The Effect of Realistic and Fantastical Narrative Context on Perceived Relevance and Self-Efficacy in Serious Games

Abstract

This study examined the differences between a game with a realistic narrative context and one with a more fantastical narrative context, in terms of perceived game relevance and game-specific self-efficacy. Users who played the game with the more realistic narrative exhibited greater perceived relevance and greater game-specific self-efficacy, in comparison with their counterparts. The more realistic narrative may allow for the material being learned to be better incorporated into the underlying narrative, thus increasing the perceived relevance of the game overall. The more realistic context may have yielded an increased game-specific self-efficacy due to the increased feasibility of the actions users undertake in the game. Using Yi & Hwang’s (2003) Technology Acceptance Model, we suggest that the increased game relevance and self-efficacy that result from a more realistic context can be used to increase the amount of time users spend using the learning game.