Aniek Wolsonline
Short bio
PhD-candidate interested in how and why applied games for mental health work.
Top-3 games
- Polytopia
- Monument Valley
- Overcooked
About me
In 2016 I graduated from the Research Master Behavioural Science at the Radboud University in Nijmegen. For my master thesis, entitled ‘In-game play behaviours during an applied video game for anxiety prevention predict succesful intervention outcomes’ I investigated mechanisms of change in the in-house designed video game Mindlight. I have been awarded with a Research Talent grant from NWO (the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) and I will be continuing my gaming research at Radboud University and within the Games for Emotional and Mental Health-lab (GEMH-lab) as a PhD candidate.
Projects I’ve worked on
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CategoryAnxietyDate29/03/2020Study/CourseLocation
Are Improvements in Anxiety Associated with How Children Play MindLight?
About the projectThe video game MindLight has been found to be an effective anxiety prevention program (see project: MindLight - Childhood Anxiety Prevention). However, we don’t know whether the clinical techniques incorporated in the game were responsible for the observed changes in anxiety symptoms. In this project we examined how children play MindLight, to what extent they interact with the clinical techniques in the game and how that relates to their anxiety improvements.
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CategoryGamingDate29/03/2020Study/CourseLocation
Nonspecific Factors in Video Games for Mental Health
About the projectMore and more games are designed to promote mental health. If these games are found to be effective, it is important to investigate which factors are responsible for the improvements in mental health. Most often, this type of research focuses on the specific clinical techniques that were designed into the game. However, from the clinical literature it is known that, for instance, expectations, motivation, and one’s mindset about the malleability of symptoms play a major role in positive intervention outcomes. In my project I aim to investigate these nonspecific factors and examine how we can manipulate these factors in order to optimize video games for mental health.
My updates
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@Aniek Wols - 24-03-2020
RT @GEMH_Lab: New open access @GEMH_Lab publication by Bossenbroek et al: "Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Biofeedback Game (@exploreDEEP) to…
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@Aniek Wols - 31-01-2020
RT @yoanneke: We had a great time talking about @GEMH_Lab and showing our games at the BSI network day for educators! @Radboud_Uni https://…
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@Aniek Wols - 31-01-2020
RT @Gryphire: Great first run of our extended @GEMH_Lab ‘exhibition’ demo at the #BSIScholenNetwerkDag @Radboud_Uni! #games #mentalhealth #…
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@Aniek Wols - 21-11-2019
RT @Gryphire: Awesome, ground-breaking talk by @GEMH_Lab’s @PlayNiceInst about the huge role that digital experiences and #games play in th…
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@Aniek Wols - 14-11-2019
RT @GEMH_Lab: We had a great time at the @WUR #surfyourstressweek A bunch of people played @exploreDEEP
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@Aniek Wols - 14-11-2019
RT @yoanneke: The @GEMH_Lab is at the @WUR #surfyourstressweek showcasing @exploreDEEP! Relax and use deep calm breaths to move through a b…
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@Aniek Wols - 21-06-2019
RT @GEMH_Lab: The #gemhlab was well represented during the poster presentations of the annual BSI day! https://t.co/WIENBJaQ1A
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@Aniek Wols - 17-05-2019
RT @GEMH_Lab: We would like to thank everyone who attended our game symposium yesterday! #healthbytech2019 #GEMHlab https://t.co/3jW4LNDsMx
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@Aniek Wols - 17-05-2019
RT @GEMH_Lab: Don't miss today's @HealthByTech keynote by Isabela Granic @PlayNiceInst about bridging developmental science and game design…
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@Aniek Wols - 16-05-2019
RT @GEMH_Lab: The #gemhlab is at @HealthByTech in Groningen! Join us today at our Game symposium at 14.30 in room 6! #healthbytech2019 http…
Events View all events
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UNTILL02April04AprilAbout the event
SIPS Conference on Placebo Studies
LocationFaculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences of Leiden University
The SIPS conference is devoted to medical, psychological, and neurobiological research on placebo effects, and will also address ethical dilemmas and treatment options.
My publications
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In-Game Play Behaviours during an Applied Video Game for Anxiety Prevention Predict Successful Intervention Outcomes
Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Schoneveld, E. A., & Granic, I. (2018). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 40, 655-668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-018-9684-4
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 06-11-2018
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Preregistration: The effect of expectations on experienced fun, mood, state-anxiety and in-game play behaviours while playing MindLight
Wols, A., Hollenstein, T., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2019). Preregistration: The effect of expectations on experienced fun, mood, state-anxiety and in-game play behaviours while playing MindLight. https://osf.io/6gmwv
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 07-05-2019
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Aniek Wols on Google Scholar
Games for Emotional and Mental Health
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 03-15-2020
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Explicit Mental Health Messaging Promotes Serious Video Game Selection in Youth with Elevated Mental Health Symptoms
Poppelaars, M., Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2018). Frontiers in Psychology.
Author: Marlou Poppelaars
Upload date: 09-10-2018
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Efficacy of a virtual reality biofeedback game (DEEP) to reduce anxiety and disruptive classroom behavior: Single-case study
Bossenbroek, R., Wols, A., Weerdmeester, J., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Granic, I., & van Rooij, M. (2020). JMIR Mental Health, 7(3), e16066. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/16066
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 03-24-2020
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Explicit Mental Health Messaging Promotes Serious Video Game Selection in Youth with Elevated Mental Health Symptoms
Poppelaars, M., Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2018). Frontiers in Psychology.
Author: Marlou Poppelaars
Upload date: 09-10-2018
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Preregistration: The effect of expectations on experienced fun, mood, state-anxiety and in-game play behaviours while playing MindLight
Wols, A., Hollenstein, T., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2019). Preregistration: The effect of expectations on experienced fun, mood, state-anxiety and in-game play behaviours while playing MindLight. https://osf.io/6gmwv
Author: Aniek Wols
Upload date: 07-05-2019
Worked together with
Professor and Chair of the Developmental Psychopathology department in the Behavioural Science Institute; writer; voracious podcast consumer; mother of two upstanding little gamers
Director of GEMH Lab
Graduate and psychologist interested in the effect of games on mental health. Likes why-questions, social impact and multidisciplinary collaboration. Bubbly, (not so crazy) cat lady and outdoor enthusiast.
Graduate
Assistant Professor at the Developmental Psychopathology Department, mainly interested in general processes and principles of clinical change; mother of two wild boys.
Assistant Professor
PhD Candidate passionate about psychopathology prevention, intrinsic motivation and the use of video games for this purpose. Loves to read, cook and making sure that bomb does not explode.
PhD-Candidate
Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Associate Professor - Collaborator