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Game in Lab celebrates its first female PhD: Léa Martinez
Léa Martinez is the first female PhD candidate supported by Game in Lab under a CIFRE contract. For three years, she studied the effects of modern board games on cognitive functions. After defending brilliantly her thesis in cognitive psychology titled “Effects of board game practice on cognitive functioning: From teenagers to adults” at the University of Poitiers, she presented her results to a wider audience at a meet-up held by Game in Lab on January 10. We look back on this informative and welcoming event.
A first thesis for Game in Lab
Three years after joining the Asmodee research and development department under a CIFRE contract, Léa Martinez, the first female PhD supported by Game in Lab, defended her thesis in cognitive psychology. She conducted her research at CeRCA (Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l’Apprentissage) at the University of Poitiers under the direction of Prof. Eric Lambert and Dr Manuel Gimenes.
On January 10, 2024, colleagues, partners and guests from academic and industrial circles met at the Innovation Factory to hear Léa Martinez’s thesis defense. Before presenting all the work conducted for her thesis, Léa introduced the focus of her project: to test the effects of playing modern board games on cognitive functions, and the conditions for these effects to occur.
Léa Martinez followed this with a presentation of the research protocols established to verify the hypotheses, the main results, and the theoretical and practical perspectives of her research project.
Links between cognitive functions and games revealed!
The results of Léa Martinez’s research project shed new light on the fascinating relationship between cognitive functions and the world of board games, and establish new academic milestones in a research area that continues to grow and attract interest. While the expected results on the existence of a positive relationship between the practice of board games and cognitive functioning were confirmed under specific conditions, the thesis offers well-founded perspectives for more in-depth studies on the subject, which is still rarely studied in cognitive psychology.
A round table on the value of partnerships between schools and the game industry
Following Léa Martinez’s presentation of her research results, a round table discussed the value of partnerships between schools and the game industry, with the participation of Prof. Eric Lambert (University of Poitiers), Dr Vincent Berry (University Sorbonne Paris Nord), Thomas Koegler (Asmodee) and Dr Léa Martinez (University of Poitiers, Game in Lab). The discussions highlighted the main interest of research for the industry (understanding its impact on players and society, defining opportunities for development, developing knowledge and training) as well as the industry’s interest in research (professional expertise in games, players and the games market).