Showing papers by "Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover published in 2006"

Effectance, self-efficacy, and the motivation to play video games

Abstract: When communication researchers consider computer games (and video games) as a new form of media entertainment, they typically highlight those games’ interactivity because it is the main feature that distinguishes them from most other kinds of entertainment (Grodal, 2000; Vorderer, 2000). Not only do game players actively process information provided by the medium (as do viewers, readers, and users of other noninteractive media), but they also contribute substantially to the quality and progress of the media product itself. Their decisions and actions determine how a game looks, how it develops, and how it ends. Consequently, most theoretical work on the enjoyment of playing computer games has focused on the issue of interactivity and player action during game play (Klimmt, 2003, 2005). In order to handle modern entertainment software successfully, users must stay alert for most of the playing time and be able to respond quickly and appropriately to incoming new information. Some, if not many, of these responses may be automatized (Bargh, 1997) for efficient execution and conservation of cognitive processing resources. But, in general, the use of computer games should be modeled as a complex and multifaceted kind of action. Therefore, research on the psychology of action (e.g., Gollwitzer & Bargh, 1996; Heckhausen, 1977) offers theories and empirical findings that may help explain why people play and what they do during playing. Adopting the perspective of the psychology of action means searching for motifs (and motivations) of playing.

Dominantly transmitted focal dystonia in families of patients with musician’s cramp

Abstract: Musician's dystonia is generally considered a sporadic disorder. We present three families with the index patient affected by musician's dystonia, but other forms of upper limb focal task-specific dystonia (FTSD), mainly writer's cramp, in seven relatives. Our results suggest a genetic contribution to FTSD with phenotypic variability, including musician's dystonia.

Focal dystonia in musicians: From phenomenology to therapy

Abstract: Background: Musician’s dystonia is a task-specific movement disorder which manifests itself as a loss of voluntary motor control in extensively trained movements. In many cases, the disorder terminates the careers of affected musicians. Approximately 1% of all professional musicians are affected. Etiology and Pathophysiology: The pathophysiology of the disorder is still unclear. Findings include (a) reduced inhibition in different levels of the central nervous system, (b) maladaptive plasticity, e.g. in the somatosensory cortex and in the basal ganglia, and (c) alterations in sensorimotor processing. Epidemiological data demonstrated a higher risk for those musicians who play instruments requiring maximal fine-motor skills. For instruments where workload differs across hands, focal dystonia appears more often in the more intensely used hand. In psychological studies, musicians with dystonia had more perfectionist tendencies than healthy musicians. These findings strengthen the assumption that behavioral factors may be involved in the etiology of musician’s dystonia. Hereditary factors may play a greater role than previously assumed. Preliminary findings suggest a genetic contribution to focal task-specific dystonia with phenotypic variations including musician’s dystonia. Treatment: Treatment options for musician’s dystonia include pharmacological interventions such as administration of Trihexyphenidyl or Botulinum Toxin-A as well as retraining programs and ergonomic changes in the instrument. A long-term follow-up study was performed in 144 patients with musician’s dystonia. The outcome was revealed on average 8.4 years after onset of symptoms. Outcome was assessed by patients’ subjective rating of cumulative treatment response and response to individual therapies. Seventy-seven patients (54%) reported an alleviation of symptoms: 33% of the patients with Trihexyphenidyl, 49% with Botulinum Toxin, 50% with pedagogical retraining, 56% with unmonitored technical exercises, and 63% with ergonomic changes. In embouchure dystonia, only 15% of patients reported improvement. The results demonstrate that the situation of musicians with focal hand dystonia may be significantly improved. Positive results after retraining and unmonitored technical exercises underline the benefit of an active involvement of patients in the treatment process. Only exceptionally, however, can musicians with focal dystonia return to normal motor control using the currently available therapies.

The influence of personality factors on computer game choice

Abstract: Selection of computer games certainly depends on many factors like situational factors (e.g., time resources), technological factors (e.g. system infrastructure), and individual factors (e.g., motivation; see Bryant & Davies, chap. 13, this volume). This chapter focuses on the influence of enduring personality factors on computer game choice. The chapter begins by explicating the central terms “media choice” and “personality factors.” Next is a review of related empirical studies that have been conducted so far, in which we consider the relationships between personality factors and choice of computer games. The chapter concludes with a discussion about how the empirical findings might be structured into a more coherent theoretical framework.