Study on Player Preferences for Y-Axis Inversion
A study conducted by Jennifer E. Corbett and Jaap Munneke examines why some players prefer inverted Y-axis (pulling the joystick down to look up) and concludes that the choice is more related to cognitive characteristics than just the initial contact with certain games. The study was published in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.
Experimental Methodology and Results
The authors gathered 192 individuals who answered a survey about gaming habits, and then performed four computerized tasks aimed at measuring important cognitive factors: field dependency, mental rotation of objects, perspective-taking, and a stimulus-response compatibility test (the Simon effect). The responses and behavioral measures were analyzed using feature selection methods and classification trees to identify which variables best explained the preference for inversion.
The data showed that variables such as mental rotation speed and speed in stimulus-response mapping tasks were the best indicators of the preference to invert or not invert the Y-axis, more than starting to play with flight simulators, console X, or a specific first game. In practical terms: participants who were faster in these tasks were, on average, less likely to prefer inverted controls.
Implications and Future Directions
The results suggest that the preference for a control configuration is less a conscious choice based on initial experience, and more a reflection of how each brain processes spatial information and visual and motor mappings. Players whose mental rotation is fast seem to benefit from mappings where the response is more direct/congruent; others may benefit from mappings that shift the viewing window in relation to their own movements. The authors themselves point out that these conclusions are preliminary and make suggestions on how to use this type of measurement to guide interface settings.
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