The initial transition to studying abroad is often stressful and may require strategies and tools to navigate this period smoothly. Video games are one common recreational activity among university students and a potential tool to support this life transition. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, this interview study (n = 16) explored Chinese international students’ gaming experience during the transition to studying in Australian universities. Findings suggested that relocation to Australia resulted in various stresses and losses for students. While video games supported Chinese international students’ basic psychological needs both before and after commencing study in Australia, gaming became more instrumental in Australia, with a greater emphasis on social functions and pastimes. Video game engagement could compensate for the limited sources of need satisfaction during this time. Despite compensational gaming and minor negative consequences, most participants experienced gaming in harmony with other responsibilities and believed the benefits of gaming outweighed the drawbacks. Purpose in life, self-awareness, and self-restriction were reported to play protective roles in preventing problematic gaming and minimising the negative effects of gaming. This study provides valuable insights into promoting international students’ well-being and preventing problematic gaming from both theoretical and practical perspectives.

There is growing recognition of the role video games can play in helping people through challenging times, however many still argue that video game play can lead to adverse and problematic behaviours when relied upon to manage negative affect. This study sought to explore a number of factors that may play a role in influencing the likelihood one develops problematic habits of play, particularly in the context of difficult and stressful times. Specifically, this study utilised Self-Determination Theory and the Dualistic Model of Passion to explore the relationships between emotion regulation, psychological need satisfaction and frustration, passion for video games, and problematic video game play during times of difficulty and stress. A path analysis was conducted using data from 440 participants and found that, overall, emotion regulation may be associated with whether or not problematic play is likely to occur, particularly through its relationship with need satisfaction (and frustration) and video game passion.

Prosocial behaviour is crucial in human relationships, enhancing the well-being of both the helper and the recipient. Using rewards to encourage prosocial behaviour can be effective, but may influence reasoning and negatively affect follow-up prosocial behaviour. The salience of the reward for the initial helping behaviour could explain the mixed findings in prior literature. Using a 2 (Aesthetic Upgrade, No Aesthetic Upgrade) × 2 (Functional Upgrade, No Functional Upgrade) online experimental study design (N = 170), this research investigates the impact of reward salience within a videogame on follow-up prosocial behaviour (donation to charity). Findings indicate that although reward salience was successfully manipulated, it did not have a statistically significant relationship with reasoning or behaviour. Notably, strategic reasoning for in-game helping was negatively associated with charitable donations. These results emphasise the importance of understanding how people perceive their prosocial actions to better predict future prosocial engagement, with implications for future research and games designed for social change.

Videogames are used by many during difficult times to help alleviate stressors. Recent research suggests that videogames may facilitate recovery through regulating emotions and promoting positive wellbeing outcomes. However, there are still concerns that a reliance on videogames to manage difficult situations can be problematic. Through semi-structured interviews (N=28), this study aimed to explore the role of videogames in this context to better understand the motivations behind gameplay, the emotional regulatory effect it has and, in turn, how this influences wellbeing. Key patterns of engagement emerged, suggesting that, during difficult times, individuals actively use videogames to meet important needs and regulate difficult emotions through the use of escapism. Moreover, the findings suggest that, even when gaming during these times appears to be rigid, the activity may still provide players wellbeing benefits.

Prosocial behaviour in videogames can enhance well-being outcomes and increase engagement in post-game prosocial behaviours, such as donations to charity. While some studies show that rewarding in-game helping can diminish charitable donations, others find no significant effects. An enhanced moral context for helping, driven by awareness of need, offers a potential explanation for the mixed findings. This study examined how the in-game moral context, manipulated through non-player character (NPC) neediness, influences the effect of rewards on post-game charitable donations, using a 2 (High Need, Low Need) x 2 (Reward, No Reward) experimental design. Results from 170 participants show no significant effects on charitable donations, high NPC neediness evoked greater moral satisfaction for helping, and in-game rewards for helping increased strategic reasoning. A significant interaction between rewards and NPC neediness was found on reasoning, where the No Reward/Low Need condition had the highest moral reasoning for helping, but also the lowest moral satisfaction from helping. This discrepancy between moral reasoning and moral satisfaction is discussed, along with practical methods to manipulate and measure NPC neediness, and recommendations to improve the research of moral decision-making in videogames.

This paper reports results from a high-fidelity driving simulator study (N=215) about a head-up display (HUD) that conveys a conditional automated vehicle’s dynamic “uncertainty” about the current situation while fallback drivers watch entertaining videos. We compared (between-group) three design interventions: display (a bar visualisation of uncertainty close to the video), interruption (interrupting the video during uncertain situations), and combination (a combination of both), against a baseline (video-only). We visualised eye-tracking data to conduct a heatmap analysis of the four groups’ gaze behaviour over time. We found interruptions initiated a phase during which participants interleaved their attention between monitoring and entertainment. This improved monitoring behaviour was more pronounced in combination compared to interruption, suggesting pre-warning interruptions have positive effects. The same addition had negative effects without interruptions (comparing baseline & display). Intermittent interruptions may have safety benefits over placing additional peripheral displays without compromising usability.

Prosocial behaviours are actions that have a positive impact on others. Those who act prosocially in videogames are more likely to be prosocial after the game. In-game rewards may impact this prosocial transfer to real life but there are mixed findings. The aim of this research was to determine the impact that in-game rewards for helping have on post-game prosocial behaviour. We partially replicated and extended a prior study that showed an impact of in-game rewards on a post-game charitable donation. While playing a videogame, players voluntarily chose to help a non-player character or not and were rewarded or not based on their experimental condition. Pre- and post-gameplay questionnaires were used to measure trait empathy, prosocial self-concept, and reasoning for in-game helping. Participants were then offered a bonus compensation and given the opportunity to donate some amount of it to charity. Moral Reasoning was positively associated with donation behaviour, successfully replicating some prior findings. However, in-game rewards did not affect reasoning or donation behaviour. The outcomes of this research help both researchers and developers better understand how rewards affect players’ reasoning and how to better utilise games as a method to increase prosocial behaviour in people.

Attempts to digitize pinball have been met with skepticism; however, VR presents a new opportunity to access and enjoy this popular game. In a controlled study (N=60), we investigated how physical pinball, VR pinball, and PC pinball differ in terms of player experience (pX) and task demand using both quantitative and qualitative data. Participants mainly preferred physical pinball, followed by VR pinball; only two participants preferred pinball on the PC. With the exception of immersion, results showed no pX differences between physical and VR pinball; although PC pinball was rated as inferior on multiple dimensions. Furthermore, enjoyment of physical pinball was associated with curiosity, control, and challenge, whereas in VR and PC pinball, immersion and audiovisual appeal mattered. Interestingly, preference and pX did not depend on existing familiarity with pinball. Our findings suggest that VR can offer an accessible, enjoyable pinball experience, regardless of familiarity.

Given the ubiquity of videogame play by children, concerns about the impacts of videogames, and increasing evidence of the benefits associated with digital play, it is important to evaluate the player experience (pX) of children. Moreover, it is essential to include children's voices in research about technologies designed for their use. However, eliciting rich, first-hand data on their experiences and perspectives is challenging because it requires children to articulate opinions in a pre-established context of general positivity towards games, alongside potential social desirability bias. In this paper, we present a methodology which uses children's psychophysiology as a prompt for reflective interviews, with two commercial off-the-shelf computer games (Rocket League and LEGO Builder's Journey). We consider the utility, reproducibility, reliability and validity of the method. In assessing the method, we discuss children's experience of wearing the sensors, the insights generated from the psychophysiological data, and the understanding that emerged when prompting children to reflect and comment on their own psychophysiological data.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused tremendous economic and social disruption devastating people’s livelihoods and wellbeing. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended people engage in enjoyable activities such as videogames, helping them relax during difficult life situations. Using Self-Determination Theory as a lens, this interview study (N = 11) examined how people’s videogame behaviours were influenced by life context, and their impact on wellbeing during COVID-19. Findings established that videogames were a compensatory response to the stressors of the pandemic. Playing videogames satisfied participants’ needs for social connection, serving as a coping mechanism to distract them for a short time; following an initial prioritisation of gaming and spike in gaming hours, many returned to their regular gaming behaviours. This study contributes to the games for health literature, identifying the effects of videogames on wellbeing, and provides much needed knowledge for health practitioners and families on how videogames are used and their impact on players’ wellbeing during the pandemic as a societal stressful life event. The findings have clinical and policy implications both to identify a positive tool, and to dispel negative stigmas surrounding videogames.

The Dualistic Model of Passion (obsessive and harmonious passion) can explain motivations for videogame play along with associated outcomes, such as the development of social capital; however, existing research exploring passion and social capital in videogaming has been cross-sectional. In the current study we surveyed players of DotA 2 at three time points, over six months (T1 n=462, T2 n=182, T3 n=115), to explore the stability of passion for DotA 2 over time and how such passion may lead to the development or erosion of social capital. Our key findings include that passion for playing DotA 2 is relatively stable over time and that harmonious passion predicts future bridging social capital, while obsessive passion predicts future bonding social capital. Importantly, our findings suggest the absence of a "slippery slope" scenario in which players who have a healthy pattern of engagement development obsessive passion or problematic play. Equally, however, our findings also suggest that those who are obsessive are unlikely to naturally trend towards a more harmonious style of engagement over time. We consider the implications of our findings for health practitioners, players and videogame developers and identify the differences between our longitudinal findings and the existing cross-sectional research.

The esports market has been growing exponentially has been growing exponentially with much interest from industry and academia. Perhaps because of this growth, there is a lack of agreement on what esports actually encompasses. We conducted a systematic review of 461 peer reviewed, full papers that provide a definition of esports. Findings highlighted the growth of the esports field across different domains, and increasing global interest in esports, but a lack of consensus regarding definition of the term. Through thematic analysis we identified nine dimensions across esports definitions. We critically assess these dimensions in terms of their representativeness and utility in describing the multifaceted nature of esports. Our work may help create a shared understanding of what esports is- and is not-capturing a diversity of experiences within organized competitive gaming and supporting continued research growth in this increasingly important domain.

Questionnaires are vital in games user research (GUR) to assess player experience (PX). However, having too many questions in surveys prevents wider uptake among GUR professionals because of games' rapid production cycles. To address this issue, we present the miniPXI---an eleven-item measure of the popular Player Experience Inventory (PXI)---providing single items for each of its eleven constructs. To develop the scale and examine its reliability and validity, we present three studies, conducted with 15 experts and 628 digital game players across continents. In the first survey study (n=366, 15 experts), single items were selected. In a second survey study (n=232), we explored reliability and validity of the single-item scale. Participants completed both full and single-item (SI) variants in three days. In the last study (n=30), we established the validity and sensitivity via an experimental evaluation of two games. The results are nuanced; SI reliability estimates for PXI constructs range from .51 to .83 with an average of .68, we could confirm the validity for nine constructs. We conclude that the miniPXI can be a valuable tool for PX evaluations where a longer measure is not feasible, and provide practical considerations for its use.

When facing mental health concerns, men seek help less, confront greater stigma in accessing treatment, and experience more severe consequences. Interventions targeted at men are often grounded in activity and situated in appealing contexts, such as sporting or gaming spaces. In this paper, we question how pinball---a social tangible and digital leisure activity---can support men's mental health and wellbeing, through thematic analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=15) with male pinball enthusiasts. Our contribution is threefold: first, we evidence pinball as a context that provides incidental benefits to mental health directly, and indirectly through social connectedness; second, that enthusiasts actively enhance their social lives and resulting wellbeing via pinball; and third, that pinball contexts are suited for designing interventions that provide mental health supports within subcultures that appeal to men. We situate our findings in theories of wellbeing, activity-based communication, shoulder-to shoulder self-disclosure, and the importance of third-spaces for social wellness.

This work explores the use of functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess cognitive activity during videogame play, and compare it to cognitive activity during cognitive tasks that assess executive control. To this end, we assessed haemodynamic response to videogame and cognitive tasks in the prefrontal cortex, each manipulated on a spectrum of difficulty. In our study (n = 37), we find that mental effort expended during videogame play did not differ from mental effort expended during cognitive tasks---and speculate that regional cognitive activity during gameplay is indicative of functions pertaining to memory encoding and retrieval, planning, and sustainment of attention. Our findings suggest the utility of fNIRS as a means to understand challenge as part of the player experience, and contest the popular conception of videogame play as cognitively undemanding entertainment. Further, we were successful in distinguishing between difficulty levels in the gameplay tasks, situating fNIRS as broadly useful for granular assessment of gameplay difficulty. As such, we contend that fNIRS is an effective and useful tool for generating high-resolution insights regarding cognition (and particularly the experience of difficulty) during gameplay.

We propose a new research framework by which the nascent discipline of human-AI teaming can be explored within experimental environments in preparation for transferal to real-world contexts. We examine the existing literature and unanswered research questions through the lens of an Agile approach to construct our proposed framework. Our framework aims to provide a structure for understanding the macro features of this research landscape, supporting holistic research into the acceptability of human-AI teaming to human team members and the affordances of AI team members. The framework has the potential to enhance decision-making and performance of hybrid human-AI teams. Further, our framework proposes the application of Agile methodology for research management and knowledge discovery. We propose a transferability pathway for hybrid teaming to be initially tested in a safe environment, such as a real-time strategy video game, with elements of lessons learned that can be transferred to real-world situations.

We present a long-term study of use of the Messaging Kettle, an Internet of Things (IOT) research prototype that augments an everyday kettle with both sensing and messaging capability and a beautiful light display in order to investigate connecting geographically distant loved ones to their family through the routine of boiling the kettle. Connection at a distance has been of sustained interest to the CHI community, and the social connection of older people is of increasing importance in recognition of ageing populations globally. However, very few novel designs in this domain have been investigated in situ or over the long term to examine whether their use sustains, and if so, how they impact communication in a relationship. The Messaging Kettle was trialled with four pairs of dispersed older mothers and adult daughters over timeframes that lasted between two months to more than two years. We observed the phenomenon ofcollaborative habituationwherein each party creatively made the technology work for them both through a combination of the gradual transformation of their everyday practices, arrangements, and living. Through developing these joint practices over time, participants expressed feelings ofeveryday togethernessthat nurture their relationship at a distance. Three of the four couples continued to use the prototype for years, beyond the initial trial. We reflect on the artful integration of features of the Messaging Kettle and the way in which these features supportedcollaborative habituation. We also reflect on lessons and implications for the design of such relational technologies.

Genomic research emerges from collaborative work within and across different scientific disciplines. A diverse range of visualisation techniques has been employed to aid this research, yet relatively little is known as to how these techniques facilitate collaboration. We conducted a case study of collaborative research within a biomedical institute to learn more about the role visualisation plays in genomic mapping. Interviews were conducted with molecular biologists (N = 5) and bioinformaticians (N = 6). We found that genomic research comprises a variety of distinct disciplines engaged in complex analytic tasks that each resist simplification, and their complexity influences how visualisations were used. Visualisation use was impacted by group-specific interactions and temporal work patterns. Visualisations were also crucial to the scientific workflow, used for both question formation and confirmation of hypotheses, and acted as an anchor for the communication of ideas and discussion. In the latter case, two approaches were taken: providing collaborators with either interactive or static imagery representing a viewpoint. The use of generic software for simplified visualisations, and quick production and curation was also noted. We discuss these findings with reference to group-specific interactions and present recommendations for improving collaborative practices through visual analytics.

With ongoing interest in the relationship between videogame and mental health alongside recent focus on gaming's role in coping with stressful life events, we sought to explore the relationship between videogame play and wellbeing among people experiencing their first episode of psychosis. Specifically, we aimed to explore the associations between videogame play and wellbeing among consumers of a first episode psychosis (FEP) service and further to compare their motivations for play, need satisfaction, passion for play and wellbeing to a control group. A sample of 88 people experiencing FEP (57 who played videogames and 31 who did not) and a control sample of 46 (all of whom played videogames) completed a survey containing a range of questionnaires related to the variables of interest. Key findings include that among those experiencing FEP, people who played videogames reported better wellbeing outcomes than those who did not. Among participants who played videogames, the FEP sample reported lower levels of need satisfaction through gaming, lower levels of harmonious passion, higher levels of external types of motivation and lower levels of internal types of motivation for play than the control group. Finally, the relationships between passion orientation (both harmonious and obsessive) and psychological distress were stronger in the control group than the FEP sample, suggesting that passion for gaming may be less influential on wellbeing for those experiencing FEP.

This paper outlines the theory-driven design and development of Puppy Island, a serious game for children aged three to five who are living with the chronic illness cystic fibrosis. Puppy Island differs from typical serious games, as its central learning and design objectives relate to long-term wellbeing and empowerment rather than short-term knowledge transfer. The Early Years Learning Framework and Self-Determination Theory informed the design and development of the iPad prototype, while domain experts from industry, academia and the broader cystic fibrosis community were consulted to establish user requirements and evaluate the iterative designs. We analyse the development process, domain expert feedback, and how the game's features relate to core theoretical pillars in order to highlight key lessons that can be applied to future work on serious games with comparable aims or target audiences.

People often use videogames to restore wellbeing after negative experiences in day-to-day life. Although some research suggests that play can restore wellbeing, few studies have investigated the means by which restoration occurs. We employed self-determination theory (SDT) to understand how and to what degree play improves wellbeing after a need-frustrating event, and how players understand experiences of competence in play. Sixty-five participants worked at a competence manipulation task prior to playing a competence-satisfying videogame. Competence, affect, and vitality improved during play, and in-game experiences of need frustration were observed to effectively predict post-play negative affect. Post-experiment interviews indicate that videogames are seen to support competence relative to perceived skill, extending our knowledge of how design can support competence and restoration. We demonstrate that play can restore wellbeing, present need frustration as a means to explain negative experiences with interactive systems, and discuss effects of design on competence.

While online multiplayer games provide an opportunity for players to both maintain and establish new connections, male and female players have been found to experience these environments differently. Interviews (n = 22) and focus groups (n = 14) were used to explore these differences as they impact on creating new social connections, as well as to provide recommendations for the development of new social tools and features that account for these differences. While all participants experienced toxicity and performance pressure as barriers to forming new connections, female players uniquely reported the impacts of misogynistic targeting and stereotype threat. In turn, female players wishing to avoid these stresses would often mask their gender. The common practice of gender misrepresentation by both male and female players impacted female players’ ability to create social connections through voice technology, as well as building their distrust of unknown others. Recommendations are made to build social connectedness between players taking into account the specific constraints faced by female players. These include establishing mentoring opportunities as well as profiling players beyond their immediate skill or rank. Additionally, the desire for control of one’s online identity presents practical challenges that may be overcome through thoughtful design.

Games User Research (GUR) focuses on measuring, analysing and understanding player experiences to optimise game designs. Hence, GUR experts aim to understand how specific game design choices are experienced by players, and how these lead to specific emotional responses. An instrument, providing such actionable insight into player experience, specifically designed by and for GUR was thus far lacking. To address this gap, the Player Experience Inventory (PXI) was developed, drawing on Means-End theory and measuring player experience both at the level of Functional Consequences, (i.e., the immediate experiences as a direct result of game design choices, such as audiovisual appeal or ease-of-control) and at the level of Psychosocial Consequences, (i.e., the second-order emotional experiences, such as immersion or mastery). Initial construct and item development was conducted in two iterations with 64 GUR experts. Next, the scale was validated and evaluated over five studies and populations, totalling 529 participants. Results support the theorized structure of the scale and provide evidence for both discriminant and convergent validity. Results also show that the scale performs well over different sample sizes and studies, supporting configural invariance. Hence, the PXI provides a reliable and theoretically sound tool for researchers to measure player experience and investigate how game design choices are linked to emotional responses.

Low levels of engagement while driving can pose road safety risks, e.g., inattention during low traffic or routine trips. Interactive technologies that increase task engagement could therefore offer safety benefits, e.g., through performance feedback, increased challenge, and incentives. As a means to build upon these notions, we chose to explore gamification of the driving task. The research aim was to study how to design gamified applications that make safe driving more engaging. We present six design lenses which bring into focus considerations most relevant to creating engaging car applications. A user study enhanced our understanding of design requirements and revealed user personas to support the development of such applications. These lenses and personas informed two prototypes, which we evaluated in driving simulator studies. Our results indicate that the gamified conditions increased driver engagement and reduced driving speeds. As such, our work contributes towards the design of engaging applications that are both appropriate to the safety-critical driving context and compelling to users.

Over the last decade, the development of a range of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies has led to an enormous increase in the size of the data sets available in molecular biology. The scale of these data presents new challenges for researchers, and visualisation is widely regarded as an essential tool for exploration and detailed analysis of candidate relationships. Inevitably, there are cognitive and technical limits on the information which may usefully be displayed on a particular device, and there may be some tension between the analytical utility of a representation and its coverage of the relationships available within the data. Careful attention must be given to the overall design of the visualisation, and to the channels selected, and these tasks are further complicated if the intent is to support interactive exploration by a number of collocated researchers or inclusion within a collaborative workflow. This paper is concerned with the design of a visualisation for regulatory interactions in bacteria, the complex relationships that exist between a set of proteins and the much larger set of genes whose action they control. Modelling these interactions yields equally complex network diagrams, and even classical hairball representations when visualised. In this work we explore the iterative refinement of an alternative visualisation for data of this kind, moving away from the traditional hairball to a 'field' of smaller structures, the intent being to support effective comparison across many dozens of strains and species rather than the exhaustive documentation of a full set of interactions for the one organism. While the study did not directly compare insights obtained using TRNDiff with those obtained using other tools, formal evaluations have allowed us to settle on an effective set of representations and visual channels, and interactive features to support analysis. Our approach has produced a far more effective visualisation of these important data sets, and offers useful lessons for tool developers and insights into the utility of touch devices and larger displays for visual analytics and generation of insight at scale.

People who play video games do so in a range of social contexts: alone, with people they know and don't know, in cooperative and competitive settings. However, little is known about what people enjoy or dislike about these contexts of play, or how to best design games to support player preferences. Using open-ended responses from an online survey (N = 326) and a series of interviews (N = 16) this study shows that the solitary context offers immersive, relaxing, autonomous play, as well as the avoidance of unwanted social interactions. Social play, however, provides competence-enhancing experiences (via competition or teamwork or both) via interactions with others. What was disliked about these contexts indicates where design improvements to both the solitary and social play experiences can be made.

The study examines the relationship of challenge-skill balance and the player experience through evaluation of competence, autonomy, presence, interest/enjoyment, and positive and negative affect states. To manipulate challenge-skill balance, three video game modes -- boredom (low challenge), balance (medium challenge), and overload (high challenge) -- were developed and experimentally tested (n = 45). The study showed that self-reported positive affect, autonomy, presence, and interest/enjoyment differed between the levels. The balance condition generally performed well in terms of positive player experiences, confirming the key role challenge-skill balance plays in designing for optimal play experiences. Interestingly, the study found significantly lower negative affect scores when playing the boredom condition. Greater feelings of competence were also reported for the boredom condition than the balance and overload conditions. Finally, some measures point to overload as a more enjoyable experience than boredom, suggesting possible player preference for challenge > skill imbalance over skill > challenge imbalance. Implications for design and future research are presented.

This paper explores novel driving experiences that make use of gamification and augmented reality in the car. We discuss our design considerations, which are grounded in road safety psychology and video game design theory. We aim to address the tension between safe driving practices and player engagement. Specifically, we propose a holistic, iterative approach inspired by game design cognition and share our insights generated through the application of this process. We present preliminary game concepts that blend digital components with physical elements from the driving environment. We further highlight how this design process helped us to iteratively evolve these concepts towards being safer while maintaining fun. These insights and game design cognition itself will be useful to the AutomotiveUI community investigating similar novel driving experiences.

Video games provide unique interactive player experiences (PX) often categorised into different genres. Prior research has looked at different game genres, but rarely through a PX lens. Especially, PX in the emerging area of massive online battle arena (MOBA) games is not well understood by researchers in the field. We address this knowledge gap by presenting a PX study of different game genres, which we followed up with a second semi-structured interview study about PX in MOBA games. Among the results of our analyses are that games that are likely played with other players, such as MOBA games, stimulate less immersion and presence for players. Additionally, while challenge and frustration are significantly higher in this genre, players get a sense of satisfaction from teamwork, competition and mastery of complex gameplay interactions. Our study is the first to contribute a comprehensive insight into key motivators of MOBA players and how PX in this genre is different from other genres.

The current study sought to identify the impact of whether teammates in a cooperative videogame were controlled by other humans (avatars) or by the game (agents). The impact on player experience was explored through both subjective questionnaire measures and brain wave activity measurement (electroencephalography). Play with human teammates was associated with a greater sense of relatedness, but less competence and flow than play with other computer-controlled teammates. In terms of brain activity, play with human teammates was associated with greater activity in the alpha, theta and beta power bands than play with computer-controlled teammates. Overall, the results suggest that play with human teammates involves greater cognitive activity in terms of 'mentalising' than play with computer-controlled teammates. Additionally, the associations between subjective measures of player experience and brain activity are described. Limitations of the current study are identified and key directions for future research are discussed.

Young males are over-represented in road crashes. Part of the problem is their proneness to boredom, a hardwired personality factor that can lead to risky driving. This paper presents a theoretical understanding of boredom in the driving context and demonstrates convincing arguments to investigate the role of boredom further. Specifically, this paper calls for the design of innovative technologies and applications that make safe driving more pleasurable and stimulating for young males, e.g., by applying gamification techniques. We propose two design concepts through the following questions: A. Can the simulation of risky driving reduce actual risky driving? B. Can the replacement of risky driving stimuli with alternative stimuli reduce risky driving? We argue that considering these questions in the future design of automotive user-interfaces and personal ubiquitous computing devices could effectively reduce risky driving behaviours among young males.

Acoustic sensing is a promising approach to scaling faunal biodiversity monitoring. Scaling the analysis of audio collected by acoustic sensors is a big data problem. Standard approaches for dealing with big acoustic data include automated recognition and crowd based analysis. Automatic methods are fast at processing but hard to rigorously design, whilst manual methods are accurate but slow at processing. In particular, manual methods of acoustic data analysis are constrained by a 1:1 time relationship between the data and its analysts. This constraint is the inherent need to listen to the audio data. This paper demonstrates how the efficiency of crowd sourced sound analysis can be increased by an order of magnitude through the visual inspection of audio visualized as spectrograms. Experimental data suggests that an analysis speedup of 12× is obtainable for suitable types of acoustic analysis, given that only spectrograms are shown.

Identifying, modelling and documenting business processes requires the collaboration of many stakeholders that may be spread across companies in inter-organizational business settings. While there are many process modelling tools available, the support they provide for remote collaboration remains limited. This paper investigates the application of virtual environment and augmented reality technologies to remote process modelling, with the aim to assisting collaboration tasks by providing an increased sense of immersion in a shared workspace. We report on the evaluation of a prototype system with five informants. The results indicate that this approach to business process modelling is suited to remote collaborative task settings, and stakeholders may indeed benefit from using augmented reality interfaces.

Touch interactions have refreshed some of the 'glowing enthusiasm' of thirty years ago for direct manipulation interfaces. However, today's touch technologies, whose interactions are supported by graphics, sounds or crude clicks, have a tactile sameness and gaps in usability. We use a Large Area Tactile Pattern Display (LATPaD) to examine design possibilities and outcomes when touch interactions are enhanced with variable surface friction. In a series of four studies, we first confirm that variable friction gives significant performance advantages in low-level targeting activities. We then explore the design space of variable friction interface controls and assess user reactions. Most importantly, we demonstrate that variable friction can have a positive impact on the enjoyment, engagement and sense of realism experienced by users of touch interfaces.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in the success or failure of computer games. The paper explores the use of AI in games focusing on difficulties faced by game developers and techniques that have proven useful. An argument is presented for the value of collaboration between the game and academic AI communities.