Before joining UT, I've worked at the Max-Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (GER), the University of Saskatchewan (CAN), University College Dublin (IRE) as well as Trier University (GER), where I also got my PhD. Over the last years I've collaborated with researchers around the globe on a multitude of projects ranging from fundamental research on the neurophysiological underpinnings of cognitive control to investigating how motivation can shape performance and how games can shape motivation. Now I am also part of the Sector Plan Team Societal Transitions and Behaviour Change (my profile). 

If you are interested in my research, a collaboration, a thesis project for your degree or an internship feel free to contact me. You can find my publications via GoogleScholar

I accept external internships and thesis students (as second supervisor) as well! For a small student club I run please refer to: The Research Enthusiasts Club

For a copy of my CV, please refer to this link (updated semi-regularly)

Expertise

  • Psychology

    • Response Inhibition
    • Gaming
    • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
    • Stop-Signal Task
    • Research
    • Conversation
  • Neuroscience

    • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
    • Working Memory

Organisations

In general, I am interested in changing behavior. I want to understand human behavior and experience in order to be able to enhance it in performance-critical situations. In the past my work was funded by several national funding agencies (e.g., German Research Foundation (DFG), Irish Research Council (IRC)), and university-internal grants. 

Currently, two major research topics for me are:

  1. Human-Mediated Reality-Interactions: How do certain aspects of virtual agents influence human experiences and behavior? Can we elicit “realistic” behaviors and experiences in a game? What game-design features can be most motivating? How can we immerse people in a virtual environment best? For which goals is co-design in a mediated reality best suited?
  2. Shaping Cognitive Control: How can we optimize processing of and reaction to stimuli (e.g., warning signals)? What are the constraints in which lab research can be translated to the real world? Can we enhance performance reliably? What is the impact of altered neurophysiological states (e.g., via acute stress or non-invasive brain stimulation)?

I'm open for research on other topics; don't hesitate to contact me. Similarly, if you'd like to collaborate: feel free to reach out! 

If you're a student: extracurricular projects and internships are possible. 

For an up-to-date look at my peer-reviewed research output please refer to GoogleScholar or ResearchGate. You can also check out my profile on the Sector Plan homepage of the Societal Transition and Behaviour Change group. 

You can also find some research projects linked here on Avatar Perception & Interaction, Emergency Escape, Video Game Performance & Experience, as well as Safe & Pleasant Parks. Please note that these websites are updated semi-regularly and depending on when you check may be outdated. I'm always open to other work as well so just take a look at my previous work and reach out :) 

Publications

Jump to: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022

2025

HD-tDCS in a Gaming Setting: Effects of Polarity and Timing in a Visuospatial Working-Memory Task (2025)Journal of Cognitive Enhancement (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Haccou, G., Nau, N., Johanson, C., van 't Klooster, J. W. J. R. & Friehs, M.https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-025-00325-5Climate change news and doomscrolling: An examination of influencing factors and psychological effects (2025)Acta psychologica, 255. Article 104925. Dominguez-Rodriguez, A., Apprich, F., Friehs, M. A., van der Graaf, S. & Steinrücke, J.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104925Pixels and people: Exploring the dynamics of engagement and disengagement in Minecraft's multiplayer realm (2025)International journal of human-computer studies, 198. Article 103465. Doan, V. A., Alexandrovsky, D., van Sintemaartensdijk, I., Gerling, K. & Friehs, M. A.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103465No impact of story context and avatar power on performance in a stop-signal game (2025)Heliyon, 11(1). Article e41039. Held, L., Pannermayr, J., Kaufmann, A., Scheffer, M., Flores, P., Dechant, M. & Friehs, M. A.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e41039

2024

You Got It in Your Hands: Stop-Signal Modality Influences on Reactive Response Inhibition with Gaming Controls (2024)International journal of human-computer interaction, 40(24). Markiewicz, N., Russa, M., Fokkens, A., Dechant, M. & Friehs, M. A.https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2023.2285624Anodal tDCS of the left inferior parietal cortex enhances memory for correct information without affecting recall of misinformation (2024)Memory, 32(10), 1371-1380. Haciahmet, C. C., Friehs, M. A., Frings, C. & Pastötter, B.https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2024.2316174Gaming with Etiquette: Exploring Courtesy as a Game Mechanic in Speech-Based Games (2024)International journal of human-computer interaction (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Zargham, N., Dratzidis, L. T., Alexandrovsky, D., Friehs, M. A. & Malaka, R.https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2387901Cognitive influences on biosecurity measure compliance during a global pandemic (2024)Frontiers in psychology, 15. Article 1306015. Jara-Rizzo, M. F., Soria-Miranda, N., Friehs, M. A., Leon-Rojas, J. E. & Rodas, J. A.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1306015Let’s Talk Games: An Expert Exploration of Speech Interaction with NPCs (2024)International journal of human-computer interaction, 41(5). Zargham, N., Friehs, M. A., Tonini, L., Alexandrovsky, D., Ruthven, E. G., Nacke, L. E. & Malaka, R.https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2338666Measuring the Reliability of a Gamified Stroop Task: Quantitative Experiment (2024)JMIR Serious Games, 12(1). Article e50315. Wiley, K., Berger, P., Achim Friehs, M. & Lee Mandryk, R.https://doi.org/10.2196/50315Fighting fair: community perspectives on the fairness of performance enhancement in esports (2024)Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6. Article 1330755. Friehs, M. A., Klarkowski, M., Frommel, J., Phillips, C. & Mandryk, R. L.https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1330755A touching advantage: cross-modal stop-signals improve reactive response inhibition (2024)Experimental brain research, 242(3), 599-618. Friehs, M. A., Schmalbrock, P., Merz, S., Dechant, M., Hartwigsen, G. & Frings, C.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06767-7Social VR design features and experiential outcomes: narrative review and relationship map for dyadic agent conversations (2024)Virtual reality, 28(1). Article 45. Mulvaney, P., Rooney, B., Friehs, M. A. & Leader, J. F.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-00941-0Us Versus Them: The Role of National Identity in the Formation of False Memories for Fake News (2024)Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 30(1), 33-47. Delaney, T., Castillo, L., Friehs, M. A., Buttlar, B. & Greene, C. M.https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000498Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on reactive response inhibition (2024)Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 157. Article 105532. He, Q., Geißler, C. F., Ferrante, M., Hartwigsen, G. & Friehs, M. A.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105532

2023

From C-3PO to HAL: Opening The Discourse About The Dark Side of Multi-Modal Social Agents (2023)In CUI '23: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces. Article 62. Avanesi, V., Rockstroh, J., Mildner, T., Zargham, N., Reicherts, L., Friehs, M., Kontogiorgos, D., Wenig, N. & Malaka, R.https://doi.org/10.1145/3571884.3597441No effects of 1 Hz offline TMS on performance in the stop-signal game (2023)Scientific reports, 13(1). Article 11565. Friehs, M. A., Siodmiak, J., Donzallaz, M. C., Matzke, D., Numssen, O., Frings, C. & Hartwigsen, G.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-38841-zThe Influence of Environmental Context on Social Anxiety in Virtual Scenes: A Pilot Study (2023)[Contribution to conference › Poster] 26th Annual CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy & Social Networking Conference, CYPSY 2023. Mulvaney, P., Rooney, B. & Friehs, M.A proof-of-concept study exploring the effects of impulsivity on a gamified version of the stop-signal task in children (2023)Frontiers in psychology, 14. Article 1068229. Gallagher, R., Kessler, K., Bramham, J., Dechant, M. & Friehs, M. A.https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1068229Home based remotely supervised tDCS in children with aquired brain injury: a feasibility study protocol (2023)[Contribution to conference › Poster] 5th Brain Stimulation Conference 2023. Stein, A., Iyer, K. K., Dux, P. E., Friehs, M., Riddle, J., Craven, M. P., Groom, M. J. & Barlow, K. M.Time-dependent effects of acute stress on working memory performance: A systematic review and hypothesis (2023)Psychoneuroendocrinology, 148. Article 105998. Geißler, C. F., Friehs, M. A., Frings, C. & Domes, G.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105998Tasting inhibition: A proof-of-concept study of the food stop-signal game (2023)In Game-Based Learning in Education and Health Part B (pp. 57-80) (Progress in Brain Research; Vol. 279). Elsevier. Kirsten, H., Dechant, M., Gibbons, H. & Friehs, M. A.https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.12.002The influence of tDCS on perceived bouncing/streaming (2023)Experimental brain research, 241, 59-66. Friehs, M. A., Stegemann, M. J., Merz, S., Geißler, C., Meyerhoff, H. S. & Frings, C.https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-022-06505-5

2022

More than skin deep: about the influence of self-relevant avatars on inhibitory control (2022)Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 7. Article 31. Friehs, M. A., Dechant, M., Schäfer, S. & Mandryk, R. L.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-022-00384-8Enhanced Esports: Community Perspectives on Performance Enhancers in Competitive Gaming (2022)ACM Proceedings on Human-Computer Interaction, 6. Article 231. Friehs, M. A., Klarkowski, M., Frommel, J., Phillips, C. & Mandryk, R. L.https://doi.org/10.1145/3549494

Research profiles

For UT-internal students please contact me through the normal means in case you want to write your thesis project with me or work on an internship project (also extracurricularly).  

I accept external internships and thesis students (as second supervisor) as well.

For a small student club I run please refer to: The Research Enthusiasts Club

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2023/2024

Address

University of Twente

Capitool 15 (building no. 78), room 120
Capitool 15
7521 PL Enschede
Netherlands

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University of Twente

Cubicus (building no. 41), room C235
De Zul 10
7522 NJ Enschede
Netherlands

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Organisations

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