Podcast 36: Psychology, Escape Rooms, and VR

Podcast 36: Psychology, Escape Rooms, and VR

Author: Jamie Madigan May 2, 2018 Duration: 59:46
Psychology of Video Games Podcast
LeisureGamesVideo Games
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 tangible objects. But just like with video games, people who design escape rooms and other kinds of live, narrative experiences can benefit from an understanding of human psychology. What kinds of boundaries do typical human perception and information processing place on how an escape room can be designed? How can the well worn mental shortcuts that people use to make decisions and understand the world be used to advance a narrative or provide clues for a puzzle? And then how can these concepts be looped back around to lessons that can be applied to video game design or even how to play a video game and interact with other players while trying to solve some challenge?

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.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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Psychology of Video Games Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Podcast 50 - Moral Choices in Games vs. Other Media [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:57
My guest experts and I discuss how moral choices in video games are different from other media and what makes them so difficult. We also discuss some of our favorite and most compelling choices from games.
Podcast 49: Empathy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:41
Empathy --the ability to understand and share the emotions of others-- is a powerful tool for those wanting to create games where the goal is to get players to think differently and have powerful emotional experiences. I…
Podcast 48: Loot Boxes Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:22
Special ALL HAWAII EDITION! To give me a little breathing room after finishing up my book manuscript, here are two complete interviews I did while researching the recent loot box podcast episode. One is the full intervie…
Podcast 47: Loot Boxes and Gambling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:26
What is the relationship between loot boxes and problematic gambling? Should loot boxes be considered a form of gambling? In this episode I talk with Chris Lee, a politician, and David Zendle, a researcher, who are both…
Podcast 44: Gamification and Game Based Assessments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:06
I talk with Dr. Richard Landers, an expert researcher on gamification and game-based assessments. We discuss some of the psychology behind why gamification does (and does not) work, as well as why it's so difficult to do…
Podcast 43: Dungeons, Dragons, & Psychology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:41
I talk in this episode with my guest expert, Megan Connell PsyD, who uses Dungeons & Dragons in group therapy with remarkable results and runs a weekly D&D game with psychology nerds on Twitch. We also discuss what lesso…
Podcast 42: Mobile Game Affinity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:55
Say it's time to download a new game for your phone or tablet. What, out of the billions of choices out there, will you choose? Psychology pretty consistently tells us that when we have too many choices we look for strat…
Podcast 41: How Video Games Prepare You For Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:43
Video games often get kind of a short shrift when it comes to how valuable they are considered, versus a being a waste of time. Yet an argument can be made that they teach and reinforce valuable skills that psychologists…

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