Psychology: Fully Funded PhD Scholarship: Gambling on 5G: Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Gambling Disorders

Funding provider(s):  

Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure PhD Studentships 

Subject area(s):  

Psychology, Computer Science, Psychiatry, Digital Health 

Project start date(s) (please delete as applicable): 

1 January 2025 (Enrolment open from mid-December) 

Supervisors: 

Professor Simon Dymond, Dr Martyn Quigley, Dr Jamie Torrance (all School of Psychology). 

Aligned programme of study:  

PhD Psychology 

Mode of study:  

Full-time

Project description: 

5G technology supports high-speed, seamless connectivity for online, smartphone-based gambling. As the opportunities for the remote delivery of gambling experiences increase, so too does the risk of addiction and disordered gambling. While cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) remains the primary treatment for gambling disorder, challenges in long-term effectiveness and integration with other therapies impede progress. 

5G virtual simulations enable virtual reality environments (VREs) that utilize low-latency video streaming, multi-user sessions, and real-time data collection. These advancements promise a revolution in how CBT can be delivered, experienced, and analysed. 

In collaboration with our local commercial partner, Imersifi, and our academic partner, Dr Stephen Sharman (King’s College London), this PhD project will design and evaluate VREs for the study of gambling behaviour and the treatment of gambling disorder using a central feature of CBT: exposure therapy (with and without response prevention).  

The project aims are to: 

• Develop and evaluate 5G-enabled VR analogues of gambling behaviour and exposure therapy (with and without response prevention).
• Interface psychophysiological indicators of gambling and treatment efficacy with 5G-VR.
• Explore potential commercial partnerships and further funding opportunities.

More information can be found here: dymondlab.org

Eligibility

Candidates must hold a UK Bachelor degree with a minimum of Upper Second Class honours, or overseas Bachelor degree deemed equivalent to UK Bachelor (by UK ECCTIS) and achieved a grade equivalent to UK Upper Second Class honours – see country specific qualifications.

Candidates must also hold a master’s degree (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).

Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or overseas Bachelor degree deemed equivalent to UK Bachelor (by UK ECCTIS) and achieved a grade equivalent to UK First Class honours) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis.

Please note that you may need to provide evidence of your English Language proficiency.

Due to funding restrictions, this scholarship is open to applicants eligible to pay tuition fees at the UK rate only, as defined by UKCISA regulations.  

If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.