Chapter 8: Big Software
Whenever we interact with technology, we are constantly providing data about who we are, what we think, and the choices we make. One of the major goals of this chapter is to help the reader think creatively about what data is being recorded that can be used to answer important psychological questions. First, we tell the story of a collaboration between a mobile game and psychology researchers that enabled new insights into visual attention. The chapter then provides analysis of what apps can record from us, and principles of user interface / user experience design that can inform psychological research. The chapter discusses other examples of psychological insight from apps and websites, including those related to dating, navigation and memory, concept representations, and games. Finally, the chapter provides advice on establishing academic-industry collaborations, as well as some words of caution on overinterpreting cognitive effects found in apps and games.
- Example app-psychologist collaborations
- Resources on how to develop academic-industry collaborations
- The brain training debate
Here are links to some examples of apps and scientists who have collaborated.
The game Airport Scanner collaborated with Prof. Stephen Mitroff and colleagues to investigate questions about visual search.
The app One Second Everyday collaborated with me to investigate how the brain maps memories
Sea Hero Quest is a game designed to help scientists understand memory, navigation, and dementia.
Hippocamera is an app designed to simulate hippocampal replay to help with memory (and help us learn about memory).
Google Quick Draw is a game where you draw an object and the AI tries to guess what you're drawing. This has helped us (and AI) learn about our visual representations of object concepts.
Read a Harvard Business Impact article on a model for university-industry partnerships.
Journal publisher Elsevier has also written a guide for university-industry collaboration.
Read an Open Letter from cognitive scientists on objections against brain training apps. Then read the Response Letter who argue there is still value in considering brain training research.