To See and Fear: A Pilot Study on Gaze Behaviour in Horror Gaming

Abstract

Objective: Inspired by the growing popularity of the horror genre, its intense psychological resonance, frequent use of visual horror stimuli, and the dearth of research in the area, this pilot study aimed to explore differences in fixation percentage regarding horror stimuli and fixation number across individuals split between three groups (horror/ gamer; horror/ non-gamer; non-horror/ gamer). Method: 12 participants were recruited and asked a series of questions to determine group, followed by questions from the Fear Questionnaire. Succeeding this, they were equipped with Tobii Pro Eye-Tracking Glasses and allowed to begin a short video game demo, being Resident Evil 7 Teaser: Beginning Hour, chosen due to its firstperson perspective, lack of combat, and shadowed environments. Results: Independent T-Tests revealed no significant differences in fixation number or Fear Questionnaire scores, with one of two demo scenarios extracted for analysis showing significant differences across groups. Conclusion: It is possible that game design or resilience/ desensitisation can explain a lack of consistently significant results, as can a lack of sample power. The demo was deemed appropriate for the study design and the easily replicable procedure lends itself to suggestions for future studies to continue research in this area.