Study level
PhD
Master of Philosophy
Honours
Vacation research experience scheme
Faculty/Lead unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
Topic status
We're looking for students to study this topic.
Supervisors
- Position
- Professor
- Division / Faculty
- Science and Engineering Faculty
Overview
Video game players experience deep levels of engagement and cognitive activity when playing. Understanding how to measure this experience (engagement, immersion and/or cognitive activity) will influence the design of more immersive virtual environments (both games and non-entertainment software such as that used for training) and will help us to understand the positive and negative impacts of playing video games.
A number of physiological measures are now affordable and applicable in this space:
- Functional Near-Infared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can measure oxygen levels in the blood.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) can measure the electrical activity in the brain.
- Heart rate sensors can assess excitement and arousal.
- Galvanic skin response (GSR) sensors can assess arousal.
- Respiration rate sensors can assess the rate of breathing.
- Electromyography can measure muscle activation (including facial expressions).
- Eye trackers can determine where players are looking on the screen.
The project will explore the relative utility and validity of various physiological measures to measure the experience of play including mood, engagement and flow.
The results of the project will include a better understanding of when and how video games engage the player, the impact of play, how best to measure engagement and how to apply this knowledge in other domains (e.g. education and health).
Research activities
The activities you'll undertake will vary depending on your background and expertise as well as your specific area of focus. This could include:
- literature reviews of the existing research in the field
- experiments designed to assess the impact of videogames
- designing and developing videogames for use in research studies
Outcomes
You'll contribute to the understanding of:
- player experience of video games
- cognitive activity during video game play
- psychophsyiological response to video games
Skills and experience
Your background will inform which aspects of the project you'll be invited to undertake. However, relevant skills include:
- experience with literature review
- experience with biometric sensors and equipment
- experimental design and analysis
Scholarships
You may be able to apply for a research scholarship in our annual scholarship round.
Keywords
Contact
Contact the supervisor for more information.