A BSc Psychology and Bachelor of Game Development Graduate.
A quick learner and gamer full with passions.
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The Gamer’s Brain: How Neuroscience and UX Can Impact Design is a 2015 GDC talk video from Epic Games’ Celia Hodent, which talked about how neuroscience plays its part in game design.
| Perception | Memory | Attention | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works in a nutshell | Input is processed | Encoding and Storage | Spotlight |
| Limitations | Perception is not equal to reality, it is subjective | Forgetting Curve | Inattentional blindness and Low attention span |
| Applications | Use Gestalt laws, Form Follows Functions | Reduce memory load and Prioritize learning | Minimum workload and Context & Meaning |
1. Perception
How it works in a nutshell: Input is processed Limitations (Example): Perception is not equal to reality, it is subjective Applications (Example): Use Gestalt laws, Form Follows Functions
Our brain processes input with sensation, perception, and cognition.
Sensation : Physics -> orientation, spatial frequency, brightness etc
Perception : Organization of the visual field -> the brain likes meaningful patterns (shape)
Cognition : Knowledge -> access to semantics
Generally, it works as a top down process, starts from Cognition, to Perception, and ends with Sensation. Meaning our brain tends to use existing knowledge to determine how it is going to deal with the information. In other words, we are more likely to depend on our knowledge when we see or experience something new to us.
A philosophical way to put it: We don’t see the thing as it is but as what we believe it is.
Gestalt Theory : Law of proximity, Law of Similarity
Shepard tone, tone that gives a sense of infinitely increasing
2. Memory
How it works in a nutshell: Encoding and Storage Limitations (Example): Forgetting Curve Applications (Example): Reduce memory load and Prioritize learning
Sensory Memory: Part of perception, Importance of attention
(Encoding)Working Memory: Short-term - easily distubed, requires heavy attentional resources
(Storage)Long-term Memory: Potentially unlimited in time and space
In Ebbinghaus’s (1885) research, he hypothesized that human tend to start losing the memory of learned knowledge over time, in an exponential way.
Memory retention is 100% at the time of learning any particular piece of information. However, it drops rapidly to 40% within the first dew days. After which, the declination of memory retention slows down again.
from Praveen Shrestha's article(https://www.psychestudy.com/cognitive/memory/ebbinghaus-forgetting-curve)
Prioritize learning is a method to help us in the memory issue mentioned. The game can be designed to help players to strengthen their memory on learning something more important such as core gameplay mechanics but not a mechanic that only happens once in the entire game.
3. Attention
How it works in a nutshell: Spotlight Limitations (Example): Inattentional blindness and Low attention span Applications (Example): Minimum workload and Context & Meaning
Something like red color can be used to get players attention. But we should be aware of its context and should not overuse it which can affect the gameplay experience.
When there is too much ‘spotlight’ in the game, players will unconsciously ignore most of the things we want them to notice but focus on what they’re doing.
Human also have a low attention span. Normally, we cannot concentrate on something for a very long time. This should be considered when designing the gameplay experience.
Deeper you process information (which also mean you’re giving more attention to it), the better you learn/retain
By adding context and meaning, we are able to help players to remember certain information. For example, players will be more familiar with something if they learn it by do it (context). This can be further strenghten by providing something worthwhile to it (Meaning), such as players do it for the character’s life/mission/goal.
However, do take note that context and meaning do not necessary means narrative.
On the other hand, try to avoid learn then do which is a shallow process and provides weak motivation.
Knowledge influences how we perceive things.
We forget things more often then we thought.
Players learn better by process the information deeper (context provided) and with great motivation (meaning is given).