Why Video Games Are Basically Just Big Science Experiments: Positive and Negative reinforcement
Ever wonder why you’ll spend three hours grinding for a virtual hat? Or why the "ding" of a level-up feels so good?
It’s all down to Behavioral Learning. It’s a fancy term for a simple idea: if you do something and get a good result, you’ll probably do it again. If you get a bad result, you’ll stop. Game designers use this to guide us without us even realizing it.
What Drives Us?
Before we look at the rewards, we have to look at why we play:
The Fire Inside (Internal): This is you wanting to be the best. It’s that personal pride when you finally beat a boss after 50 tries.
The Carrot on a Stick (External): This is the stuff the game gives you. High scores, XP, or a shiny new sword.
Video Games as an Example of Behaviouristic Learning
One example of how video games can be used for reinforcement learning is player progression. In video games, players typically earn points (rewards) for accomplishing certain tasks, quests or goals. These points can then be spent on improving the player’s character or weapons, which encourages them to keep playing and explore the game world. But reinforcement learning has also been used in education settings to reward or incentives learning goals.
Reinforcing desirable behaviours in video games
Behaviourism is a theory that states that, to change someone's behaviour, you must first understand what they are doing and why they are doing it. This is where video games come in; by observing how players interact with the game, developers can better understand what behaviours are desirable and which ones need to be reinforced.
One way video games reinforce desirable behaviours is by rewarding players for good actions. Players who kill a monster may earn points, experience bonuses, or even unlock new weapons or levels. Similarly, if they help their teammates survive, they may receive bonus points or items. These rewards help to keep players engaged and motivated, which can lead to long-term changes in behaviour.
On the other hand, reinforcing undesirable behaviours can be more difficult. In some cases, this may simply require players to complete tasks in a specific way (for example, always picking up objects). In other cases, it may be necessary to alter the environment in which the game is played (for example, by preventing players from killing enemies). Once again, video games provide an excellent opportunity for developers to experiment with different strategies to find the most effective approach.
Conclusion
There is a growing trend in video games towards using learning algorithms to reinforce certain behaviours and weaken others. This can have unintended consequences, as it may create an environment where players are encouraged to stick to specific play styles or “tricks” to succeed. While this type of reinforcement can be beneficial for some learners, it could also have negative effects on others who might find themselves struggling under the pressure of needing to perform better than their peers. We need to be careful that the types of learning environments we create don’t inadvertently disadvantage certain groups of people.