Mehmet Kosa

Tilburg University
 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mehmet_Kosa

Mehmet Kosa is a games and player researcher affiliated with Tilburg University as of now. He received his PhD in Information Systems from METU and conducted research at Carnegie Mellon University during his graduate studies. He carries out studies at the intersection of information systems, social psychology and human computer interaction in the context of gaming. His research revolves around motivation to play games, need satisfaction, escapism and mindfulness in games, immersion and presence in games with emerging technologies, tabletop game design, player experience and psychology in game design in general.

Selected Publications:

  • Kosa, M., & Uysal, A. (2019). 4 Pillars of Healthy Escapism in Games: Emotion Regulation, Mood Management, Coping and Recovery. Game User Experience and Player-Centered Design. Springer, Cham [In Press].
  • Kosa, M., & Spronck, P. (2018). What Tabletop Players Think About Augmented Tabletop Games: A Content Analysis. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (p. 6). ACM.
  • Kosa, M., & Uysal, A. (2018). Does Mindfulness Affect Wellbeing and Physical Activity Levels of Pervasive Game Players? The Case of Ingress. In 2018 IEEE Games, Entertainment, Media Conference (GEM) (pp. 1-9). IEEE.
  • Kosa, M., Yilmaz, M., O’Connor, R. V., & Clarke, P. M. (2016) Software Engineering Education and Games: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 22(12), 1558-1574.

Social Profiles

All Sessions by Mehmet Kosa

  • 19. Nov | Conference Opening

    The conference kick-off will include the opening keynote as well as the Young Academics Workshop

  • 14:55  - 15:20
    Escapism is usually defined as avoidance of the real. Digital games are conducive to escapism because they take place in a temporally and spatially bounded virtual space that is separated from the real. Moreover, games contain artificial conflicts and actions that have no effect on real life. Digital games are also available on a broad range of devices (i.e. desktop, mobile, VR), making them an easily accessible platform for escapism in daily life. Consequently, escapism is one of the most common reasons for playing digital games. However, escapism generally has a negative connotation. Escapism was found to be associated with negative outcomes such as problematic use and excessive gaming. Nevertheless, games can also be beneficial depending on how escapism is operationalized. For instance, research shows that mental disengagement via video games was shown to provide recovery experiences such that it helps players to decrease their stress levels and provide relaxation after stressful activities (e.g. work). Escapism can also act as a mood management strategy, as people tend to play games to avoid negative mood states and induce positive mood states. Similarly, escapism in games can be beneficial for practicing emotion regulation strategies. Finally, games can also provide a healthy form of coping strategy for some players. In short, escapism can have both negative and positive consequences, depending on how it is defined. Consequently, it is important to demarcate what constitutes a healthy escapism versus subversive escapism.
    19. Nov | Young Academics Workshop
    Where
    room 204

  • 15:45  - 16:00
    Panel 3 - Effects
    19. Nov | Young Academics Workshop
    Where
    room 204




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Mehmet Kosa