The publisher of my new book, The Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons: How To Be a Better, More Engaged, and Happier Player or Game Master, is launching a Kickstarter on July 23 to offer early, discounted copies of the book! You can perform semi-precise clicking motions here or on the image below to sign up to be notified when it goes live. I’m super proud of this new book. It follows much the same model as my first book, Getting Gamers: The Psychology of Video Games and the People Who Play Them in that each chapter examines a question I find interesting about the psychology behind why games ..read more

Have you ever become attached to a place in a video game? A virtual environment that you’ve obviously never visited in the flesh but which you start to think of it like a real place?  Maybe the dwarven capitol of Ironforge in World of Warcraft? The spaceship The Normandy in Mass Effect? Link and Zelda’s land of Hyrule? Maybe you you have become so familiar with those virtual places through repeated navigation and interaction that you attach importance and character to it like you do your childhood home, the first place you ever had a part-time job, or the neighborhood through which you wa ..read more

Many of us have considered ourselves “passionate” about one thing or another, including video games or even specific game series or franchises. But what does this mean and is it always a good thing? When can passion become a detriment to our lives and our psychological well-being? These are the kinds of questions I’ll discuss with this episode’s guest expert. Are you one of my suave and sophisticated Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! This episode’s guest expert, Dr. Daniel Johnson Audio Credits: “Robot Motiva ..read more

In this episode, I’ll explore some research on whether or not video games can make you smarter or help you develop certain cognitive skills. Are you one of my suave and sophisticated Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Listen On Your Preferred Device: Listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts Listen or subscribe on Spotify Or just search for “Psychology of Games” in whatever you use to listen to podcasts A ..read more

In this episode, my guest expert and I explore research and theory on nostalgia, specifically as it relates to video games. What is nostalgia, how does nostalgia for games differ from nostalgia for different kinds of experiences, and what does it mean for our well-being? Are you one of my suave and sophisticated Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! This episode’s guest expert, Dr. Tim Wulf Links Dr. Wulf’s website Dr. Wulf’s LinkedIN Listen On Your Preferred Device: Listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts Listen ..read more

What do research and theory say about how our avatars in video games and virtual reality may shape our behaviors –and how they don’t? Are you one of my suave and sophisticated Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Listen On Your Preferred Device: Listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts Listen or subscribe on Spotify Listen or subscribe on Stitcher Or just search for “Psychology of Games” in whatever you us ..read more

In this episode I talk with an expert on diagnosing and treating ADHD in children. We’ll talk about the challenges video games present to people with ADHD and some strategies for dealing with problems it may present. Are you one of my suave and sophisticated Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! This episode’s guest expert, Dr. Gilly Kahn Links: Website for Dr. Kahn’s practice at Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta Dr. Kahn’s Instagram Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creati ..read more

In-game purchases are a staple of modern game design, especially in the free-to-play and live service categories. Which isn’t necessarily bad as a business model, but there are some psychological effects that these games either intentionally or accidentally employ that may make us spend more than we intend to. Are you one of my suave and sophisticated Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 Listen On Your P ..read more

Sometimes we have to sell people on the merits of games like Dungeons & Dragons. People like parents, principals, teachers, or even our own significant others Usually this comes in the form of telling them all the great benefits playing brings –learning math, reading, communication, teamwork, social skills, and more. D&D is also often specifically praised for its ability to help neurodivergent people develop needed skills, or to provide “therapeutic” experiences for anyone. But can it? Does it? If so, what can game masters and other players do to make it happen? These are the questions ..read more

Is technology or game design more important for determining whether we feel immersed and present in the world of a video game? What kinds of things will make us forget about the screen between us and that world, the controller in our hands, and the other things around us so that we start to feel like we’re actually inhabiting the virtual world of the game? These are the questions we will explore in this episode. Are you one of my deeply immersed Patreon supporters? If so, you get an ad-free version of this and all other podcasts. Check your secret Patreon feed! Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation ..read more