Research / Writing / Teaching

Understand people.
Question the pattern.

My research explores autonomy, motivation, trust and social connection in online communities. It is another way of studying how people make a system their own.

Peer-reviewed publications

Selected academic work
First Monday
2026 · Sole author

Beyond the sandbox: Autonomy, trust, and social capital in the high-stakes universe of EVE Online

Understanding behaviour, relationships and decision-making in complex virtual systems.

SEARCH Journal
2023 · First author

Autonomy, competence, relatedness and online social capital in EVE Online

Research into psychological needs and social connection in an online community.

The publication titles above link to the journal records. The studies examine online games and communities, extending my research into motivation and social connection.

Teaching

Make the thinking
easier to share.

I teach UX-related topics on Udemy, including ethical dark patterns and the choices designers make around persuasion.

Teaching is part of how I clarify ideas: making a principle understandable, showing how it appears in a real interface and inviting people to examine its consequences.

View instructor profile

Senior product roles & selective consulting

ardavanhp@gmail.com ↗Résumé ↓LinkedIn ↗