Course Syllabus

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Semester & Location:

Spring 2025 - DIS Stockholm
Type & Credits:

Elective Course - 3 Credits

Major Disciplines:

Computer Science, Psychology
Research Mentor:

Joshua Juvrud

(current students, please use the Canvas Inbox)
Research Director:

Susana Dietrich - research@dis.dk
Senior Research Manager:

Polina Smiragina-Ingelström 
Academic Support:

research@dis.dk
Time & Place:

See "Course Summary" below

 

Research Project Description

At the Games & Society Lab at Uppsala University, Research Mentor Dr. Joshua Juvrud uses psychological methods to examine social cognitive phenomena in adults.

Research questions are focused around two topics: learning and social perception. Ongoing projects examining learning look at how skills transfer from one domain to another, and how immersion in an environment can increase opportunities for learning . Research questions and findings are highly relevant for psychologists and sociologists, as well as educators and health scientists. As a Research Assistant, you have the opportunity to work in an experimental context using research tools such as eye-tracking and psychophysiological measures to answer questions related to human behavior.

Research topics include:

Social perception: face processing – Using eye-tracking and face emotion analysis software, we examine the complex and dynamic processes involved in face processing. This includes emotion recognition, emotion contagion, preferences and bias, and selective visual attention. Using experimental designs, we examine the quick and automatic cognitive processes that we often take for granted, such as recognizing a loved one in a crowd or knowing when someone is happy or angry. Other work examines these processes in relation to other cognitive skills, such as visual search and attention. Eye movements, scanning patterns, and pupil dilation are used to understand mechanisms that underly how we process human and non-human faces.

Learning: expertise and transfer – Using eye-tracking, it has been shown that pupil dilation and eye-movements can be used as an indicator for learning expertise. We want to further understand the process of what it looks like to become an expert in a domain, such as chess players or musicians. Using psychophysiological measures and experimental designs, we run studies examining the process of learning, and importantly, to what extent learned skills and/or knowledge can transfer from one domain to another.

Learning inside and outside the classroom – Research has long shown the important of play in learning for both children and adults alike. Classrooms commonly integrate more playful experiences in the curriculum, and museums and other tourist centers use games and play-like experience to promote learning. Our research aims to better understand the important of play for learning, and specifically, how experiences such as escape rooms, ARG (alternate reality), and city-games can possibly be used inside and outside of the classroom for learning.

Selected relevant publications:

Learning Objectives

The primary objective is for you to experience the world of research and gain skills that will prepare you for any future career you choose to pursue. By the end of the term, you will grasp the complexities of the research project and have made your own contribution to the project. You will have learned to communicate ideas and findings, both orally and in writing, to colleagues within your particular discipline, as well as peers from other disciplines.

Research Mentor 

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Joshua Juvrud

DIS Stockholm Semester Faculty

Ph.D. in Psychology (Uppsala University). As a research psychologist, his work has focused on the ways that novel techniques in research (eye-tracking, pupil dilation, virtual reality) can be used to assess how children and adults perceive and interpret people, emotions, and actions. Josh focuses this research in two fields. In developmental psychology at the Child and Babylab in Uppsala, he seeks to understand how children learn about their world and the social cognitive development of face perception and socialization processes such as gender, race, and ethnicity. In games research at the Games & Society Lab at the Department of Game Design in Visby, Gotland, his work examines the psychology of people, their actions, and emotions in game development, player engagement, learning, and immersion to understand better how different game players (with different personalities, traits, and experiences) interact with various game mechanisms and are, in turn, affected by game experiences. With DIS since 2020.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Research Assistant

You are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week on the project. The workload
may vary over the semester. If you are travelling to do field research in a different
location, additional time may be required.
As research assistant, you will engage in some or all of the following:
1. Participate in weekly meetings with your research mentor at a time set collectively at the beginning of the term.
2. Participate in a research orientation at the beginning of the semester 
3. Participate in two research workshops during the semester.
4. Write an assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses in the research
process at the beginning of the semester. Revisit at the end of the semester as part of an evaluation of your own participation in, and learning from, the research project.
5. Keep a research journal and submit it on canvas every week (or another specified interval) for your research mentor an DIS Research, describing the activities of the week, and outlining goals for the following week.
6. Conduct literature reviews.
7. Participate in carrying out the research project. This may include: familiarizing yourself with core concepts, prototyping, design testing, preliminary user studies. The specific responsibilities may vary depending on how the project progresses. Be prepared to contribute to tasks that may come up
during the semester. Research processes are not always predictable.
8. Present the relevance of the research and/or findings to peer(s) from other
disciplines at the DIS Festival.
9. Make a final oral and/or written presentation of the research you are involved in, depending on what is agreed with your research mentor.

Readings

The readings will be agreed upon with the Research Mentor at the beginning of the semester -
the exact content will differ depending on your background. You will receive guidance
concerning the basics of relevant concepts, study designs, methods of analysis, etc.

Evaluation and Grading

All research assistants are assessed on their participation, weekly status reports to the research mentor, self-evaluation and presentation to peers from other disciplines. Additional evaluation and grading depends on the individual research project and project phase and is outlined by the research mentor. It may include literature reviews, a poster presentation for an expert panel, a working paper, etc.

Participation*

10% of grade comprises attendance & active participation including homework in the research orientation, research workshops, and DIS Festival 

20%

Literature review

5%

Research Project Outline

10%

Presentation at DIS Festival

10%

Final Paper

55%

TOTAL

100%

Research Orientation & Workshops

Days and times are available in the Course Summary, below.

Field Research (if applicable)

Some research projects include field research. Expenses related to fieldwork will be
covered by a DIS travel grant. The fieldwork will be planned with the research
mentor at the beginning of the semester.

Approach to Mentoring

All DIS research mentors have been trained in mentoring students but their approach to
mentoring may differ. Mentoring is about engaging at a different - and often deeper -
level than what is typical in the class room. However, mentoring also comes with some
degree of ambiguity, which is important for you to expect. The research
mentor will work closely with you throughout the semester but part of the training is also
for you to use your own judgement, to make assessments and decisions. As part of
planning your tasks and responsibilities for the semester together, the research
mentor will talk to you about her/his approach to mentoring.

Expectations of the Research Assistant

The specific expectations of the individual research assistant are agreed upon at the
beginning of the semester. In general, a research assistant is expected to take initiative,
take ownership of the project and work independently. You must also be prepared for
meetings and be willing to part take in relevant discussions. In cases where more
research assistants are involved in the same project, you will be expected to engage in
some teamwork. Carrying out a research project is not a straightforward and
predictable process. This is part of what makes it exciting. It also means that
communication is crucial. You are expected to take responsibility for communicating
about problems or issues that arise.

Data

Note that many US colleges/universities require their students who are participating in research at home or abroad to acquire Institutional Review Board approval. Examples include:

  • Research involving human subjects
  • If the results of any research conducted during your semester with DIS involving human subjects are to be made public or published in the US

You are responsible for confirming whether home IRB-approval is required and, if so, for seeking the approval of your home schools IRB. In addition, all research conducted in Europe must adhere to GDPR regulations, as noted above.

Disability and Resource Statement

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Academic Support in Copenhagen (acadsupp@dis.dk) or in Stockholm (academics@disstockholm.se), depending on the project location. In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations. on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due