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Effects of racing games on risky driving behaviour, and the significance of personality and physiological data
  1. Mingming Deng1,2,
  2. Alan H S Chan3,
  3. Feng Wu1,
  4. Jun Wang4
  1. 1School of Management, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
  2. 2School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
  3. 3Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, KowloonTong, Hong Kong
  4. 4School of Information, Xi'an University of Finance and Economics, Xi'an, China
  1. Correspondence to Mingming Deng, School of Management, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China dengmingming1{at}sina.com

Abstract

Background Racing games have emerged as top-selling products in the video and computer game industry. The effect of playing racing games on the inclination of gamers to take risks has been investigated.

Method Two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, the impact of personality traits on the effects of playing racing games on risk-taking inclination was examined. The Vienna Test System, which includes the Eysenck Personality Profile Test and the Vienna Risk-Taking Test, was used to measure risk-taking inclination and risk-taking while driving. Experiment 2 was designed and conducted to analyse the effects of different intensity levels of car racing games on risk-taking inclination, and to study the relationship between physiological data and risk-taking inclination. Physiological data on skin conductance, heart rate and blood pressure were measured with the NeuroDyne System.

Results Participants playing a racing game were more inclined to take risks in critical road traffic situations than those playing a neutral game. The adventurousness dimension of the Eysenck Personality Profile Test correlated significantly positively with risk-taking inclination. More importantly, the effect of the intensity level of a racing game on risk-taking inclination was significant. The higher the intensity level of the racing game, the higher the risk-taking inclination while driving. The effect of intensity level of the racing game on skin conductance was significantly positive. Skin conductance correlated significantly positively with risk-taking inclination.

Conclusions The effect of playing racing games on risk-taking inclination is linked to personality and physiological data. Some recommendations are proposed as a result of this study for racing game management.

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