Meta-analysis finds players enjoy games less against AI opponents
A recent investigation published on arXiv offers a scoping review and meta-analysis encompassing 20 empirical studies focused on player enjoyment when facing human versus computer adversaries. The three-tiered meta-analysis of nine studies shows a statistically significant pooled effect size that is medium to large, suggesting a psychological drawback when competing against computer opponents. The article outlines the framework of the studies included, highlighting their methodologies, outcome metrics, and research themes, while emphasizing the necessity for additional research to gain a comprehensive understanding of this phenomenon.
Key facts
- arXiv:2607.24749v1
- Scoping review of 20 studies
- Meta-analysis of 9 studies
- Medium-to-large pooled effect size
- Psychological penalty for computer opponents
- Focus on player enjoyment
- Human vs computer opponent comparison
- Study published on arXiv
Entities
Institutions
- arXiv