Leisure and Tourism Experiences

We develop theoretical models of the core constituent elements of experiences. We try to understand how these elements combine to make experiences memorable, meaningful or even transformational. We measure the impact that experiences have on:

• thoughts, emotions, subsequent behaviour (e.g. revisits or recommendations)
• outcomes such as subjective well-being and quality of life

The professorship centres around BUas’ Experience Lab which hosts state-of-the-art:

• neuroscientific and psychophysiological tools (EEG, skin conductance, heart rate);
• digital tools (VR and AR),
• behavioural (e.g. eye tracking, experience reconstruction) techniques for designing and measuring experiences.

We focus, among other things, on developing indices of attentional and emotional engagement during experiences. Using wearable technology, measurements take place not just in the lab but also in the field, for example, during a rollercoaster ride, a visit to a museum, or attending a sports event. Measurements are mapped out over time and space using outdoor and indoor positioning systems, allowing for an objective, spatiotemporally fine-grained measurement of experiences. 

This professorship is closely linked to the professorships of Storytelling and Digital Media Concepts.

The research team:

• Marcel Bastiaansen
• Wim Strijbosch
• Ondrej Mitas
• Coen van Bendegom
• Wilco Boode
• Danny Han
• Jorn Fricke
• Jeroen Weppner
• Pieter de Rooij