Gamebased learning (GBL) is an approach to learning with digital materials and occurs when students use educational video games to pursue a learning goal. Meta-analyses confirm the effects of GBL on learners’ cognitive, motivational, and behavioral aspects (Wouters et al., 2013). As the number of video games increases, so do the opportunities for GBL. Thus, the question is how these resources can be effectively integrated into the educational context. One aspect of this question concerns the instructional design of educational video games as learning material. Signaling and personalization are two design principles based on Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) that are often recommended for multimedia learning materials to improve learning outcomes (Mayer, 2014). Text-adventure educational video games are text-heavy, so signaling is suitable to promote learners’ cognitive processing. The personalization principle is additionally beneficial in the context of instructional texts, which is meta-analytically supported.

Therefore, this research aims to examine the effects of signaling and personalization on cognitive load, motivation, retention, and transfer in a text-adventure educational video game. More specifically, our research questions are: RQ1) How does personalization affect cognitive load in this text-adventure educational video game? RQ2) How does the interaction of personalization and signaling affect learners’ retention and transfer performance, cognitive load, and motivation?

These questions were answered through a 2x2 experiment with 135 students in 10th grade. The narrative was told from the perspective of the protagonist in either first-person narrative combined with the participant’s name or a third-person narrative. Signaling was applied by highlighting important information using orange lettering. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were conducted. By analyzing the instructional design, including signaling and personalization this research aims to gain insights into the design and development of appropriate educational video games for future research and practice.

Remotely controlled robots are increasingly used in everyday contexts—from factory labor to space exploration. Technical sciences have explored how to accomplish productive teleoperation of these “avatar robots.” Less understood, though, are the subjective experiences of human teleoperators. Banks and Bowman (2024) argued an existing model of player-avatar interaction model (cPAX; Banks et al., 2019) could be used to better understand teleoperator experiences. They propose a translation of cPAX to teleoperator-avatar robot interaction (TARX), with parallel dimensions of (a) relational closeness (feeling affective connection to robots), (b) anthropomorphic autonomy (seeing robots as anthropomorphically independent/agentic), (c) critical concern (evaluating how robots fit physical/social environments), and (d) sense of control (feeling governance over robots/actions). They propose a measurement model based on cPAX; importantly, those propositions have never been tested. We ask: (RQ1) Do the factor structure and predictive value of cPAX replicate in a robot-teleoperation context?

This study tests the proposed TARX model via a lab-based study in which non-experts teleoperate a novel robotic arm. On arrival, participants (target N = 150) learn the study objectives, receive robot teleoperation instructions, and complete the camera-control calibration procedures. They complete a guided teleoperation task incorporating model-relevant elements: Sorting colored balls into bins (functional), signing names on paper (self-expressive), and shaking hands with the researcher (social). They then complete a web-based survey comprising a reflection on the experience and the 15-item TARX scale. They then complete initial construct validation measures: Single items for heuristic user-avatar relationship type (me, object, symbiote, other; Banks, 2015), perceived overlap between robot and operator (based on the IOS; Aron et al., 1992), and perceived success in the task. We also capture past experience with robots, handedness, and demographics. TARX responses will be subject to confirmatory factor analysis, and we will analyze relationships between TARX factors and validation measures.

Virtual reality (VR) technologies are roughly 30 years old, with a consumer grade market growing from less than $4B USD in hardware sales in 2019 to projections clearing $20B USD by 2029 (Alsop, 2024). However, even into the 2020s, we still see high profile VR launches fail, such as Apple’s Vision Pro (Scott, 2024) and the Sony PlayStation VR2 (Richman, 2025) along others, which call to question if and how people are taking up VR as part of their daily media diets. Especially confounding here is the lack of baseline descriptive user data—information likely owned by technology firms but not available for analysis beyond sales figures and occasional press releases. In response, our study uses a multinational panel design to explore how VR owners define and describe their own usage of the technologies, particularly during both “lean-in” (i.e., involving increased bodily action and engagement) and “lean-back” (e.g., decreased bodily action and engagement) entertainment- and leisure-focused VR experiences; Flores & Hilbert, 2023; Katz, 2014; Vosmeer & Schouten, 2014). Using a within-subjects survey of US, UK, and Taiwanese users (N = 400 per nation), this initial study gathers qualitative data on general experiences and motivations (Tullis & Albert, 2008), and quantitative data on perceived demand and affective experiences (Bowman et al., 2021; Russell et al., 1989). We also examine VR usage patterns among functional entertainment and leisure alternatives by collecting information on VR usage trajectory, habits, and media preferences compared to other devices readily available to users (e.g., tablets and smartphones; Davis, 1989; Katz et al. 1973; Venkatesh et al., 2002; Verplanken & Orbell, 2003). Data from this project helps us study how VR users understand their own usage patterns as part of their broader leisure and entertainment media diet, moving past a narrow focus on presence or entertainment outcomes in extant literature.

From a psychological perspective, nostalgia is a mixed-affective state experienced by individuals when reflecting on memorable past events (Hepper et al., 2012), which has been described as a “predominately positive, social, and past-oriented emotion” (Sedikides et al., 2015, p. 198). Media psychology has demonstrated that video games can elicit nostalgia through memory recall of fond past video gaming experiences (Wulf et al., 2020) or through direct gameplay of a modern game (i.e., Pokémon GO) where the player has prior experience of the Pokémon franchise from their youth (Bonus et al., 2018). Nostalgia has been linked to positive effects on subjective and psychological well-being (Bowman & Wulf, 2023). This work-in-progress project explored what individuals find memorable when replaying a nostalgic video game from their past. A mixed-method approach was used to explore and capture what participants found memorable during video game play. 10 participants were recruited via Prolific to take part in an online study which utilised a think-loud protocol which enabled participants to verbalise their thoughts and provide real-time commentary during game play of their self-selected video game (Ericsson & Simon, 1993; Knoll, 2018). After 20 minutes of game play, participants rated their levels of nostalgia using the Personal Nostalgia Scale (Natterer, 2014) and then took part in a semi-structured interview to explore their perceptions of playing their nostalgic video game. The semi-structured interviews probed four dimensions: (a) the hardware experience (tangible artefacts; Suominen, 2008); (b) the software experience (video game content; Sloan, 2015); (c) the social experience (with significant others; Wulf et al., 2020); and (d) the setting (location where gameplay took place; Wildschut et al., 2006). To understand what makes nostalgic video games memorable, this research employs a think-aloud protocol and semi-structured interviews to explore key game features that participants identify as contributing to their nostalgic memories.

Video gaming is an ever-growing phenomenon, linked to stress relief and relaxation. However, the effects of violent video games (VVGs) in particular are still being debated. While some research suggests that VVGs increase stress response (e.g., Gentile et al., 2017; Hasan et al., 2013; Hossini et al., 2011), other research has demonstrated their potential for relaxation (e.g., Wagener et al., 2024; Wagener & Melzer, 2025) and enhancing mood (e.g., Kersten & Greitemeyer, 2022). However, most of the studies conducted so far have only provided insights into a single short-term exposure to VVG.

In the present study, we investigated repeated exposure effects of VVG on physiological relaxation and self-reported stress in a short-term longitudinal study using a mixed-methods design. Forty-two participants attended two lab sessions three weeks apart. During each session, participants played a VVG (i.e., Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or Call of Duty: Black Ops III) for 30 minutes while their physiological responses (i.e., heart rate variability) were assessed before, during, and after gameplay. In addition, we captured their self-reported levels of stress and relaxation before and after gameplay. To assess everyday gaming behavior and repeated exposure to VVG, we collected daily diary data. Participants were asked to document their exposure to violent and non-violent video games as well as their stress and mood states daily.

Findings from this study deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying stress effects of VVGs and indicate whether repeated exposure enhances relaxation effects over time. By integrating physiological data, self-report measures, and daily gaming behavior, our research provides a comprehensive perspective on how VVGs influence stress regulation. This has important implications for understanding the psychological and physiological effects of VVG engagement, further explaining the mixed findings in the literature.