Losing games against strong opponents can actually be enjoyable for some

A new study has suggested that winning is not everything and few people actually enjoy losing the game if their mettle is tested by a strong opponent.

The study tested the experiences of a group of 72 undergraduate university students who played four rounds of the Speed Slice game on Nintendo Wii where the objective of this first-person perspective video game was to slice various objects appearing on the screen before the opponent could.

The research team led by Sami Abuhamdeh of Istanbul Sehir University tested the participants' levels of enjoyment, suspense, perceived competence and performance concerns when they dueled against a weak or a tough opponent.

Abuhamdeh said that there was little question that succeeding at competitive activities could promote the enjoyment of an intrinsic motivation for such activities. However, the uncertainty of whether one will succeed represents an additional, distinct factor and could sometimes even conflict with the motivational pull of competence.

The study is published in Springer's journal Motivation and Emotion.