Overview Research Education Contact
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
Expertise Psychology Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Gaming Response Inhibition Brain Injury Stop-Signal Task Research Conversation Neuroscience Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 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:
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?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 , Safe & Pleasant Parks as well as Cognitive Warfare . 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
Response Inhibition in borderline personality disorder assessed with a gamified stop signal task (2025) Scientific reports, 15 (1). Article 45529. Barakat, N., Dechant, M., Poulet, E., Cailhol, L., Brunelin, J., Friehs, M. A. & Neige, C.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-30255-3 Effects of VR-simulated bus drive experiences on physiological arousal and perceived passenger stress (2025) In Proceedings of IEEE MetroXRAINE 2025 . Article 1571126754. IEEE. van 't Klooster, J.-W. J. R., Friehs, M. A. , Spirova, T. & van der Lubbe, R. H. J. https://doi.org/10.1109/MetroXRAINE66377.2025.11340405 Risks to the Unborn: An Umbrella Review on the Effects of Prenatal Maternal Stress Caused by Natural Disasters (2025) Stress and Health, 41 (5). Article e70108. Bustnes, K. A., Schäfer, S., Held, L., Wessels, H. & Friehs, M. A. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.70108 HD-tDCS in a Gaming Setting: Effects of Polarity and Timing in a Visuospatial Working-Memory Task (2025) Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 9 (3), 265-282. Haccou, G., Nau, N., Johanson, C., van 't Klooster, J. W. J. R. & Friehs, M. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41465-025-00325-5 The Effect of a Single Session of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Attention in Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury: Characterizing Interindividual Structural and Functional Network Response Variability (2025) Pediatric Neurology, 170 , 133-145. Stein, A., Caulfield, K. A., Singh, M., Riddle, J., Friehs, M. A. , Craven, M. P., Groom, M. J., Iyer, K. K. & Barlow, K. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2025.06.005 Gaming with Etiquette: Exploring Courtesy as a Game Mechanic in Speech-Based Games (2025) International journal of human-computer interaction, 41 (11), 6968-6986 . Zargham, N., Dratzidis, L. T., Alexandrovsky, D., Friehs, M. A. & Malaka, R.https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2024.2387901 Safety, Feasibility, and Tolerability of Ten Days of At-Home, Remotely Supervised tDCS During Gamified Attention Training in Children with Acquired Brain Injury: An Open-Label, Dose-Controlled Pilot Trial (2025) Brain Sciences, 15 (6). Article 561. Stein, A., Riddle, J., Caulfield, K. A., Dux, P. E., Friehs, M. A. , Schroeder, P. A., Craven, M. P., Groom, M. J., Iyer, K. K. & Barlow, K. M.https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15060561 Mapping Practices of Academic Game Development (2025) In Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, FDG 2025 . Article 42. Association for Computing Machinery. Yeung, T., Friehs, M. A. & Gómez-Maureira, M. A. https://doi.org/10.1145/3723498.3723799 Climate 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.2025.104925 Pixels 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.2025.103465 No 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 At-home tDCS in children with acquired brain injury: A dose-controlled feasibility study (2025) Brain stimulation, 18 (1), 328-328. Stein, A., Riddle, J., Caulfield, K., Dux, P., Friehs, M. , Schroeder, P., Craven, M., Groom, M., Iyer, K. & Barlow, K.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2024.12.342 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/10.1080/10447318.2023.2285624 Anodal 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/10.1080/09658211.2024.2316174 Cognitive 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.2024.1306015 Let’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/10.1080/10447318.2024.2338666 Measuring 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/10.2196/50315 Fighting 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.2024.1330755 A 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/s00221-023-06767-7 Social 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/s10055-024-00941-0 Us 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/xap0000498 Effects 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 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/10.1145/3571884.3597441 No 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-z The 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. 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 2025/2026 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 2024/2025 
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