Why Do Viewers Swarm the Screen? Exploring Danmaku Collective Behavior of Viewers through Sensory Stimuli in Game Live Streaming

To explore the driving mechanisms of viewer’ danmaku collective behavior in game livestreaming, this study draws upon the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework and arousal theory to examine how visual and auditory sensory stimuli influence real-time user interactions. Leveraging a large-scale dataset from Bilibili, including millions of danmaku messages and live video segments, we develop computational models to identify danmaku collective behavior and apply logistic regression to quantify the effects of various sensory cues. The key findings reveal that high-arousal visual scenes (e.g., combat and start moments) and auditory features (e.g., volume and energy) significantly increase the likelihood of danmaku collective behavior, while aesthetic visuals, audio stability and clarity show no significant effects. These results validate the theoretical pathway in which sensory stimuli elevate arousal level and trigger synchronized user expression. This study not only extends the application of SOR and arousal theory to interactive livestreaming environments of game, but also enriches our understanding of online collective behavior. Practically, the findings offer actionable insights for anchors and platforms to enhance viewer engagement by optimizing sensory design and maximizing emotional resonance.