My publisher is running a Kickstarter to offer discounted, early copies of my new book on the Psychology of Dungeons & Dragons. To help you decide if you want to back it (I think you should, but I'm arguably biased), this episode contains excerpts from multiple chapters and some of my own inside commentary.The book will be available for sale widely…

Have you ever become attached to a place in a video game? A virtual environment that you've obviously never visited in the flesh but which you start to think of it like a real place? Maybe the dwarven capitol of Ironforge in World of Warcraft? The spaceship The Normandy in Mass Effect? Link and Zelda's land of Hyrule? Maybe you you have become so f…

Many of us have considered ourselves "passionate" about one thing or another, including video games or even specific game series or franchises. But what does this mean and is it always a good thing? When can passion become a detriment to our lives and our psychological well-being? These are the kinds of questions I'll discuss with this episode's gu…

In this episode, I'll explore some research on whether or not video games can make you smarter or help you develop certain cognitive skills.Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0By Jamie Madigan

In this episode, I talk with an expert on how video games elicit nostalgia and what it means for players and consumers. Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0By Jamie Madigan

What do research and theory say about how our avatars in video games and virtual reality may shape our behaviors --and how they don't? Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0By Jamie Madigan

In this episode I talk with an expert on diagnosing and treating ADHD in children. We'll talk about the challenges video games present to people with ADHD and some strategies for dealing with problems it may present. Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 "Bumbly March" Kevin Mac…

In-game purchases are a staple of modern game design, especially in the free-to-play and live service categories. This isn't necessarily bad as a business model, but there are some psychological effects that these games either intentionally or accidentally employ that may make us spend more than we intend to. Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by Th…

Sometimes we have to sell people on the merits of games like Dungeons & Dragons. People like parents, principals, teachers, or even our own significant others Usually this comes in the form of telling them all the great benefits playing brings --learning math, reading, communication, teamwork, social skills, and more. D&D is also often specifically…

Is technology or game design more important for determining whether we feel immersed and present in the world of a video game? What kinds of things will make us forget about the screen between us and that world, the controller in our hands, and the other things around us so that we start to feel like we're actually inhabiting the virtual world of t…

What do psychologists and games researchers have to say about the idea of role-playing, when you pretend to take on another person's persona, point of view, thoughts, and state of mind? What effects can role-playing games have on us? Tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons feature this as a central part of the experience, and some video…

What can the psychology of loot drops tell us about the evolution of the Diablo series? Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0By Jamie Madigan

Can playing a lot of games lead us to become better at explaining why a given character or behavior is moral or immoral? Audio Credits: “Robot Motivation” by The Polish Ambassador, licensed under Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 "Sneaky Snitch" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creat…

In this episode, I'm flying solo and doing a deep dive into what one theory has to say about why we're motivated to play video games, with an emphasis on grinding in particular.By Jamie Madigan

There's a growing trend among therapists who bring people together --often children, but sometimes adults-- to play Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games in a therapeutic context. Run by game masters who are qualified mental health professionals, these sessions help people dealing with ADHD, autism, learning disorders, anxiety, depression…

I talk about some of the psychology behind sales, especially digital sales that have no physical items or storefronts involved. What are some of the things that digital storefronts do --either intentionally or not-- that you should know about so that you can approach sales on your own terms?By Jamie Madigan

Could we develop a training regime for esports teams? It happens all the time in other kinds of sports. Coaches assign certain types of weight training and drills to soccer players, baseball players, football players, and any other kind of professional or even collegiate athlete you can think of. Could we do the same thing with esports athletes? Wh…

I share a lecture I recently gave on the psychology behind nostalgia, that bittersweet remembrance of times past. We'll explore why nostalgia has led to so many remakes, remasters, and reboots of old gaming franchises. And why that's not necessarily a bad thing.By Jamie Madigan

How can watching people play Critical Role or playing D&D yourself lead to transformative, psychologically meaningful experiences? And is that a thing you want?By Jamie Madigan

Why are fans so ready to get in fights over their preferred game properties or gaming consoles ?By Jamie Madigan

Could a commercial VR game you're playing be used for therapy? What should therapists and their patients know about VR and related technologies being used in therapy?By Jamie Madigan

What's the psychology behind when and why people cheat? What can we apply from that research to cheating in video games? Find out in this lecture I recently gave on the topic.By Jamie Madigan

My guests and I talk about how platforms like Twitch are changing how researchers think about parasocial relationships. Is it only one-sided when there's audience interaction?By Jamie Madigan

Why do gamers sometimes engage in toxic behavior and what psychology can developers leverage to curb it?By Jamie Madigan

My guest and I discuss how a physician can specialize in caring for the mental and physical health of professional gamers. Lindsey Migliore, MD is one of the foremost experts In esports medicine, trusted by the leading esports organizations and industry leaders. Through her work as GamerDoc, she applies scientific principles to the field of competi…