Research Symposium

BIO

Jada Davidson is a sophomore at Florida State University (FSU). She is in FSU's Honors Program, majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry, and she is on a pre-medical track aiming to graduate from FSU with a Bachelor of Science. Prior to attending FSU, Jada took all honors and AP courses in high school at Pine View School in Osprey, FL, and earned her Biotechnology Aptitude and Competency Exam (BACE) Certification from the University of Florida during her final year of high school. She is interested in researching microbiology and pathology, and aims to attend medical school, where she hopes to study anesthesiology and graduate with a Medical Doctor degree.

An Elaboration Likelihood Model Analysis of Persuasion in Interactive Horror Games: A Literature Review

Abstract

This literature review looks at how video games are more complicated than what are often discussed in terms of entertainment with a focus on interactive horror media. Their interactive structure uses high elaboration and low elaboration processing depending on the player’s different choices and engagement with the content. The Elaboration Likelihood Model is used to explore how games can show different types of persuasion through different routes such as the central route which relies on story, the dialogue, and the decisions the player makes, and the peripheral route which is driven by the visuals, audio, and atmosphere. The goal is to emphasize how game elements can influence the player and their decision-making process more than just surface level entertainment. By analyzing the different environmental cues, narration, and player choice, the study highlights how interactive games can further encourage quick emotion-based responses, or a deeper though out cognitive elaboration. This work states that games can serve as a persuasion tool and gives groundwork for future research on persuasion theories in game design and storytelling that allows interaction.

Keywords: video games, horror, literature review