We are pleased to announce the first edition of the BExR Research Group Workshop, a focused two-day meeting dedicated to the intersection of behavioural economics and extended reality (XR) technologies. The event brings together an international group of researchers to explore how immersive environments can be leveraged to study and model human decision-making in ecologically valid contexts.

The workshop will feature invited talks by leading scholars from economics, behavioural science, and human-computer interaction, as well as a session showcasing ongoing research and live demonstrations from the BExR Research Group.

Organizers

Manuela Chessa, Lorenzo Gerini, Matteo Martini - University of Genoa, Italy

Michela Chessa, Kaloyana Naneva - Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, GREDEG, France 

The event is organized with the support of the Ulysseus Seed Funding Program for Joint Research and Innovation Groups

Registration

Attendance is free, but registration is mandatory at the following link: 

1st BExR Research Group Workshop Registration Form – Fill out form

Program (tentative)

Monday 27 April

Tuesday 28 April

Speakers

Alberto Greco

Title: Biofeedback systems in affective computing

Abstract: Affective computing aims to develop systems capable of recognizing, modeling, and responding to human emotional states. Among the most promising approaches, biofeedback systems leverage physiological signals to enable a closed-loop interaction between the user and adaptive technologies. In this talk, I will present recent advances in biofeedback systems grounded in autonomic nervous system (ANS) dynamics and their application in affective computing.
Starting from wearable sensing technologies (e.g., ECG, electrodermal activity, respiration), I will discuss how physiological signals can be processed and modeled to estimate latent emotional states in real time, combining physiologically inspired approaches and data-driven models . Particular attention will be devoted to the role of causal and machine learning models in capturing the dynamics of emotional processes at the individual level.
Building on this framework, I will introduce biofeedback paradigms in immersive environments, such as virtual reality systems for personalized exposure therapy in anxiety disorders, where the environment adapts continuously to the user’s internal state. Finally, I will extend the discussion to the social domain, presenting recent work on interpersonal physiological causal coupling (IPCC), a novel framework to quantify directional emotional influence between individuals.
 

Speaker Bio: Alberto Greco is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, and a member of the E. Piaggio Research Center at the University of Pisa. He received his M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering in 2010 and his Ph.D. in Robotics, Automation, and Bioengineering in 2016 from the University of Pisa.
He is the coordinator of the PRIN 2022 project BRAVE (Biofeedback-based personalised Virtual Reality Exposure therapies for anxiety disorders) and has been co-coordinator of the H2020 FET-Proactive project POTION (Promoting social interaction through emotional body odours). His research focuses on physiological signal processing and modeling, affective computing, wearable monitoring systems, biofeedback systems, and social interaction models. He has authored over 150 scientific publications in international journals and conferences. In 2025, he co-founded CARTESIA s.r.l., a University of Pisa spin-off developing technologies for empathetic artificial intelligence solutions.
 

Angela Sutan

Title: REDESIGNING THE SYSTEM: INCLUSION BY STRUCTURE, STRATEGY & SURVIVAL: Systemic Modifications in the Recruitment Processes and Narratives as Substitutes to the Changing Landscape of DEI
 

Abstract: This talk synthesizes findings from a coordinated program of laboratory and lab-in-the-field experiments examining the behavioral determinants of gender diversity in team and board composition. We integrate evidence from three experiments and extend the field toa 4th: (i) a board-composition experiment using a beauty-contest scoring mechanism embedded in sector-specific framing (automotive, luxury, general), manipulating common knowledge of diversity norms; (ii) an immersive avatar environment, in which participants select boards whose members' behavioral profiles (risk attitude, altruism, donation, trust) are visualized; and (iii) a large-scale team-composition experiment coupling a Diversity Fresco training intervention with broad versus narrow bracketing recruitment protocols and tasks measuring overconfidence. The 4th experiment is an attempt to create a young-compatible tool to design a future self.

Lorenzo Cominelli

Title: Biofeedback systems in affective computing

Abstract: Human interaction is deeply shaped by emotions and by the body through which we perceive, act, and relate to others. In social robotics, this raises a central question: how can artificial agents interact with humans in ways that are adaptive, meaningful, and socially effective?
In this talk, I will discuss the role of emotions and empathy in human–robot interaction, starting from the perspective of embodied cognition and the role of the body in social intelligence. I will then present Abel, a hyper-realistic expressive humanoid developed as a case study for designing empathetic artificial agents through the integration of knowledge-based and data-driven AI.
The talk will outline the main principles behind Abel’s development, its potential applications in clinical contexts, and selected results showing how emotional modelling can support engagement and improve interaction quality.
 

Speaker Bio: Lorenzo Cominelli is CEO and co-founder of Cartesia S.r.l., where he works on cognitive systems for social robots and empathetic AI. He also collaborates with the University of Pisa and the “E. Piaggio” Research Center on research in cognitive architectures and human–robot interaction.
He received his Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering and his Ph.D. in Automation, Robotics and Bioengineering from the University of Pisa. His work focuses on integrating emotions and cognition into artificial agents, with particular attention to explainability, adaptation, and social interaction. He is currently involved in the development of Abel, a hyper-realistic humanoid robot designed for empathetic interaction with humans.

Eli Spiegelman 

Title: Immersed in the Fish Pond, an AR-ready experimental paradigm: Design

Abstract: Augmented reality (AR) techniques hold promise to considerably enrich economic experimental designs through realistic and immersive interaction environments. This project attempts to isolate the effect of the immersive component of the AR environment. To this end, it proposes a novel, real-time dynamic common pool resource (CPR) game paradigm in which individuals within a group make cumulative binary extraction decisions over time, and the population responds according to a standard renewable resource ecological model. We discuss game parameters and solve for optimal and Nash outcomes at the resource history level. We then present an AR implementation of the game, developed as a proof of concept for Tulibee, an open-source bridge between Unity-based AR visualizations and oTree experimental management, and a strategically equivalent oTree interface for standard lab implementation. We also discuss several possible extensions, both to the AR/oTree comparison and to the basic paradigm.
 

Venue

Genova Blue District
Via del Molo, 65 · 16128 Genova, Italy

The Genova Blue District is a hub for maritime innovation and blue economy research, located at the heart of the historic Genoese port.