Psychology of Video Games Podcast

Psychology of Video Games Podcast

Author: Jamie Madigan Language: English Episodes: 100
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Ever wonder why a particular game mechanic feels so satisfying or why you keep returning to a certain virtual world? Psychology of Video Games Podcast digs into those exact questions, moving beyond simple reviews to explore the mental machinery behind our play. Hosted by psychologist Jamie Madigan, each episode applies research and theory to understand our experiences with games. You’ll hear discussions on how developers use principles of motivation and learning to craft compelling systems, and what our behavior-from cooperation to rage-quitting-reveals about our minds. This isn’t about finding the next game to play; it’s about understanding the ones you already love on a deeper level. The podcast unpacks the subtle psychological hooks in design, the social dynamics of online worlds, and the cognitive reasons behind our emotional responses. Whether you’re a dedicated gamer or simply curious about human behavior, these conversations offer a unique lens on a popular pastime. Tune in for a thoughtful analysis that connects the dots between academic psychology and the everyday realities of playing video games.
Episodes
Podcast 40: Our Avatar Relationships [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:41
Think about the last avatar you controlled in a video game. What did he, she, or it mean to you? Was it just a tool that you used to get from one end of a maze to another? Was it a richly detailed character that might ha…
Podcast 39: Thirty Questions About the Psychology of Video Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:13
I'm at PAX West participating in panels and making new friends, but that doesn't mean you don't get a new podcast. Enjoy this audio presentation of a lecture I gave about 30 things I wish researchers would study (or stud…
Podcast 38: Mental Health Professionals and Video Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:25
It may shock you to hear this, but not everyone is intimately familiar with video games. I know, right? Despite the fact that video games continue to become more mainstream and cut across all kinds of demographic groups,…
Podcast 37: Cognitive Psychology and User Experiences [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:19
Basic psychological phenomena like memory, perception, and emotions have huge implications for the design of products or experiences, from nutritional labels to phone apps to voting registration forms to video games. And…
Podcast 36: Psychology, Escape Rooms, and VR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:46
In a way, classic adventure games were the precursors to the escape rooms that are popping up in strip malls and warehouses all over the country. But unlike adventure games, escape rooms take place in physical space with…
Podcast 35: Player Empathy and Drivers of Gameplay [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:14
In this episode of the podcast, I talk to one veteran game designer Jason Vandenberghe, who has tackled the issue of understanding what kinds of experiences gamers want with the aid of psychology and psychological theori…
Podcast 34: Games Design Education and Psychology 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:28
Many universities and other institutions are offering degrees in video game design and other careers in the gaming industry like art, coding, and user experience design. Some of them are also incorporating courses on psy…
Podcast 33: Executive Skill Transference and Play Diets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:36
Modern video games are complicated and require a lot of learning, problem solving, memory, planning, and other things that psychologists might identify as executive functions of the brain. There's a lot going on between…
Podcast 32: Twelve More Months of Psychology of Video Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:24
Enjoy the audio versions of 12 months of Psychology of Games articles from the website. (Sung, awkwardly, to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas.") Audio Credits“Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed und…
Podcast 31: Harassment in Video Games [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:04
Harassment of many types has been an issue that gamers and game developers have had to deal with for a long time now. In this episode my guest expert Wai Yen Tang talks about research that he and others have done on what…

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