The Role of Competitiveness in the Cognitive Absorption of Video Games

The holistic experience of IT artifacts can be seen in the immersive interaction of video game players. This interaction has been attributed to a State of Flow with the IT artifact. This state, which often results in users devoting a significant amount of time and effort with the IT, has been captured through the construct of cognitive absorption. In this research in progress paper, we describe how interactions with an IT – in particular with video games – can be perceived as being competitive. Moreover, we aim to investigate the process through which emotional responses to a competitive situation emerge and how they influence the experience of cognitive absorption. Further, we aim to examine the role of personality traits on the video game players’ emotional experience. The findings of this research in progress can ultimately highlight the role of emotions for immersive game-based learning environments.

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