An Examination of Flow and Immersion in Games

Abstract

The valid assessment of engagement a player of serious games experiences is vital if future research is to focus on the role such a state has in improving learning outcomes. Researchers have attempted to do so by quantifying aspects of flow and immersion. Both constructs are distinctly defined in the literature yet feature a great amount of overlap when applied to the gaming domain to the point where they are often used to describe one-another. This work seeks to examine the ways in which these two constructs converge when assessed by two commonly-used measures, the Dispositional Flow State Scale (DFS-2) and the Immersive Tendencies Questionnaire (ITQ). Not only did we find a surprising lack of conceptual overlap between flow and immersion in this domain using these specific measures, the results suggested that the use of the DFS-2 and ITQ may not be adequate for use in the gaming domain. This pilot study reveals the necessity for a line of research further examining these two constructs and their measurement in gaming.

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