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Virtual Reality (VR) is a growing frontier of immersive consumable content. It provides an additional layer of immersion, namely presence, which can be described as the feeling of being somewhere, in this case, inside a virtual environment, thus accepting it as real. We utilise existing game design, VR, and perception models and theories to create prototypes that test the effect of realism in the representation of the player avatar on the felt presence in VR. We consider the concepts of “game feel”, “presence”, “scales of realism” and the “Uncanny Valley” theory when building the framework for this study. Furthermore, we create three prototypes with increasing levels of visual polish and three test groups (N = 36 adults) are made to play through one of the prototypes each. Galvanic skin response (GSR) is used to measure arousal response, a measure used to quantify degrees of presence. Participants are instructed to interact with two stimuli that share the same behaviours, first a virtual toy car and then a virtual spider. The instructions for the interactions with each stimulus are identical. Results from t-tests and linear mixed-effects modelling (LMM) show indications of effectiveness of increased player avatar visual polish on producing higher arousal response readings, suggesting an increased sense of presence. Additionally, some behavioural patterns that emerged suggest a heightened sense of embodiment. We argue that the findings validate the implementation of higher visual fidelity in player avatars, in pursuit of impacting a subject’s level of arousal when exposed to a virtual spider. This has implications for game designers, psychotherapists, and researchers who aim to use VR to induce an immersive state in individuals. / Virtuell verklighet (engelska: “Virtual Reality”) är ett växande område av konsumerbara innehåll som medverkar till att användaren ska kunna försvinna bort i en artificiell verklighet. Den engelska termen “immersion” är välanvänd inom speldesign och syftar inom denna kontext på ett uppslukande av användarens uppmärksamhet när de interagerar med ett datorspel. Virtuell verklighet bidrar med ytterligare ett lager av “immersion” nämligen genom närvaro (engelska: “Presence”). Närvaro hänvisar till känslan att befinna sig på en viss plats, i detta fall i en virtuell miljö. Vi har nyttjat sedan tidigare kända modeller och teorier relaterade till speldesign, virtuell verklighet och kognitiva förmågor som utgångspunkt för att utveckla tre prototyper. Målet med dessa prototyper är att testa vilken effekt en mer realistisk representation av en användares virtuella kropp (engelska: “Player Avatar”) kan ha på den upplevda närvaron i en virtuell verklighet. De tre prototyperna har avsikten att öka den visuella detaljrikedomen (engelska: “Polish”) på en skala från en abstrakt representation av en mänsklig kropp till en mer realistisk och faktisk representation. Deltagande i experimenten bestod av N = 36 vuxna individer, uppdelade i tre testgrupper. Vi använder galvanisk hudrespons (“GSR”) för att mäta fysiologiska responser, vars data vi använder för att kvantifiera olika grader av närvaro. Deltagarna är instruerade att interagera med två olika stimuli, som innehar samma beteendemönster, först en virtuell leksaksbil och sedan en virtuell spindel. Resultaten från t-testerna och de linjära modellerna med blandade effekter (engelska: “Linear Mixed-Effect Modelling” eller “LMM”) gav indikationer på att en högre visuell trofasthet av deltagarens virtuella kropp resulterade i en större fysiologisk respons vilket kan tolkas som att deltagarna upplevde en större närvaro. Vidare upptäcktes vissa upprepade beteendemönster som kan tolkas som indicier på att deltagarna upplevde en högre nivå av förkroppsligande i korrelation till de mer visuellt imponerande prototyperna. Vi lägger fram argumentet att fynden i denna studie validerar implementationen av en högre visuell trofasthet i spelarnas virtuella kroppar med syftet att påverka deltagarens fysiologiska respons när de exponeras för en virtuell spindel. Detta har implikationer för speldesigners, psykoterapeuter och forskare som eftersträvar att inducera ett sorts uppslukande tillstånd bland individer.

This experiment was primarily designed to identify higher cortical correlates of cardiovascular arousal. Low- and high-hostile, right-handed, undergraduate men were identified using the Cook Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS). All participants (N = 30) completed the cold pressor paradigm. Cardiovascular (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure) and electroencephalographic (beta magnitude) data were collected before and after the stressor. As predicted, high-hostiles showed greater increases of heart rate and systolic blood pressure to the stressor relative to low-hostiles. The primary findings of this research include significantly greater beta magnitude recorded by the T3, relative to F7, electrode among low-hostiles. This may suggest that low-hostiles experience left-frontal disinhibition of left-temporal regions, thereby strengthening cardiovascular regulation during the cold-pressor stress. In addition, irrespective of condition, high-hostiles evidenced significantly greater beta magnitude at regions corresponding to the F7 and F8 electrodes. This perhaps suggests that high-hostiles have a relative inability to increase their rostral modulation of posterior systems related to cardiovascular activity/regulation. Low- and high-hostiles did not, however, evidence reliable differences in their ability to monitor cardiovascular arousal to the cold-pressor stress. Findings are discussed in terms of a systems approach, and pertinent future research is recommended. This research did not support the prominent neuropsychological theories of cardiovascular regulation proposed by Heilman et al. (1993) and Tucker and Williamson (1984). Rather, the results may suggest that right- and left-cerebral mechanisms may be primarily responsible for sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular arousal, respectively. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the suitability of using Bowlby'­s attachment theory as a lens to study intimate partner violence. Extant data from thirty couples self-reporting violence in their relationship, was used. Individual audiotaped interviews from a study unrelated to attachment were transcribed. Ten interviews (five couples) were selected for coding. Applying the modified analytic induction method, as outlined by Gilgun, the data fell into thematic categories that provided a foundation for a narrative about each dyadic system. Representative constructs such as internal working models, adult attachment, caregiving, automatic arousal and abandonment, emerged naturally from the data. The iterative nature of the methodology demanded continual refinement and refocusing. The participants'­ words painted the picture of violence in their relationship. Direct quotes authenticated the research and gave it an experiential aspect. Results demonstrated that attachment theory is an excellent lens through which to study intimate partner violence, suggesting it be embraced in future family systems research. / Master of Science

The aim of this study is to explore and analyze the employee's experiences of using low arousal approach as a method in residential care homes. It is also done to better understand the employee's experiences, challenges and successes by using low arousal approach as a method with young people who show challenging behavior due to situations that makes them lose control over their behavior. The method used to answer the chosen questions is a qualitative method in the form of semi-structured interviews. This specific method was chosen because it allows for an in-depth exploration of our chosen topic. To answer the chosen questions, we have interviewed 6 employee's from one residential care home. These interviews provided a deeper understanding of their experiences with using the method and the advantages and disadvantages of applying it as a behavior management method. Their experiences with the method indicate that it is helpful when a child or young person with behavioral problems exhibits challenging behavior, as it helps to prevent the situation from escalating. Based on the interviews, we were able to conclude that there are more advantages than disadvantages. The method leads to strong relationships, greater understanding and positive behavioral change. The disadvantages include that over time, employee's may forget how to act in problem creating situations. The focus over time may shift more towards creating a calm working environment rather than helping the children or young people with behavioral problems who need assistance. In conclusion, with the help of the 6 semi structured interviews, the study was able to gain deeper insight into the employee's experiences, situations and the advantages and disadvantages of using the method while working with behavioral problems in residential care homes for children and young people.

The ability to learn and predict threats in our environment has a direct impact onwhat and how we encode our experiences into future recollections. Experience of our daily lives has implications for how we eventually gain long-term memory, adaptive strategies to assess and foresee threats are crucial for survival. Yet, how humans encode threat-related experiences is difficult to study in terms of episodic memory (Clewett & Murty, 2019; Murty et al., 2012). From background literature, a model that focuses on brain-related modulation at encoding which then is found to impact the formation and recollection of episodic experience, our recent work has begun to characterize how threat-related arousal either enhances or disrupts temporal order memory (Cliver et al., 2024; Gregory & Murty, n.d.). In both behavioral (Study 1 and Study 2) and neuroimaging (Study 2) analyses to investigate the relationship between threat-related neural circuitry during encoding of short movie clips to test temporal order memory and temporal distance memory. We measured neural circuitry in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the amygdala sub-nuclei areas of the basolateral and the central-medial amygdala, the anterior and posterior hippocampus, and the perirhinal cortex. We present neural univariate signals of these regions of interest (ROIs), and functional connectivity between ROIs (basolateral and central-medial amygdala, anterior and posterior hippocampus, perirhinal cortex) to see successful temporal order memory performance and compression or expansion of temporal distance memory. This work highlights the importance of understanding neural processes of threat-related arousal encoding. / Psychology

Studien ämnade att undersöka om det fanns en skillnade avseende aggressivitet hos personer som spelade det våldsamma skjutspelet Counter Strike: Global Offensive och personer som spelade det icke-våldsamma fotbollspelet FIFA17. Självskattad aggressivitet mättes genom att använda Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Deltagarna rekryterades genom facebookgrupper dedikerade till vardera spel och fick besvara en enkät om spelvanor och aggressivitet. Resultaten visade att det fanns en signifikant skillnad avseende ilska, där FIFA17-spelarna fick ett högre resultat. Det visades också att Counter Strike: Global Offensive-spelarna inte fick ett signifikant högre resultat än normpopulationen. Resultaten går emot mycket tidigare forskning som argumenterar för att upprepat spela våldsamma spel ger upphov till en ökad aggressivitet. Studien visar därmed att tidigare uppsatta teorier och modeller kanske inte är applicerbara på alla typer av spel, samt att det inte är våldet i ett spel som avgör huruvida spelarens aggressivitet förändras. / The study’s goal was to examine if there was a difference in aggression between subjects who played the violent shooter game Counter Strike: Global Offensive and subjects who played the nonviolent soccer game FIFA17. Self-reported aggression was measured with the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. The participants were recruited through Facebook groups dedicated to each game and answered a survey about gaming habits and aggression. The results showed that there was a significant difference in anger, where the FIFA17-players scored higher. It also showed that the Counter Strike: Global Offensive-players did not score higher than the norm values of the instrument. The results go against a lot of the earlier research, which has shown that repeatedly playing violent games leads to an increase in aggression. Through this, the study shows that the established theories and models might not be applicable to all types of games, and that it might not be the violence in a game that is the determining factor whether the player’s aggression is changed.

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