Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Violence makes things memorable

According to this research, ads in video games are more memorable when the game includes a violent component. This makes evolutionary sense, there are good reasons to pay attention during violent incidents. If you survive violence, you should remember what happened so you'll be able to survive next time.

This ability to learn quickly in relationship with violence might be useful in Instructional Design, especially when teaching facts that are inherently boring. For example, imagine a version of Quake which requires you to shoot one specific molecule type while avoiding shooting any of the others to teach organic chemistry. While you're looking for that one molecule type, you have billboards in the game world that teach you the others, which you'll need at higher levels.

4 comments:

  1. Hey how about including a link to the version of Quake for chem after you write it!!

    My son would love that.

    Keep up the good work.

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  2. I'd like to do this, if my kids and work give me time. I need to find an engine first, but that shouldn't too hard - there's a bunch of open source ones.

    BTW, anonymous, if I know you and you wouldn't mind, could you tell me who you are? You don't have to, I just prefer it.

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  3. You don't know me. I am just an old woman who likes finding intelligent life on the internet.

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  4. Welcome, Mrs. (or Miss) Anonymous. I hope I'll be able to keep your high opinion.

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