The Psychology of Video Games

Catalog description

This course will explore how the features of video game design and use relate to characteristics of human psychology. We will discuss design and use issues such as microtransactions, online gaming communities, and reward/scoring, and try to understand how these features are (or are not!) well suited to the human mind, with a particular focus on learning, memory, attention, and perception. Student presence will sometimes be required but many course sessions will be asynchronous.