Investigating the Physiological and Psychosocial Responses of Single- and Dual-Player Exergaming in Young Adults

This study investigated the effect of acute exergaming on the physiological and psychosocial responses of young adults and the modulatory effect of a single- or dual-player game play situation.Thirty-six participants (19 male; 21.7 ± 3.8 years; 23.65 ± 3.17 kg/m(2)) each completed two 30-minute exergame sessions in a randomized order (single and dual player) while wearing an Actiheart(®) to estimate energy expenditure. Positive and negative affect, subjective vitality, and indices of intrinsic motivation were assessed directly after each gaming bout.There was no significant difference in energy expenditure or psychosocial outcomes between conditions. Although males expended more energy than females in both single- (z = -2.124, P = 0.033) and dual-player situations (z = -2.679, P = 0.007), females reported significantly greater vitality (z = -2.219, P = 0.026) and effort/importance than males (z = -2.001, P = 0.045). Conversely, males reported a greater negative affect (z = -2.872, P = 0.004) and pressure/tension (z = -3.295, P = 0.001). A linear mixed effects model revealed that energy expenditure during exergaming was a significant predictor of interest and enjoyment (P = 0.001) and effort and importance (P = 0.001). This relationship between energy expenditure and psychosocial variables was not modulated by sex or order of gameplay (single or dual player first).The present results suggest that females have a more positive psychosocial response to exergaming relative to males, highlighting exergames such as Wii™ boxing as a potential avenue for future interventions seeking to address the low physical activity levels that characterize the young adult population