A Physiological Look at an Interactive Arcade Game -.:: Natural Sciences
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Dance Dance Revolution: A Physiological Look at an Interactive Arcade Game by Josh Trout and Karra Zamora people who enjoy video games to engage in physical activity and possibly improve their health at the same time. Lanningham- Abstract Foster et al. (2006) found that energy expenditure more than The purpose of this study was to examine body composition doubled when participants played active video games such as (via Bodpod®), time in target heart rate zone, estimated caloric DDR compared to playing sedentary video games. Furthermore, expenditure (via heart rate monitor), prior physical activity levels Unnithan, Houser, & Fernhall (2006) found that children who (via Baecke questionnaire), and enjoyment levels (via Physical played DDR for 12 minutes exceeded the minimal American Activity Enjoyment Scale) as a result of playing Dance Dance College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommended heart rate Revolution® (DDR) three times per week for 20 minutes over intensity for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness. eight weeks. Participants were 14 female and 12 male participants Although empirical evidence in this area is slim, anecdotal aged 18-30. Participants showed a significant reduction in body evidence in countless newspaper and magazine articles have fat from pre- to post-treatment. Males and females expended an provided personal testimonies of people losing weight (“Dance estimated 276 and 176 calories respectively during each dance Dance Revolution”, 2005; Barker, 2005; Doyle, 2004; Kreimer, session. Results showed consistent high levels of enjoyment over 2004) and even managing diabetes (Twede, 2005) after a just few the eight weeks. Exit interviews revealed that DDR was perceived weeks of playing the game. Due to the overwhelming popularity as fun yet challenging and beneficial. of DDR since it was released in the U.S. in 2001, it has been featured on Fox News, CNN, ABC News, the Early Show on Key words: dance, exergaming, obesity CBS and several other media outlets. In fact, the game has been so popular with children and teenagers that Konami (the company Dance Dance Revolution: A Physiological Look at an Interactive that manufactures DDR) recently announced plans to place DDR Arcade Game in all 753 public schools in West Virginia (Lash, 2006). Video games that require the gamer(s) to be physically active Although widely popular in physical education programs, are growing in popularity. The animated virtual-reality excitement arcade stores, and even living rooms, few studies have examined of these games may be a critical tool in increasing the amount of physiological variables during game play. Furthermore, no time people spend in daily moderate to vigorous physical activity empirical evidence exists regarding enjoyment levels. The purpose (MVPA). Daily MVPA is a crucial component in the battle against of this study was to examine body fat percentage, time spent in hypokinetic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. The most target heart rate zone (THRZ), caloric expenditure, prior physical recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that activity, and enjoyment levels in healthy young adults while 19% of U.S. children aged 6-11 and 17% of adolescents aged 12- playing DDR. Caloric expenditure estimates were collected for 19 are overweight. Even worse, 32% of adults in the U.S. aged 20- comparison to more traditional physical activities as well as to 74 are overweight and an additional 34% are obese (United Stated examine differences between genders. Gender comparison with Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2006). regard to caloric expenditure and enjoyment was necessary since Being overweight or obese increases the risk of hypertension, males receive more DDR media coverage, most of which focuses type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and on enjoyment and weight loss. No explanation is available for this, some cancers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], however, if males enjoy the game more or expend more calories 2005; USDHHS, 2001). This chronic and worsening health trend while playing (and thus lose more body fat), the media may focus requires immediate attention as obesity is currently the second more attention on them compared to females. Both genders were leading cause of death in the U.S. owing to physical inactivity. In examined equally in this investigation. fact, physical inactivity and poor diet (the two most frequent cited Four hypotheses were determined prior to data collection: causes of obesity) cause over 400,000 deaths per year in the United (a) participants would show a reduction in body fat and body States (Mokdad, Marks, Stroup & Gerberding, 2004). This is more weight, (b) participants with higher enjoyment scores would than the number of deaths caused by infectious diseases, firearms, spend more time within or above their THRZ and show greater motor vehicle crashes, illicit drug use, alcohol, and HIV combined; improvements in body composition compared to participants only tobacco use causes more deaths (Mokdad et al., 2004). with lower enjoyment scores, (c) participants who were more While the statistics are disturbing, technology may be a physically active prior to the study would enjoy DDR more than possible solution in the form of “exergaming” (exercise + gaming). less physically active participants and (d) participants would report Exergaming involves playing a video game using your body as high levels of enjoyment from playing DDR. Regarding the latter the joystick. One of the most popular forms of exergaming is an hypothesis, the relationship of enjoyment scores and the degree to interactive dancing arcade game (there are also home versions) which participants were physically active prior to the study was known as Dance Dance Revolution® (DDR) (Konami of America, also examined. Participants were diverse in terms of their daily Inc., Redwood City, CA). This game provides opportunities for levels of physical activity, thus analyzing these variables allowed volume 3, issue 1 67 Dance Dance Revolution investigators to determine if sedentary or highly active individuals age, gender, and upper and lower limits of their THRZ. Heart enjoyed the game more. rate monitors measured time spent within, above, and below the THRZ and estimated caloric expenditure. Although evidence Methods suggests that a degree of error is involved in estimating caloric This study was approved by the Human Subjects Review expenditure from heart rate (Hiilloskorpi et al., 1999), research Committee at California State University-Chico. Informed consent suggests that heart rate data and activity type are acceptable was obtained prior to data collection from all participants. methods for determining this variable (Treuth, Adolph, & Butte, 1998). For practicality, it was determined that estimates of caloric Participants expenditure, as opposed to direct measures were acceptable for the Twenty six students (12 males and 14 females, aged 18-30) scope of this investigation. volunteered to participate. Twenty participants were white, two While dancing, participants were allowed to choose the songs were Hispanic, two were Asian, one was Filipino, and one was they wanted to dance to. Participants were also allowed to dance at American Indian. All but one were graduate or undergraduate their own pace and select their own difficulty level as long as they students at a university in Northern California who represented remained active for the entire 20 minutes. The goal was to simulate 12 different majors across campus. Participants were recruited by a self-selected leisure level of play similar to playing the game at posting advertisements about the study around campus and asking home or in an arcade. Data on which songs each participant chose for volunteers. Participants were not compensated for participation were not collected. in the study. After each dance session was completed, participants completed a modified Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) (Motl, Procedure Dishman, Saunders, Dowda, Felton, & Pate, 2001; Kendzierski & After signing an informed consent, participants filled out the DeCarlo, 1991) to determine their enjoyment level during game play. Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Activity, which asks a series of We chose the modified version because it was shorter and easier to questions on a 5-point Likert scale to quantify work activity, sports understand and more appropriate for this study since participants activity, and non-sports leisure activity (Baecke, Burema, & Frijters, would have to complete it 24 times during the 8-week treatment 1982; Aadahl & Jorgensen, 2003). Participants also completed a (three questionnaires per week for eight weeks). Participants were Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire to determine whether or asked to rate 14 questions on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = “Disagree not their health was at risk prior to participating in the study. Next, a lot” and 5 = “Agree a lot”). Positive statement scores such as after sitting quietly for five minutes wearing a heart rate monitor, “I enjoy it” were calculated at face value. The values of negative participants’ resting heart rate was recorded. This information statement scores such as “It frustrates me” were reverse scored. along with age and target exercise intensity zone (set at 60-80%), This allowed every statement to have a numeric value so a score was used in the Karvonen formula [(220-age) - Resting HR * 0.6 could be averaged. or 0.8 + Resting HR] to determine