Brain–Heart Interaction and the Experience of Flow While Playing a Video Game

Abstract

The flow state – an experience of complete absorption in an activity – is linked with less self-referential processing and increased arousal. We used the heart-evoked potential (HEP), an index representing brain–heart interaction, as well as indices of peripheral physiology to assess the state of flow in individuals playing a video game. 22 gamers and 21 non-gamers played the video game Thumper for 25 min while their brain and cardiorespiratory signals were simultaneously recorded. The more participants were absorbed in the game, the less they thought about time and the faster time passed subjectively. On the cortical level, the fronto-central HEP amplitude was significantly lower while playing the game compared to resting states before and after the game, reflecting less self-referential processing while playing. This HEP effect corresponded with lower activity during gameplay in brain regions contributing to interoceptive processing. The HEP amplitude predicted the level of absorption in the game. While the HEP amplitude was overall lower during the gaming session than during the resting states, within the gaming session the amplitude of HEP was positively associated with absorption. Since higher absorption was related to higher performance in the game, the higher HEP in more absorbed individuals reflects more efficient brain–heart interaction, which is necessary for efficient game play. On the physiological level, a higher level of flow was associated with increased overall sympathetic activity and less inhibited parasympathetic activity toward the end of the game. These results are building blocks for future neurophysiological assessments of flow.

Heart Rate Variability during Online Video Game Playing in Habitual Gamers: Effects of Internet Addition Scale, Ranking Score and Gaming Performance

“…It therefore may be true that the high ranking players need to be more immersed and use higher and more complicated cognitive exertions, such as extra vigilance, divided attention and multi-tasking, to achieve a favorable outcome, as the margins for lapses and errors are narrower for them than for those at lower ranks. It is known that increases of immersion (i.e., ow), cognitive demand and "adrenaline-rush" experience during video game playing give rise to the so-called " ow" state, which is characterized by parasympathetic withdrawalassociated arousal and decrease in HF [90][91][92][93]. Consistent with our observation, previous studies have demonstrated that expert neurointerventionalists have lower HF than non-experts when performing simulated neuroangiographies with the same workload [94], and familiarized chess players have lower HF than unfamiliarized chess players when playing chess in a strange computer environment [33].…”

Heart Rate Variability during Online Video Game Playing in Habitual Gamers: Effects of Internet Addiction Scale, Ranking Score and Gaming Performance

“…It therefore may be true that the high-ranking players need to be more immersed and use higher and more complicated cognitive exertions, such as extra vigilance, divided attention and multi-tasking, to achieve a favorable outcome, as the margins for lapses and errors are narrower for them than for those at lower ranks. It is known that increases in immersion (i.e., flow), cognitive demand and "adrenaline-rush" experience during video game playing give rise to the so-called "flow" state, which is characterized by parasympathetic withdrawal-associated arousal and a decrease in HF [85][86][87][88]. Consistent with our observation, previous studies have demonstrated that expert neurointerventionalists have lower HF than non-experts when performing simulated neuroangiographies with the same workload [89], and familiarized chess players have lower HF than unfamiliarized chess players when playing chess in a strange computer environment [30].…”

Seeking Solace, Not Catharsis: Frustration Diminishes the Inclination to Play Violent Video Games

“…Often, video games, including VVGs, embed players in narrative-rich environments that mimic real-life scenarios, where in-game aggression is contextually driven, not arbitrary. Players typically face provocations or challenges within the game, which could potentially increase frustration (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975), a factor intentionally integrated into game design for enhanced engagement (Khoshnoud et al, 2022). However, and relevant to our case, this in-game frustration might be unappealing to individuals already experiencing frustration from external sources.…”