Project description
Studying human interactions through video games
How do people adjust their behaviour in response to others? How does experience affect individual decisions? The EU-funded INTERACTIVE project will seek to answer these questions using virtual ecosystems of cooperative multiplayer videogames. Specifically, the project’s study system will be the online multiplayer videogame ‘Dead by daylight’ in which players need to interact and cooperate to achieve a common goal. The project will apply theoretical and analytical tools from quantitative genetics and behavioural ecology to a large, detailed, and complete dataset mapping behaviours of millions of players across millions of social interactions over years of gameplay. The findings will shed light on how social interactions shape the evolution of our societies.
Objective
INTERACTIVE is a multidisciplinary project that aims to understand how and when social interactions maintain behavioural diversity. We test predictions rooted in ecological and evolutionary theory to investigate i) how behaviours of social partners affect individual fitness (social selection), ii) how individuals adjust their behaviours in response to others (social plasticity) and whether plasticity is under selection, iii) how experience affects individual decisions. To answer our questions, we use ‘big data’ on human behaviour derived from a novel source, virtual ecosystems of cooperative multiplayer videogames. Our study system is the online multiplayer videogame ‘Dead by daylight’, where players repeatedly interact and cooperate to achieve a common goal. The project applies state-of-the-art theoretical and analytical tools from quantitative genetics and behavioural ecology to an exceptionally large, detailed, and complete dataset mapping behaviours of millions of players across millions of social interactions over years of gameplay. This unique dataset provides us an unprecedented opportunity to test, refine, and increase the predictive power of ecology and evolutionary theoretical models by overcoming empirical constrains common in research on nonhuman animals. INTERACTIVE combines the host’s expertise in quantitative genetics, selection analysis, and social evolution, with my strong background in behavioural and evolutionary ecology. I will develop analytical skills in high demand in the academic market, build a cross-disciplinary profile and strong ties with the industry, enhancing my competitiveness. This project is a vital step forward towards my career goals of reaching a position of professional independence in research and becoming a leading expert in the evolutionary ecology of social interactions. Findings from INTERACTIVE will improve our understanding of how social interactions shape the evolution of animal societies, including our own.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics
- natural sciences computer and information sciences data science big data
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology evolutionary ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences behavioural ecology
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software software applications video games
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
EX4 4QJ Exeter
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.