Embodied Pixels: A Neuroscientific Framework for Cognitive Research using Games

Abstract

Purpose: Traditional cognitive tasks isolate cognitive parameters but miss how cognition naturally operates. I argue that games can be used to study cognition as it unfolds in ecological settings. Methodology: Drawing from predictive coding and embodied cognition, I show that the very embodiment in the brain also works with tools and virtual tools. An avatar in a game is treated by the brain as a body part, such as a hand. Given this insight, I derive five design principles for games to reinstate ecological settings in virtual worlds: autonomous goal pursuit, embodied avatar control, consistent rules, continuous temporal flow, and complex environments. Results: Commercial games unintentionally include classic cognitive paradigms: racing games demand continuous visuomotor control that can't be accomplished through discrete trials; FIFA leverages executive functions beyond traditional working memory assessments. Main Contribution: Given findings of body schema and peripersonal spaces, and embodied mind and predictive coding frameworks, I provide methodological guidance for behavioural, physiological, and neural measurements during gameplay, offering researchers tools to assess cognition while preserving experimental rigour. Practical Implications: Beyond novel experimental designs that allow for the exploration of unaddressed neural processes, adopting ecological games has the potential to aid neurodegenerative and neurodiverse conditions.