Ollie Griffith

About

This specialisation first developed when I was studying disparities in mental health across players of different genres of video games for my undergraduate dissertation. When exploring these various genres, I found horror to be the one most interesting to me. The primality and functional aversity of the genre, yet its appeal and psychological impacts, made it stand out. Informed by the sparsity of horror video game research and paradoxical findings suggesting psychological benefits, it became the sole focus of my Master’s dissertation. From there, my interest only grew, with my ideas for where I would want to take this research already emerging before finishing my studies.

Having completed my integrated Master’s at Chichester, I was keen to continue my journey here, and I am eternally grateful that the University has allowed me to focus my research on such a specific area.

PhD Title and Summary

The Psychology of Horror Video Games

My project focuses on investigating how individual differences in players, as well as variations in level and conduits of fear, impact the psychological effects of consuming horror video game media. This will ultimately inform research into how horror video games can potentially be used as a mental health intervention.

Supervision Team

• Dr. Benjamin T. Sharpe (primary)

• Dr. Roy Spina (secondary)

Laboratory

The Human Attention Laboratory

Publications

• Griffith, O. J., & Sharpe, B. T. (2024). Investigating Psychological Disparities Across Gamers: A Genre-Based Study. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 2(2). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1123/jege.2023-0040
• Griffith, O. J., & Sharpe, B. T. (2026). To See and Fear : A Pilot Study on Gaze Behaviour in Horror Gaming. Press Start, 12(1), 25–47.
• University of Chichester Research Conference 2025 (Poster Presentation)
• University of Chichester Research Conference 2026 (Oral Presentation)