Researchers add fear of electric shock to "Pac-Man-like" game

Researchers at University College London look to have taken a slightly unconventional approach in their studies on fear, with the BBC reporting that they've crafted a "Pac-Man-like" game that boasts the added risk of electric shock. Apparently, volunteers play the game while an MRI scanner monitors them, moving a blue triangle through a 2D maze while trying to avoid a red dot "predator." If that dot catches them, they receive an electric shock. As that danger neared , the researchers found that players stopped using their their prefrontal cortex in their forebrain and instead relied on their midbrain area, which controls "gut-level reflexes." At least that's what they're saying. We have a sneaking suspicion it may all just be an elaborate trick the researchers play on freshman students.

[Via The Inquirer]

[waiownsyou @ Aug 24th 2007 3:37PM]

Sweet, that would be the perfect training tool for potential US soldiers.

[m_a_t_t_8_6 @ Aug 24th 2007 3:40PM]

How'd this get past RIB?

[Nick @ Aug 24th 2007 6:28PM]

I'll bet there isn't actually a shock. It is pretty hard to convince a review board to allow you to deliver a real electric shock.

[Maxx @ Aug 24th 2007 3:41PM]

"I'll tell you what the effect is, it's pissing me off ! "

LOL

[brian @ Aug 24th 2007 3:50PM]

Side effects include:

Oily anal discharge
Decreased reaction time
Fried internal organs

[glucoseboy @ Aug 24th 2007 3:47PM]

Awesome Ghostbusters reference!

[Timothy Sottek @ Aug 24th 2007 3:57PM]

Best. Reference. Ever.

[Nick @ Aug 24th 2007 4:00PM]

It has always amazed me how much genuine panic and anxiety a game can induce. I've found my heart racing when facing overwhelming odds on certain games.

[Edge @ Aug 24th 2007 5:21PM]

I always seemed to get jacked when playing PvP games, first-person-shooters or otherwise (WoW). I usually don't realize it until one of us is dead though.

[HyperHacker @ Aug 24th 2007 5:58PM]

I get right psyched playing the last lap of the last level of Mario Kart Double Dash. It's the music, I swear.

[tcc3 @ Aug 24th 2007 5:00PM]

Paging Dr Crane, Dr Jonathan Crane...

[Chris Haynie @ Aug 24th 2007 6:19PM]

"Well, just sevvventttyy five more to go."

Awesome reference.

[mbushnell @ Aug 24th 2007 5:54PM]

This is the best picture I've seen on any tech website in a long time. "You can keep the 5 bucks!"

[Bill @ Aug 24th 2007 5:29PM]

Hey, I recognize the little Pac-Man machine that you Photoshopped into the image. I used to have one of those as a kid, along with Donkey Kong and Zaxxon. Gosh the memories. Those were cool little machines. I had my own mini-arcade going. They took a ton of batteries though.

[Brian Gyss @ Aug 24th 2007 5:35PM]

Something similar to this was done at an art gallery in Los Angeles a couple years back...never got a chance to try it though...

http://www.c-level.cc/tekken1.html

[Jamie Marsden @ Aug 24th 2007 7:00PM]

UCL usually offer money for these research things. My flatmate is a student there and does them all the time.

[RonPaulMania.com @ Aug 24th 2007 8:53PM]

I, for one, welcome our shock frenzy - anal probing - pacman manipulating overlords.

couldn't resist... you know, because it's futile and all.

[Darth_yoda (UK) @ Aug 25th 2007 8:17AM]

I sincerely doubt that the participants actually got an electric shock as this would be breaking 1 of the fundamental ethical guidelines of the British Psychological Society. Of which ALL academic psychological experiments/studies are bound.

The Ethical guidelines state that the mental and physical protection of participants is paramount. As waiving this could jepordise future research and damage the reputation of a scientific discipline.