Do we walk the talk? – Invitation to participate in a study about playful states in academic work

[Anna-Kaisa Jarkko]

Dear colleague,

My name is Anna-Kaisa Jarkko. I am a licensed psychologist and a doctoral researcher at the University of Lapland, where I am currently working on my dissertation about playfulness in working life. I have recently published a review on the subject (https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.408), and I’m also a part of a research group that examines play and playfulness in different contexts.

My current study zooms in on a setting where playfulness is both needed and surprisingly under-researched: academic work. I am exploring how academics experience playful states in their work and how playfulness interacts with the surrounding work environment.

I am reaching out to you because you have taken part in the academic conversation surrounding play and playfulness. Playfulness is a wonderfully complex phenomenon: subtle, situational, and at times viewed with skepticism. Precisely because of this complexity and occasional resistance, I am inviting researchers who have explored playfulness and are perhaps better able to notice its many forms, from the obvious to the subtle, fleeting, and easily overlooked, to participate in my study.

Your participation can benefit the research community by deepening understanding of how playfulness supports creativity and well‑being in academic work. The insights may help universities foster more innovative, sustainable, and humane research environments.

This research is conducted with an open-ended survey, available here or through the QR code below. The survey takes approximately 25–45 minutes to answer. 

If you wish, you can also participate in a follow-up interview by responding to this email or leaving your contact information at the end of the survey. The interview aims to look more closely at the topic and reflect on the meaning and manifestations of playfulness within the academic community. Participation is voluntary, and all material will be handled confidentially.

If you are curious to hear more before deciding, I would be very happy to continue the conversation.

 

Warm and playful regards,

Anna-Kaisa Jarkko,  

MSc (Psychology), MSc (Administrative Sciences)  

Doctoral researcher, University of Lapland

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7649-5172

anja...@ulapland.fi 

p. +358 40 5111784