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Warwick Smith/Stuff
Shaun Garea, a psychology researcher and lecturer based at Massey University, is opening a gaming lab at the School of Psychology.
A new gaming laboratory is opening at Massey University to investigate the potential positive effects of board games.
The project based in the school of psychology will be led by lecturers and psychology researchers Shaun Garea and Ross Hebden.
The research will focus on two key areas: tabletop role-playing games and board games.
The lab will be known as Grail: Gaming research and investigation laboratory. The name refers to a quest for research and knowledge, as well as gaming and adventuring.
Warwick Smith/Stuff
The Grail gaming project will have its first roll at the Armageddon pop culture expo.
Tabletop role-playing games research will be managed by Garea and board games by Hebden.
The lab will also aim to become a centre for students interested in psychology and gaming; for them to come and play in person, socialise, learn, experiment, and build ideas for future research.
Garea and Hebden will also be launching the lab to the public at the upcoming pop culture Armageddon Expo on August 5 and 6 in Palmerston North, where they will be running free sessions of games for attendees to engage with and think a little bit about the psychology at play.
Warwick Smith/Stuff
The lab is called GRAIL (Gaming Research and Investigation Laboratory).
Garea said playing games allowed people to experiment, try new things, and succeed or fail with no major repercussions.
“Games allow us to grow and to learn. So, just what kind of things can we learn from the games that people already love to play?”
He said the games they were looking at were fun, leisure activities not science-developed games.
“If players already enjoy playing these existing games, can benefits from them be identified to help individuals, parents, teachers, therapists and more ease people through difficult times and or just learn a little about themselves? It’s worth looking into right?”
Garea had already published work in areas of gaming related to cognition, cooperation, aggression, and gambling. He has also worked in film and the arts, in writing and directing.
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