Effects of game structure on boys' satisfaction and participation

Inhabiting level is defined as the number of tasks to be performed in a setting in relation to the number of people who will perform those tasks and has been found to influence the behaviors and psychological experiences of participants. In this study, the structural organization of a children's game was manipulated to create three different levels of inhabiting. Boys (n = 108) were classified as having low, medium, or high throwing skills. Teams consisting of one player from each skill level were created using stratified random sampling. Teams then played an underinhabited game (two ongoing tasks per player), an adequately inhabited game (one ongoing task per player), and an overinhabited game (one task rotated among three players). Satisfaction with each game was measured by a questionnaire following play. Observational rating scales were used to assess players' degree of involvement and affective expression during play. Boys reported significantly greater satisfaction and displayed significantly greater involvement and positive affect in the underinhabited game than in either one or both of the other games.