbers and spaces.
A large-scale online study found that altering task parameters can significantly impact learning rates in cognitive training. The research showed that making tasks more challenging led to greater improvements in spatial recall and attention, with effects being dose-dependent.
A new study published in Psychological Science found that when we perceive someone as trustworthy, their face is perceived as more similar to our own. Researchers used morphing images and bargaining games to test this idea, finding that trust cues can extend beyond social closeness into physical characteristics.
A study by Brown University researchers found that lighter non-wood bats did not launch the ball at significantly higher speeds than wood bats, particularly for younger players. The study's results suggest that coordinated rules for bat performance in youth baseball are needed to ensure player safety and enjoyment.
McGill University has made its online game Phylo available globally to connect thousands of scientists with hundreds of thousands of gamer-citizens scientists. Players have already contributed over 4,000 puzzle solutions based on genomic data.
Research shows that people tend to value immediate material rewards over investing in future quality of life, making cooperative behavior in climate protection less likely without strong incentives. Experimental results demonstrate a stark contrast between individual self-interest and collective benefits.
A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that chain restaurant menus did not become significantly healthier between 2010 and 2011, despite efforts to increase nutrition. The average calorie and sodium content of main entrées remained largely unchanged, with only slight decreases in some cases.
Carnegie Mellon researchers used Twitter analysis to predict NFL game outcomes and found a 55% accurate method for beating the spread. However, their analysis was limited by the rapidly changing nature of Twitter and the skill of sports books in setting point spreads.
Rice University's Multi-Robot Systems Laboratory researchers gather data from online game SwarmControl.net to develop new control algorithms for robotic swarms. They demonstrate complex behaviors with simple commands, showcasing potential for massive populations of robots to perform coordinated tasks.
A recent study by Brigham Young University found that shopping in high heels can lead to more mindful consumer choices, resulting in a balanced approach between high-end and low-end products. By introducing physical sensations of balance, consumers are more likely to weigh options and avoid extreme spending
A study by University of Warwick researchers found that young children under 4 struggle to understand the concept of competition and how it relates to others' goals. They failed to appreciate the intentional use of poaching moves in games, even when faced with their opponent's actions.
Researchers found that limiting contact in practice reduced the number and force of head hits in young football players. The study, which measured head impacts over an entire season, showed that teams with restricted practices had significantly fewer head hits, on average, than teams without such restrictions.
The app compensates for touchscreens' 'fat finger' problem by automatically correcting drawing strokes while preserving artistic style. A large database of celebrity photos was generated through an iPhone game, providing insights into art and perception.
A pilot study from North Carolina State University found that switching seats can keep middle school students engaged in educational gaming tasks. The researchers discovered that the student actively playing the game stayed focused, while the second student on the team often lost interest.
Researchers found that elephants increase their skin's permeability during hot summer months and rely on evaporation of sweat to cool down. The study suggests that climate plays a significant role in an elephant's water dependence, with different species requiring varying amounts of water for cooling.
Replacing older sedentary electronic games with newer active versions significantly boosts daily physical activity levels among kids, with a 3-4 minute increase. Removing all devices also leads to a 4-5 minute decrease in sedentary time and a small but significant increase in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
Computer scientists programmed ACT-R, a cognitive simulation, to play Concentration, improving computer security and understanding human thought processes. Human participants played 20 times each to compare with the AI model's performance.
Researchers found that partition dependence, where breaking down possible outcomes into specific intervals, leads people to overestimate the likelihood of certain events. This bias was observed in various prediction markets, including lab experiments and natural markets, such as horse racing.
ScreenPass adds new features to an Android phone's operating system to prevent malicious apps from stealing user passwords. It uses a special-purpose software keyboard and computer vision to track password data and notify users of potential threats.
A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that consumers are more likely to pursue goals when they set flexible, high-low range goals. This flexibility increases the challenge of the goal while also making it attainable, leading to a greater sense of accomplishment and higher reengagement rates.
A University of Florida study found that 35% of designated drivers had consumed alcohol and had blood-alcohol levels high enough to impair their driving. The researchers also discovered that most designated drivers were not always chosen by those who had previously driven sober, which is a concerning trend.
The number of big game hunters in Spain has risen significantly over the past three decades, driven by urban tourists seeking trophy hunting experiences. This trend is linked to economic factors, including increased purchasing power and the growth of commercial hunting activities.
Researchers found that compassion training increased activity in brain regions involved in empathy and emotion regulation, leading to a desire to help others. The study also showed that people trained in compassion were more likely to be altruistic and spend their own money to support someone in need.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that adults can be trained to engage in compassion meditation, increasing caring feelings for people suffering. Participants showed increased brain activity in regions involved in empathy and emotion regulation after training.
Researchers will explore sustainable business models for digital games with scientific goals, developing new algorithms to analyze player behaviors. The £1.2 million project brings UK game industry closer to scientists, teachers, and healthcare workers to drive innovation.
Researchers at UCSB's Koegel Autism Center successfully treat autism in infants by replacing distressing games with preferred activities and teaching parents how to implement the protocol. The study found significant improvements in infant reactions to stimuli, with two out of three infants having normal reactions and one showing very ...
Researchers at University of Bristol unveil prototype mobile devices that can change shape on-demand, introducing the concept of 'shape resolution' and its ten features. The devices, called Morphees, can transform into different shapes to support various services and applications.
Researchers at UCL and Montreal found a way to train the brain to accurately predict event outcomes by providing idealised scenarios that conform to statistical probability. This 'cleans' their memory and provides good quality evidence for decision-making.
A research project called Polly has demonstrated the potential for teaching poorly educated people about automated voice services. The system, which adds funny sound effects to recorded messages, has been used by over 160,000 people, including some non-Pakistanis, and has handled almost 2.5 million calls.
Researchers found that simple games and informal exposure to foreign language words and pictures significantly improved language learning outcomes. The study shows that people can retain knowledge unintentionally learned through informal activities even days later.
In a study published in Current Biology, vervet monkeys demonstrate self-control and learning without guidance to solve coordination problems. By playing the 'Forbidden Circle' game, they figure out rules through trial and error, showcasing the importance of individual learning and patience.
Research suggests that prolonged screen viewing time, especially TV watching, may be linked to increased risks of antisocial behavior in young children. However, the authors note that the risk is very small and that spending time playing electronic games has no impact on behavior.
Researchers found that playing action videogames for a short time enhances visual search skills in complex scenes. Players showed improved performance on tasks such as finding targets among distractions. The benefits of gaming on visual search were comparable to those seen with driving games.
Researchers at Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute found that cold reasoning and hot feelings are intimately connected in the brain. The study used a fairness probe called the ultimatum game, which showed that feelings about offers tracked well-defined computations, indicating no clean separation between rational decision-making ...
A recent study found that people who intentionally exclude others experience negative emotions such as shame and guilt, while those who are excluded feel anger. These results highlight the psychological costs of excluding others, suggesting a fundamental human need for social connection and autonomy.
A new study by Grand Valley State University researchers found that NHL teams tend to favor older players, resulting in underestimating the potential of younger players. The study shows that players born between July and December have a higher success rate than those born in the first three months of the year.
Researchers at the Zoological Society of London found that chimpanzees enjoy solving a challenging puzzle as much as humans do. The chimps used sticks to redirect red dice through pipes until they fell into an exit chamber, demonstrating their problem-solving skills and ability to experience satisfaction without food rewards.
Researchers at Indiana University found that people playing rock-paper-scissors subtly influence each other, converging on similar ways of reasoning over time. This 'cyclic game dynamics' occurs when individuals try to anticipate others' decisions, leading to synchronized behavior in various real-world situations.
Adding a new member to a working group can create distrust among older members, leading to decreased coordination. When previous group performance with just the older group members is poor, the distrust created is exacerbated.
A University of Illinois study shows that retailers must balance the shopping process for consumers and pricing behavior of upstream suppliers through strategic manipulation of store layout. The findings suggest that making certain products convenient to consumers may not be the best retail strategy, as it can influence pricing behavio...
Researchers played the Ultimatum Game with six adult chimpanzees and 20 human children, finding that both groups responded similarly to adults. Chimpanzees split rewards equally when cooperation was required, similar to human behavior. This study provides evidence for a shared preference for fair outcomes between humans and apes.
Researchers have successfully photographed a male jaguar and an adult male ocelot using automated wildlife monitoring cameras in the Santa Rita Mountains. The images provide clear evidence that the big cats travel between Southern Arizona's mountain ranges, shedding light on their distribution and ecology.
A study by Baylor University and Clemson University researchers found that student-athletes often use Twitter during games to receive real-time commentary. The study highlights the risks of critical tweets and the importance of social media training for student-athletes.
The US Coast Guard and USC's Viterbi School of Engineering developed the PROTECT system, which uses quantal response theory to model unpredictable adversary behavior. The system has been successfully deployed in Boston and is undergoing testing at New York, showing improved results over human-generated patrolling strategies.
A new study by University of Colorado and Loyola professors found that replacing a head coach for poor team performance has mixed results. On average, teams with poor records see a short-lived improvement in performance after a coaching change, while mediocre teams' records worsen.
Online role-playing game developers can increase player loyalty by providing gamers with more opportunities for social interaction, collaboration, and character ownership. The study found that strategies such as cooperative play and guilds built loyalty and social identity among players.
According to IU professor Mike Conway, the term 'anchor man' was coined for a game show and not Walter Cronkite. Research found that John Cameron Swayze was the first person referred to as 'anchor man' on NBC's quiz show 'Who Said That?' in October 1948.
Researchers found that faster decision-makers tend to contribute more to a common good, suggesting intuition plays a key role in cooperation. People's moral intuitions also clash when values conflict, highlighting the need for reflection to reconcile differences.
A new study funded by the Wellcome Trust found that humans tend to reject unfair offers of water, even when severely thirsty. The researchers used an ultimatum game to test whether humans would accept an unequal offer of water, and found that they did so only if they subjectively felt a strong need for water.
Fit Brains, a top online brain fitness platform, has achieved 75 million brain game scores played by over 5 million users. The company is celebrating with a charitable incentive, donating $10 to a brain research foundation for each new membership in September.
A recent study by Queen Mary University of London found that chimpanzees and bonobos do not possess a sense of fairness like humans. In ultimatum games, the apes consistently chose to steal food without considering their partner's outcomes.
Research tracking 259 elite rugby players found that those competing in tournaments across multiple time zones were twice to three times as likely to get ill as on their home turf. The study suggests various stressors such as pollution, temperature, and germs may be involved in the increased risk of illness.
The game, developed with Portuguese company Stand Clear Ltd, features a robot that recognizes facial expressions and responds accordingly. Players can collect bolts and batteries while avoiding obstacles in various scenarios, with the goal of helping FLASH master social niceties to earn bonus points.
The 'Control-Alt-Hack' game allows teenage and young-adult players to defend against digital threats in a social and entertaining way. The game incorporates real-world scenarios and skills, dispelling stereotypes about computer science professionals.
Researchers found that high trust in feelings amplifies emotionally driven responses, even when faced with compelling information favoring the opposite choice. The study suggests that relying on feelings as information can lead to irrational decisions.
Researchers at Kansas State University found that single mothers who spend quality time with their children experience lower levels of parental stress. Engaging in daily activities such as reading, playing games, or putting the child to bed can help alleviate stress and provide a sense of fulfillment.
Researchers developed two collaborative games to teach phylogeny, a tree diagram representing evolutionary history. Phylo-Genie improved student scores on post-tests compared to pen-and-paper exercises, while Build-a-Tree demonstrated active prolonged engagement in informal museum settings.
Researchers developed a solution called 'game-powered machine learning' that enables computers to automatically label every song on the internet using examples provided by unpaid music fans. This approach is as accurate as using paid music experts and saves time and money.