Researchers add fear of electric shock to "Pac-Man-like" game
By Donald Melanson 
posted Aug 24th 2007 3:35PM
posted Aug 24th 2007 3:35PM
Researchers at University College London look to have taken a slightly unconventional approach in their studies on fear, with the BBC reporting that they've crafted a "Pac-Man-like" game that boasts the added risk of electric shock. Apparently, volunteers play the game while an MRI scanner monitors them, moving a blue triangle through a 2D maze while trying to avoid a red dot "predator." If that dot catches them, they receive an electric shock. As that danger neared , the researchers found that players stopped using their their prefrontal cortex in their forebrain and instead relied on their midbrain area, which controls "gut-level reflexes." At least that's what they're saying. We have a sneaking suspicion it may all just be an elaborate trick the researchers play on freshman students.
[Via The Inquirer]
[Via The Inquirer]
Sweet, that would be the perfect training tool for potential US soldiers.
How'd this get past RIB?
I'll bet there isn't actually a shock. It is pretty hard to convince a review board to allow you to deliver a real electric shock.
"I'll tell you what the effect is, it's pissing me off ! "
LOL
Side effects include:
Oily anal discharge
Decreased reaction time
Fried internal organs
Awesome Ghostbusters reference!
Best. Reference. Ever.
It has always amazed me how much genuine panic and anxiety a game can induce. I've found my heart racing when facing overwhelming odds on certain games.
I always seemed to get jacked when playing PvP games, first-person-shooters or otherwise (WoW). I usually don't realize it until one of us is dead though.
I get right psyched playing the last lap of the last level of Mario Kart Double Dash. It's the music, I swear.
Paging Dr Crane, Dr Jonathan Crane...
"Well, just sevvventttyy five more to go."
Awesome reference.
This is the best picture I've seen on any tech website in a long time. "You can keep the 5 bucks!"
Hey, I recognize the little Pac-Man machine that you Photoshopped into the image. I used to have one of those as a kid, along with Donkey Kong and Zaxxon. Gosh the memories. Those were cool little machines. I had my own mini-arcade going. They took a ton of batteries though.
Something similar to this was done at an art gallery in Los Angeles a couple years back...never got a chance to try it though...
http://www.c-level.cc/tekken1.html
UCL usually offer money for these research things. My flatmate is a student there and does them all the time.
I, for one, welcome our shock frenzy - anal probing - pacman manipulating overlords.
couldn't resist... you know, because it's futile and all.
I sincerely doubt that the participants actually got an electric shock as this would be breaking 1 of the fundamental ethical guidelines of the British Psychological Society. Of which ALL academic psychological experiments/studies are bound.
The Ethical guidelines state that the mental and physical protection of participants is paramount. As waiving this could jepordise future research and damage the reputation of a scientific discipline.