Cecil Gibbs Seminar Series: The Psychology of Video Game Play

Abstract

In this seminar, I will cover a range of research projects related to psychology and video games completed and in progress by the ANU Games Group in the School of Computing. These projects include enjoyment and player experience of games and virtual reality; human teaming and human-AI teaming in video games and extended reality; game customisation and adaptation based on physiological signal and play monitoring; games for managing Parkinson’s Disease; and games for attitude change related to climate change.

Bio

Dr Penny Kyburz is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computing at ANU. She is a researcher in the areas of artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction in video games and extended reality and an experienced game developer. She developed the GameFlow model, which is a seminal model of enjoyment in video games, and authored a book on Emergence in Games. She has contributed to 20 digital games, which have garnered many awards, including four prestigious BAFTA nominations. She has devised usability methods and led usability testing on AAA games. She also worked in the Senate as a policy adviser in digital rights, communications, and disability. She leads the ANU Games Research Group.