University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) not publicly available

Confusion and immersion

presentation
posted on 2023-06-08, 14:55 authored by Carina Ellinor Irene Westling
Confusion can be a contributing factor to states of immersion, as long as the situation is defined and delineated in time and space. Delineations in time and space promise a challenge that is not unending or uncontrollable, and creates a potential for the situation to be approached as play. For confusion and disorientation to be exciting rather than terrifying, it is essential that the subject or participant has a sense of agency, and has entered – and can exit – the situation of his or her free will. For the state of confusion to be motivating and pleasurable, it is also important that there is a potential for resolution. The challenge presented by a riddle can in itself be stimulating, provided the participant feels that there is a reasonable chance that he or she can solve it. Enough clues need to be present to create at least the promise of a narrative, pattern, or otherwise cohesive picture to discover. But if too much of the picture is filled in, there is not enough uncharted territory to stimulate heuristic inquiry, or an internally driven search to know. The balance between the seeming promise of a resolution or cohesive narrative, and the metaphorical gaps left open for the participant to bridge by his or her own physical and/or cognitive efforts, is crucial to how motivating or attractive the situation is to the participant.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Presentation Type

  • paper

Event name

Inputs-Outputs

Event location

University of Sussex

Event type

conference

Event date

26 June 2013

Department affiliated with

  • Media and Film Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2013-08-08

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC