Video gaming as an affective research paradigm
Affective science could be in much better shape. I will start by presenting new large-scale reviews (including one own) indicating that laboratory research fails in eliciting intense emotions. The best laboratory researchers achieve are emotions comparable to experiences while watching movies. This is a problem for validity because it is intense emotions that produce the most adverse effects on health, well-being, and social relationships. Namely, no one gets cardiovascular disease from watching Netflix. To address this problem, I will present why and how gaming might be one way to overcome this limitation. I will focus on the emotional aspects of solo gaming and public gaming (streaming). I will also present my lab's promising psychophysiological research on emotions in gaming. This presentation aims to facilitate a more innovative and integrative effort on the link between gaming and emotions. Understanding and harnessing gaming emotions might help their broader informed adoption in affective science.
Lukasz D. Kaczmarek is an associate professor of psychology at Adam Mickiewicz University, where he founded and directs the Psychophysiology Lab currently focused on Positive Gaming & Streaming. His research focuses on positive emotions and positive relationships and their application in various contexts, from everyday experience, psychophysiology to video gaming and esports. His contribution includes positive psychological interventions and interpersonal capitalization.
He has received several research and teaching awards, including the Rector's Award for Distinguished Teaching and the POSITIVE award (three times) for outstanding publications in positive psychology awarded by the Polish Positive Psychology Society. Lukasz published peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Emotion, Emotion Review, Psychophysiology, and Computers in Human Behavior. Lukasz is the founding father, board member, and head of the Program Council of the Polish Positive Psychology Society.