Have you ever kept hearing a game sound, visualising its interface, or thinking in “game logic” after you’ve stopped playing? This intriguing overlap between gaming and reality is part of an exciting area of research known as Game Transfer Phenomena (GTP).
In the recent publication, “Game Transfer Phenomena as a Particular Form of Involuntary Cognitions” (2025), Julio C. Llamas-Alonso, Lia Kvavilashvili, George Georgiou and Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari expand the theoretical understanding of GTP by linking it to the psychology of involuntary cognitions — mental events that arise spontaneously, without conscious control.
Llamas-Alonso and colleagues propose that GTP should be viewed as a specific form of involuntary cognition, similar in nature to phenomena like earworms, intrusive memories, or mental imagery. However, what makes GTP unique is its interactive and multisensory origin — emerging from the rich audiovisual, cognitive, and emotional experiences of video gameplay.
The study draws on cognitive psychology and neurocognitive theories to show that GTP may involve automatic retrieval of learned associations and mental imagery triggered by environmental cues resembling in-game experiences.
Key Insights and Theoretical Contributions
GTP reflects the mind’s adaptive capacity.
These experiences demonstrate how the brain continues processing and integrating sensory and symbolic information even after gameplay ends.
GTP links voluntary and involuntary mental processes.
The study situates GTP within a continuum — between intentional mental engagement (like imagining a strategy) and spontaneous mental activation (like visualising game symbols).
Media immersion has measurable cognitive footprints.
The research highlights how immersive game design — through repetition, emotional salience, and interactivity — can strengthen neural and associative networks that occasionally resurface automatically.
GTP offers a window into consciousness.
By studying when and how game-related thoughts intrude into daily life, researchers can better understand mechanisms of memory, attention, and perceptual integration.
Download the full study.
Reference:
Llamas-Alonso, J. C., Kvavilashvili, L., Georgiou, G., & de Gortari, A. B. O. (2025). Game transfer phenomena as a particular form of involuntary cognitions: The role of internet gaming disorder, and other psychopathological and cognitive predictors. Entertainment Computing, 100964.