The Influence of Social Competition and Maths Anxiety on Game Performance

Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) uses serious games to deliver educational content. DGBL has the potential to aid children’s development of maths skills, providing educators with alternatives to traditional mathematics teaching. However, the efficacy of serious games can be affected by their attributes, including whether they are single or multi-player. While competition in a multi-player environment may enhance players’ interest and motivation, potential social pressure may lead to anxiety and affect performance. In maths education, there are additional challenges. Mathematics Anxiety (MA), the negative emotional response to mathematics, may interact with game features and impact players’ experience. This study assesses players' performance in a digital maths game called’Seven Spells’ across two different game modes (vs. Human and vs. CPU), and it also investigates whether MA levels impacted players’ performance. 43 children from two classes in an Irish primary school participated in this study. Each class played a different game mode of the ‘Seven Spells’ game, one group playing against computer-controlled characters (vs. CPU) and the other playing against their classmates (vs. Human). The game mechanics were identical between the two competition game modes. The children completed the modified Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) and a mathematics questionnaire before participating in the intervention, which included 4 sessions. They also participated in a focus group session at the end of the intervention. Data on their gameplay were collected throughout the first three sessions and analysed through multiple linear regression models to investigate possible connections between MA, maths knowledge, game modes and game performance. The results of the multiple linear regressions indicate that game performance was positively influenced by the duration of gameplay and the complexity of moves — measured by the number of moves and cards used — while being negatively affected by MA. However, a significant interaction between MA and the competition game mode was observed, suggesting that MA had a more pronounced negative impact on players in the vs. Human game mode compared to the vs. CPU game mode.