1st Semester 2024/25: Formalisation of gameplay strategies in a memory-based listening paradigm

Instructors

Noah Henry, Henkjan Honing

ECTS

6

Description

This internship is part of an interdisciplinary research agenda on Musicality (Honing, 2022), incorporating the musical matching pairs paradigm [see 1]. This gamified experimental method is designed to advance research in music cognition (Li et al., 2023), and is modelled on traditional memory-matching games, where players match pairs of cards—typically with images (e.g., Zwick and Paterson, 1993). In this adaptation, the matching pairs consist of musical melodies, creating an innovative and engaging approach to experimental designs measuring musical memory. 

 

By transforming cognitive research into an interactive, intrinsically motivating experience (Honing, 2021), the matching pairs paradigm provides an opportunity to reach a diverse, broad audience. It also opens avenues for investigating potential gameplay strategies, intersecting game design and cognitive research. 

 

The primary aim of this project is to therefore identify, formalise, and analyse potential gameplay strategies employed during the game, with the goal of furthering our understanding of player behaviour. Additionally, the project aims to explore how logical reasoning influences engagement, performance, and outcomes, contributing to the refinement of the game’s structure. 

 

The student will collaborate with Music Cognition Group (MCG) members to: 

• Formalise and categorise the diverse strategies that players may utilise during gameplay, including both intuitive and logical approaches. 

• Investigate the role of logical reasoning in shaping player behaviour, cognitive engagement, and game outcomes within the context of musical cognition. 

• Contribute to the iterative design process, refining the game's structure to balance research goals with an engaging, accessible user experience. 

 

This may be particularly suited to individuals with an interest in applied logic, strategic decision-making, and game theory. 

Organisation

Students will begin the first week with an introductory meeting on the nature and aims of the wider agenda, with a specific contextualisation of this project’s aims. Thereafter, students will meet with the instructor once a week to discuss progress and ideas. In the final (fourth) week students willsubmit a final written report, rationalising and summarising their conclusions. 

Prerequisites

• Background in Logic, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related fields 

• An interest in music cognition 

• Creativity, analytical skills, and a passion for applying logic to new and dynamic contexts 

Assessment

Marked grading of a final written report. 

References

Honing, H. (2021). Lured into listening: Engaging games as an alternative to reward-based crowdsourcing in music research. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 229(4). doi: https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000474  

 

Honing, H. (2022). Unravelling our capacity for music (Research Proposal NWO-OC). Available at: https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/117276927/Honing_NWO_OC_Proposal_2022.pdf 

 

Li, J., Baker, D. J., Burgoyne, J. A., & Honing, H. (2023). Is Pitch Information Indispensable for Music Recognition? A Pilot Study Based on a Musical Matching Pairs Game. In M. Tsuzaki, M. Sadakata, S. Ikegami, T. Matsui, M. Okano, & H. Shoda (Eds.), The e- proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition and the 7th Conference of the Asia-Pacific Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (pp. 65-71). The Japanese Society for Music Perception and Cognition. Available at: https://dare.uva.nl/search?identifier=a765dc1c-8543-4909-8ebd-e0a28995b11e     

 

Zwick, U., & Paterson, M.S. (1993). The memory game. Theoretical computer science, 110(1), 169-196.