Abstract
An early version of the computer gameStar Trek was modified to conduct behavioral research. By appropriate use of the starship’s weapon and defense systems, the player can kill enemy ships and avoid destruction. The player’s moves, as well as the time and state of the game environment when each move occurs, are recorded. The procedure tracks performance changes over time very well, and allows the dissection of performance into sequences of commands that reflect the subject’s play strategy. Computer games such asStar Trek could be the basis for experiments that bridge the gap between operant and cognitive research.
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The authors wish to thank David Case for providing the original version of theStar Trek game. This research was supported by Grant DAAL03-92-G-0382 from the U.S. Army Research Office to Morris Brown College.
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Gonzalez, F.A., Cathcart, M. A procedure for studying strategy development in humans. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 27, 224–228 (1995). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204736
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03204736