How avatars can affect our attitudes towards games –and life outside of games.

Why do people collect things in video games, and how can game designers make it more enjoyable and worthwhile?

I interview the authors of the new book Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong.

I talk to the author of the new book, A Parent’s Guide to Video Games about psychology, kids, video games, and what we really know (and don’t know).

In this episode I talk about how some psychologists are using video games as a therapy tool.

This episode’s guest helps us understand what motivates us to play games, and even specific games in particular.

Pitfalls, limitations, and caveats around research on video game aggression and addiction.

Enjoy the audio versions of 12 Psychology of Games articles all assembled together for your listening pleasure.

What’s the formula for habit-forming mobile games like Pokemon Go? How do you break these habits if you don’t want them?

How can biofeedback and psychophysiology –the physiological bases of mental processes– be used to design better video games?

In this episode we discuss friendships and other relationships formed in online games. Can they substitute for offline relationships? Are they better or worse in some ways?

I talk to Dr. C. Shawn Green from the University of Wisconsin-Madison about whether brain training programs work and if regular old action games can make you smarter –and what that really means.

I talk to Dr. Nick Bowman from West Virginia University about how video games differ from other media in terms of the demands they place on players and thus how our approaches to studying them should differ. It turns out that video games ARE special and something new.