Khetta, Aaliyah, A. (2026) Beyond the Label: The Impact of Trailer Messaging and Gender on Engagement with the Video Game Fractured Minds. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Mental health difficulties among youth are a significant global burden, yet many remain reluctant to seek formal treatment. Applied video games offer a promising way to bridge this gap. However, their success depends on outreach that reaches diverse groups without adverse effects. Because no research has yet determined how gender and promotional framing interact to shape gameplay experience, this study addresses a knowledge gap. We explored whether gender moderates the effect of trailer messaging (explicit versus neutral) on engagement with the game Fractured Minds. The participants (N = 139), consisting of 101 women and 38 men, were randomly assigned to watch one of two trailer versions before playing. Engagement was assessed using measures of interest/enjoyment, cognitive and emotional involvement. Results showed that different promotional frames influenced engagement similarly for both men and women. Additionally, the promotional framing did not independently change how interested or involved players felt during play. These findings indicate that trailers do not significantly alter the actual interaction with the video game. Within this study, this suggests that engagement is consistent across genders and likely depends more on internal design than initial promotional framing, highlighting a potential boundary between the psychological processes of uptake and retention.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Poppelaars, M. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Mar 2026 12:16 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Mar 2026 12:16 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/6329 |
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