Emerging Technologies Research Laboratory Examining Psychological, Neurological, and Physiological Identifiers

The project establishs an Emerging Technologies Research Laboratory (ETRL) as a central hub for collaborative research on the impacts of contemporary technologies on human behavior, mental health, and physical well-being. The laboratory will examine the effects of emerging digital technologies, such as video games, social media, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality addressing social, behavioral, physiological, and psychological dimensions. This initiative will boost collaborations with researchers interested in taking advantage of the equipment, technology, and expertise of the personnel working in the laboratory. The potential for such a space in the current landscape, where technologies are rapidly evolving, is immense. Local and international students will also be able to take advantage of the laboratory's resources to develop theses and dissertations supervised by experts in the field. The work performed in the laboratory will be spearheaded by a multi-phased study investigating the psychological, neurological, and physiological aspects of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) among adolescents structured into two distinct phases. Phase I utilizes a cross-sectional approach through an online survey to gather data on psychological and behavioral predictors of IGD. A total of 580 participants will provide information on mental health factors such as emotional regulation, stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, and coping mechanisms, alongside details of their gaming habits and sociodemographic background. This phase aims to establish a broad understanding of the correlates of IGD within the study population. Phase II of the study employs a rigorous causal-comparative design involving 60 adolescents recruited from the Phase I survey pool. This phase measures physiological and neuropsychological differences between two distinct groups: adolescents diagnosed with IGD and those without the disorder. Participants from both groups will be exposed to an action video game, and their brain activity will be assessed using EEG measures to analyze coherent (correlation across electro-sites) and spectral (amplitude per frequency) patterns before and after gaming. Heart rate variability (HRV) will also be monitored to examine autonomic nervous system responses during gaming sessions. This study aims to uncover significant psychological, physiological, and neural markers associated with IGD, providing valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of this disorder among adolescents. This research contributes to the broader field of behavioral addictions, adolescent mental health, and digital habits among youth populations. This project is jointly funded by SBE Build and Broaden and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.