Dr Kaye, Associate Head of Psychology, joined a panel of researchers, gaming industry professionals and policy advisers to discuss ways to improve collaboration between the sectors.
She said:
“Our work will essentially help improve the science around gaming. It will make it easier for researchers and games industry companies to explore together important questions about games, such as the effects on player physical and mental health and social processes such as how radicalisation might occur within gaming worlds.”
A new framework has now been published outlining principles such as best practice on using different types of player data such as length of time gamers play for, buying behaviour and physical movement while playing.
Dr Kaye, whose research focuses on cyberpsychology, said the new framework will open up opportunities for researchers to better understand the processes and effects of video gaming. It also sets out a shared understanding of the questions researchers want to explore, the type of metrics they need and the limitations they might face, as well as issues such as player consent on data sharing.
She added:
“The process has really reassured me that there is serious investment so we can do better research and explore these issues more constructively.
“A lot of policy around gaming is often based on weak research evidence. By using the framework we will get larger and more objective data so the quality of the science is better, which is essential for informing policy and practice.
“The other major benefit is that the games industry and gamers will know that research is being carried out with them rather than about them, in the spirit of co-creation.”
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July 13, 2023
