Psych foundations PhD student combines passion for video games and research

Nic VanMeerten, a PhD student in the psychological foundations of education program, feels fortunate that this program allows him to combine his two passions: video games and research. VanMeerten was first introduced to the opportunity of performing research on video games when he met Davin Pavlas, a researcher at Riot Games, who was trying to figure out how to reduce toxic behavior in League of Legends at the time.

“This was one of the pivotal moments for me because I was not aware that there was a demand for people to study games professionally.” VanMeerten then sought out graduate programs that would allow him to study how people behave in video games. “After meeting Keisha Varma and several other faculty and staff in the psych foundations program I knew that this would be a good place for me to develop my skills because of the supportive and collegial manner of the people here.”

Through the psych foundations program, VanMeerten has been able to develop his own voice as a researcher. “When I came into the program, I knew that my perspective on how people learn in games was different from the mainstream, but I wasn’t sure how to say it back then.” He continues, “Today, I am confident when I say that people learn from all games, whether they are made for entertainment or not.

Professor Keisha Varma has been instrumental to VanMeerten’s experience in the psych foundations program. “Keisha has provided me with support at every turn, whether it is helping me find funding to run a research study, inviting me to work with her collaborators in the public school system, or writing an article with me.” He continues, “I can’t imagine going through the program without her support and advice.”

In the future, VanMeerten hopes to use his degree to improve how people learn in video games, whether it’s learning an external skill or how to use a specific mechanic in a game.

For more on VanMeerten’s work, read this article from CEHD Connect.