Tom Hollensteinonline
Short bio
Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Top-3 games
- Chess
- Journey
- Everything
About me
I am specializing in adolescent emotional development, emotion regulation, dynamic systems, state space grids, observational methods, and psychophysiology. PI on studies of MindLight in Canada.. Currently I am working on rectifying process and strategy accounts of emotion regulation, concordance across appraisal, expressive, and physiological arousal during emotion, testing the social baseline hypothesis of adolescence, the impact of mindsets on socioemotional functioning, and nested time scales of real-time emotions within day-to-day functioning across developmental time. My interest in gaming is as a research tool to tap into theorized mechanisms of emotion regulation, and of course to improve children's lives.
Projects I’ve worked on
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CategoryAnxietyDate21/01/2019Study/CourseLocation
Biofeedback Videogames for Anxiety Regulation
About the projectThis project aims to develop and assess the use of biofeedback videogames to help youth cope with stress and anxiety. In addition it aims to identify physiological markers and patterns of emotion regulation. The current studies within this project focus on exploring the potential of the virtual reality biofeedback game DEEP where players use deep diaphragmatic breathing to move through a beautiful underwater world.
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CategoryAnxietyDate21/01/2019Study/CourseLocation
MindLight - Childhood Anxiety Prevention
About the projectMany children have difficulties with fearful situations and are anxious. Interventions can help to teach children to cope effectively with anxiety-inducing situations. In our project, we rigorously tested whether an intervention in the form of a video game (MindLight) is effective in significantly reducing anxiety symptoms in children 8-12 years old. We did this by comparing MindLight to 1) a commercial game and 2) the gold-standard, cognitive-behavioural therapy for anxiety (Coping Cat). Furthermore, we aim to evaluate the reasons for why MindLight is effective (e.g., what kinds of mechanics work) and for whom (e.g., age and gender differences).
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CategoryGamingDate21/01/2019Study/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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@Tom Hollenstein - 11-11-2018
Hey @PlayNiceInst @GEMH_Lab @tracyadennis Nice fodder for your arguments against the fear mongering around screen… https://t.co/NIAeUg0Ylh
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@Tom Hollenstein - 11-11-2018
Hey @PlayNiceInst @GEMH_Lab @tracyadennis Nice fodder for your arguments against the fear mongering around screen… https://t.co/mktilL9OGY
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@Tom Hollenstein - 06-10-2018
Great foundational research. Providing challenge (rather than fostering avoidance) is the way through distress and… https://t.co/fs4yb6SG3p
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@Tom Hollenstein - 05-09-2018
RT @PlayNiceInst: As a lifer in academia, Fall always feels like the real "new year." Come check out what we're up to in the @GEMH_Lab. Thi…
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@Tom Hollenstein - 07-12-2017
@PeteEtchells Yes! Thank you for taking this critique to the public. The methodological shenanigans in this paper w… https://t.co/kKpVPypH0r
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@Tom Hollenstein - 04-10-2017
@PlayNiceInst @GEMH_lab I can be either or both at various times. This time, however, it was neither. Just fact. I… https://t.co/NBKfDlmByZ
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@Tom Hollenstein - 04-10-2017
@GEMH_lab is the most innovative lab I have ever encountered. Watch this video to see the enlightened vision of… https://t.co/e6PAp9peZf
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@Tom Hollenstein - 27-09-2017
Huzzah! Once again #MindLight shows efficacy in reducing anxiety! Great work @GEMH_lab @PlayNiceInst @E_Schoneveld… https://t.co/UsaPtVNX2P
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@Tom Hollenstein - 07-07-2017
@PlayNiceInst @GEMH_lab exactly...
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@Tom Hollenstein - 14-06-2017
Engagement so necessary for anxiety in particular: takes a lot to turn attention away from source of anxiety. Games… https://t.co/QRJjSM2yMa
Events View all events
My publications
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Exploring the Role of Self-efficacy in Biofeedback Video Games
Weerdmeester, J., van Rooij, M., Harris, O., Smit, N., Engels, R. C., & Granic, I. (2017, October). Exploring the role of self-efficacy in biofeedback video games. In Extended Abstracts Publication of the Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (pp. 453-461). ACM.
Author: Joanneke Weerdmeester
Upload date: 10-15-2017
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A Neurofeedback Video Game (MindLight) to Prevent Anxiety in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Schoneveld, E. A., Malmberg, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Verheijen, G. P., Engels, R. C., & Granic, I. (2016). Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 321-333.
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 10-01-2016
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Preventing Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Is an Applied Game as Effective as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Program?
Schoneveld, E. A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2017). Prevention Science, 1-13.
Author: Elke Schoneveld
Upload date: 09-27-2017
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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
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
Assistant Professor at the Developmental Psychopathology Department, mainly interested in general processes and principles of clinical change; mother of two wild boys.
Assistant Professor
Rutger Engels
CEO at Trimbos Institute / Professor Developmental Psychopathology Utrecht University