Abstract
The current study sought to investigate an empirical exploration of the flow engagement concept through videogame play between experts and novices. Eighty participants engaged in various levels of the videogame Super Mario Bros. Twenty experts and twenty novices experienced the easier level of World 1-2 while the other twenty experts and novices were exposed to the more difficult level World 6-1. After gameplay, participants completed a modified survey measuring flow. This survey, along with overall percentage game score, was analyzed. A significant interaction was found between game level (challenge level) and skill levels in perceived flow, with significant main effects for expertise in perceived skill, for game level (challenge level) in perceived challenge, and for game level (challenge level) in overall percentage score. These findings are relevant for understanding videogame flow in videogames of varying degrees of challenge and in players of different expertise levels. Discussion on these findings highlights the purpose of this paper.