Alan D.A. Mattiassi, PhD
psychologist • researcher • trainer • keynote speaker
“For over ten years I have helped individuals and organizations understand games and discover how to harness their potential.”
I bridge psychological sciences and game design to foster learning, innovation, and personal growth. I integrate neuroscientific research, cognitive ergonomics, and game mechanics to deliver high-impact interventions: from teacher training in Game-Based Learning to corporate gamification, from serious games consulting to scientific validation of educational and healthcare projects.
Alan D.A. Mattiassi, PhD
Game Psychologist • Independent Researcher
Where Games, Cognitive Science, and Psychology Make the Difference
Games act as extraordinary amplifiers of cognitive, interpersonal, and emotional dynamics. Three vertical pillars where playful potential translates into concrete, measurable outcomes:
Education & Schools
Instructional design grounded in Game-Based Learning for primary, secondary, and higher education. Accredited professional development programs for educators to make learning active, inclusive, and memorable.
Corporate Training & HR
Interactive executive workshops, evidence-based corporate gamification, group dynamics analysis, organizational climate diagnostics, horizontal leadership, and strategic decision-making under uncertainty.
Game Design & Serious Games
Psychological consulting for game development studios: intrinsic motivation flow analysis (PMPVG scale), decision ergonomics, behavioral playtesting, and serious games for healthcare, social change, and learning.
What I Offer as a Game Psychologist
As a game psychologist, I combine my fourfold experience as a psychologist, researcher, trainer, and speaker to deliver high-impact scientific and pedagogical interventions:
Game-Based Learning for Schools and Universities
Rigorous instructional design and teacher development to make learning active, effective, and memorable.
- Safe learning environments and constructive reframing of failure
- Development of transversal competencies and critical thinking
- UGDL methodology for universal educational accessibility
Corporate Training, HR & Gamification
Interactive workshops, evidence-based team building, and group dynamics for managers, teams, and complex organizations.
- Evidence-based team building grounded in real group dynamics
- Strategic simulations for decision making and problem solving
- Organizational climate analysis and communication ergonomics
Strategic Advisory & Systems Thinking
Scientific advisory for executives and organizations to leverage games as an engine for transformation and culture.
- Systemic diagnostics of organizational workflows and operations
- Participatory design and game-informed strategic policies
- Overcoming cultural friction and resistance to change
Game Psychology & Serious Games
Psychological consulting for game studios, publishers, and authors: motivation, flow, cognitive ergonomics, and playtesting.
- Analysis of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation dynamics (PMPVG)
- Behavioral playtesting and cognitive load measurement
- Game feel and cognitive ergonomics of physical & digital interfaces
Science Communication, Keynotes & Events
High-impact keynotes, festival talks (Play, Lucca Comics, TEDx), and engaging science communication.
- High-energy keynotes tailored precisely to the audience profile
- Academic rigor paired with compelling storytelling clarity
- Panels, roundtable moderation, and interactive festival workshops
Scientific Research & Psychometric Tools
Unified theoretical frameworks, Strategic Quotient measurement (mcSQ), and peer-reviewed international publications.
- mcSQ framework for quantifying strategic problem-solving competence
- Scopus H-Index 8 with over 245+ international citations
- Global collaborative research network across Europe and the Americas
A Dedicated Path for Every Professional Profile
Whether you operate in school education, corporate development, or game production and aim to apply play with scientific rigor, explore the dedicated pathway:
Teachers & Educators
Scientific instruments, UGDL guidelines, and actionable methodologies to introduce game-based learning into classroom settings effectively.
Corporate & Executive Training
Group dynamics, horizontal leadership, conflict resolution, and strategic gamification for innovation-driven enterprises.
Game Designers & Studios
Player psychology, motivational drivers, choice ergonomics, and behavioral playtesting for tabletop and video games.
Free Course: Introduction to Game Psychology (3h 30m)
A complete video course in 6 modules, available for free on the Game Insights YouTube channel. Ideal for teachers, trainers, psychologists, and game designers to explore the cognitive foundations of play.
Publications & Research
Explore academic contributions, peer-reviewed articles, and validated theoretical frameworks.
View ORCID profile (0000-0002-9996-0700)•H-Index (Scopus): 8 • Citations #245+
Redefining the Psychology of Games: A Unifying Framework Beyond Play and Gaming
Mattiassi, A. D. A. • Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale (Advance online publication)
A unifying theoretical and epistemological framework redefining the psychology of games, bridging neurocognitive and motivational dimensions across media, and offering a robust model for researchers, educators, and game designers.
Redefining the Psychology of Games: A Unifying Framework Beyond Play and Gaming
Mattiassi, A. D. A.
Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale • Advance online publication
Measuring the semantic priming effect across many languages
Buchanan, E. M., Cuccolo, K., Heyman, T., Van Berkel, N., Coles, N. A., Iyer, A., ... & Ghasemi, H.
Nature Human Behaviour • 10(1), 182-201
Cross-cultural data on romantic love and mate preferences from 117,293 participants across 175 countries
Kowal, M., Sorokowski, P., Gjoneska, B., Pisanski, K., Pfuhl, G., Aguilar, L., ... Mattiassi, A.D.A, …, & Zumárraga-Espinosa, M.
Scientific Data • 12(1), 1103
A preliminary study on the role of personal history of infectious and parasitic diseases on self-reported health across countries
Pfuhl, G., Prazeres, F., Kowal, M., Aavik, T., Abad-Villaverde, B., Afhami, R., ... Mattiassi, A.D.A, …, & Sorokowski, P.
Public Health • 242, 220-227
Communicating the Value of Non-Digital Games in Schools and Society
Bacaro, G., & Mattiassi, A.
In press / Under Review
Development and validation of the psychological motivations for playing video games scale (PMPVGs)
Gursesli, M. C., Martucci, A., Mattiassi, A. D., Duradoni, M., & Guazzini, A.
Simulation & Gaming • 55(5), 856-885
Exploring Attitudes Toward 'Sugar Relationships' Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship
Meskó, N., Kowal, M., Láng, A., Kocsor, F., Bandi, S. A., Putz, A., ... Mattiassi, A.D.A, …, & Han, H.
Archives of Sexual Behavior • 53(2), 811-837
Toward a Better Measurement of Strategic Skills: The Multiple Choice Strategic Quotient (McSQ)
Piazzoli, A., Sgaramella, G., & Mattiassi, A.
Intelligent Technologies for Interactive Entertainment (Springer Cham) • pp. 3-19
Italian Validation of the Social Media Engagement Questionnaire (SME-Q): A Preregistered Study
Duradoni, M., Innocenti, F., Mattiassi, A. D., & Guazzini, A.
Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies • Vol. 2023, Article ID 6673891
L’Universal Game Design for Learning: una metodologia innovativa da integrare nei curricola scolastici e universitari
Mattiassi, Alan, Ghirarduzzi, Andrea, & Bacaro, Giovanni
QuaderniCIRD (EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste) • 25 (2022), pp. 37-55
Organizations Choosing Scientific Rigor
Academic partnerships, professional development for educators and executives, and strategic consulting for businesses, public entities, and non-profits.
Let's Start with a Conversation
Whether you want to organize a workshop for your school, a gamification program for your company, or scientific consulting for your game, we will find the ideal solution.
Free Discovery Call
30 minutes • No obligation
A direct discussion to assess your goals, explore educational or research challenges, and evaluate how the psychology of games can generate lasting value.
Book a discovery call