Room: D 319

Phone:      +49 651 201 2905
Fax:           +49 651 201 3979
e-Mail:       schaetzle@uni-trier.de

Research interests

My research focuses on motivational and personality-related processes in digital and tabletop role-playing games. I am particularly interested in how players make decisions within game systems, for example during character creation, role selection, and social interaction. Drawing on motivational approaches such as Motive Disposition Theory, I study how individual differences are reflected in gameplay-related choices, player experience, and collaboration in virtual and tabletop role-playing games.

A central focus of my current work is character creation and role preferences in digital role-playing games. Using self-report and behavioral data, I study how approach- and avoidance-related tendencies relate to gameplay decisions and social positioning in multiplayer environments.

In addition to digital games, I am interested in the unique possibilities of tabletop role-playing games. Due to their flexibility and openness, tabletop RPGs allow players to shape interactions, characters, and stories in ways that go beyond the programmatic boundaries of digital games.

More broadly, my work focuses on social interaction and collaboration in game environments and on how players experience and shape group dynamics across different play contexts.

Academic Career

04/2024 – present Research Assistant and Doctoral Candidate in the Department of Differential Psychology, Personality Psychology and Diagnostics, Trier University

04/2024 – present Postgraduate Studies in Psychotherapy, Trier University

10/2021 – 03/2024 M.Sc. Psychology, Trier University

07/2020 – 03/2024 Student/Scientific Assistant in the Department of Differential Psychology, Personality Psychology and Diagnostics, Trier University

10/2018 – 09/2021 B.Sc. Psychology, Trier University

Courses

Leistungs- und Persönlichkeitsmessung [German] SS24

Verhaltensbeobachtung [German] WS24/25, SS25

Empiriepraktikum (Projektseminar) [German] WS25/26

Wissenschaftliche Projektarbeit (Projektseminar) [German] SS26

Publications

Accepted / In Press

Schaetzle, J., Baumann, N., & Poeller, S. (2026). The Two Faces of Power Remastered: Facets of Explicit Power Motivation in Baldur’s Gate 3. Foundations of Digital Games (FDG '26). doi.org/10.1145/3815598.3815671

Book Chapters

Schaetzle, J. & Geleri, D. (2024). Technische Voraussetzungen der AVV. In R. Kölbel & E. Walther (Eds.), Audiovisuelle Vernehmung im Ermittlungsverfahren. CF Müller.

Schaetzle, J. (2024). Glaubhaftigkeit. In R. Kölbel & E. Walther (Eds.), Audiovisuelle Vernehmung im Ermittlungsverfahren. CF Müller.

Supervision of Students’ Theses and Research Internships

If you are interested in a thesis or a research internship, please send me a message by e-mail. Please introduce yourself briefly and tell me why you would like to write your thesis in the Department of Differential Psychology and which research topics you are particularly interested in.

Further information on potential topics can be obtained during consultation hours by arrangement.