Research Assistant: Understanding Human Behavior in Games

Introduction to the topic

At the Games & Society Lab at Uppsala University, Joshua Juvrud takes an individualistic approach using psychological methods to better understand how different game players (with different personalities, traits, and experiences) interact with various game mechanics, and are in turn affected by game experiences. Research questions and findings are therefore highly relevant for both developers of games and digital media, as well as psychologists, sociologists, and health scientists.

Project details

As a research assistant, you have the opportunity to work with digital and physical games (e.g., video games, board games, LARPING) in an experimental context using research tools such as eye-tracking and psychophysiological measures to answer questions related to human behavior. You will also participate in research seminars, conduct experiments with games, and work alongside leading researchers.

Using galvanic skin response (GSR) and facial emotion analyses technology, the study aims to explore play behavior in a custom-developed deception game (similar to Mafia and One Night Werewolf). We will examine emotional arousal, emotion synchrony and empathy, deception, and decision-making behavior.

Research locations

Research will be conducted at DIS Stockholm and the Department of Game Design, Uppsala University. Data collection for the project will be carried out in Stockholm with the research supervisor.

Research Assistantship Hours 

You will spend 180 hours directly engaged in research, together with 20 hours in co-curricular activities, during your Research Assistantship.

The research will take place at Uppsala University, ranked one of the top universities in the world, in the city of Uppsala. Please note that approximately eight hours per week will consist of commuting between Stockholm and Uppsala by train (one hour commute each way).

Research hours may also not be distributed evenly across week. There may be peak times in the research process where all Research Assistants are expected to spend a few more hours – and then possibly a few less – another week, to reflect the individual research project and process.

Field Studies: Culture & Language 

As a co-curricular complement to your summer research, you will meet every Wednesday, together with faculty from the DIS European Humanities program, for a 6-week introduction to culture and language in Stockholm.  

Prerequisites

One research methods course, and one year of either psychology, game design, or media studies, all at university level.

Faculty

Joshua Juvrud

Faculty

Ph.D. in Psychology (Uppsala University). As a research psychologist, his work has focused on the ways that novel techniques in research (eye-tracking, pupil dilation, virtual reality) can be used to assess how children and adults perceive and interpret people, emotions, and actions. Josh focuses this research in two fields. In developmental psychology at the Child and Babylab in Uppsala, he seeks to understand how children learn about their world and the social cognitive development of face perception and socialization processes such as gender, race, and ethnicity. In games research at the Games & Society Lab at the Department of Game Design in Visby, Gotland, his work examines the psychology of people, their actions, and emotions in game development, player engagement, learning, and immersion to understand better how different game players (with different personalities, traits, and experiences) interact with various game mechanisms and are, in turn, affected by game experiences. With DIS since 2020.

More information about your Research Assistantship

Learn more about the Labs, Research, and Practicums Summer Session.