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dc.contributor.advisorLuck, Geoffrey
dc.contributor.authorHeikkilä, Enja
dc.contributor.authorSalmirinne, Santeri
dc.date.accessioned2024-09-04T10:32:39Z
dc.date.available2024-09-04T10:32:39Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.identifier.urihttps://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/96928
dc.description.abstractAnxious and suspenseful musical elements are abundant in horror video games, and a lot has been done in study-ing the ways this kind of music is made, and how it presents itself in-game. In video game studies fear and anxiety inducing elements are seen as key emotional elements in the horror genre. Most studies on music and anxiety focus on music’s ability to reduce anxiety in various situations. Despite this, fear, for example, is a typical emotion featured in the study of musical emotions and music has also been found to be effective in generating and amplifying suspense, as well as anxiety and stress. Video games also bring a noteworthy dimension into play through interaction and immersion. Music has a significant impact on a player's actions and the intensity of the emotional experience and ways to analyze player behavior have been developed in the study of human-computer interaction and games. Mixing those methods with previously established psychological and musicological models and research is a current issue for game and game music research in general. Combining interdisciplinary measures in the study of video games also brings in new possibilities for surrounding fields. This study aims to answer how well anxious musical ele-ments and sound design induce anxiety in a video game context and how experiencing video game anxiety affects player behavior. The study is also a good opportunity to compare how well different types of data succeed in de-tecting and measuring anxious responses. A mixed-methods study was formulated to test the research questions. The participants played a specifically designed video game with music as the sole variable. Participants were assigned one of three musical scenarios: anxious, neutral and control (no music). Physiological reactions (HRV, SCL, SCR) were measured and compared to player in-game movement data. Interviews for subjective appraisals of the experience were also conducted. The anxious scenario saw a significant change in SCL compared to the neutral and control scenarios. A sig-nificant increase in horizontal camera movement was also observed for the anxious scenario compared to other scenarios. On average, the players in the anxious scenario were the slowest to complete the game. The anxious scenario also produced visually distinct in-game movement patterns, possibly worth further study. Player perfor-mance in flaw detection got worse as more anxious musical elements were presented. The players who played the anxious scenario also had the most fun.en
dc.format.extent76
dc.language.isoen
dc.subject.otherhorror music
dc.subject.otherimmersion
dc.titleDoes horror game music make you anxious? : exploring horror music’s effect on players: a mixed methods study
dc.identifier.urnURN:NBN:fi:jyu-202409045815
dc.type.ontasotMaster’s thesisen
dc.type.ontasotPro gradu -tutkielmafi
dc.contributor.tiedekuntaHumanistis-yhteiskuntatieteellinen tiedekuntafi
dc.contributor.tiedekuntaFaculty of Humanities and Social Sciencesen
dc.contributor.laitosMusiikin, taiteen ja kulttuurin tutkimuksen laitosfi
dc.contributor.laitosDepartment of Music, Art and Culture Studiesen
dc.contributor.yliopistoJyväskylän yliopistofi
dc.contributor.yliopistoUniversity of Jyväskyläen
dc.contributor.oppiaineMusiikkitiedefi
dc.contributor.oppiaineMusicologyen
dc.rights.copyrightJulkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.fi
dc.rights.copyrightThis publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.en
dc.contributor.oppiainekoodi3051
dc.subject.ysokauhu
dc.subject.ysovideopelit
dc.subject.ysokauhupelit
dc.subject.ysoahdistus
dc.subject.ysopelimusiikki
dc.subject.ysomonimenetelmätutkimus
dc.subject.ysodigitaaliset pelit
dc.subject.ysopelitutkimus
dc.subject.ysohorror
dc.subject.ysovideo games
dc.subject.ysohorror games
dc.subject.ysoanxiety
dc.subject.ysogame music
dc.subject.ysomixed methods research
dc.subject.ysodigital games
dc.subject.ysogame research


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