How Can Wii Learn from Video Games? Examining Relationships between Technological Affordances and Socio-Cognitive Determinates on Affective and Behavioral Outcomes

Motion controlling technology allows game players to interact with video games using kinesthetic body motions that replicate real-world activities. A 2x2 fully crossed, between-subjects experiment, plus control group was designed to empirically test how the type of controller (motion controller vs. symbolic controller) and avatar customization (customized vs. not customized) contributed to affective and behavioral responses when playing the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game. Findings indicated that using the motion controller led to better video game performance, in addition to better performance in a real-world putting task. Further, use of the motion controller led to greater perceptions of golf efficacy (indirectly through presence), and was positively correlated with liking of the video game, which in turn led to greater perceptions of liking of the game of golf. Theoretical and practical implications for these findings are discussed.