Week 15 - Reading

This week, I read through 4 of the articles I picked to read for research. My reflections are below.

Paper 1: Mendoza, J. (2020). Gaming Intentionally: A Literature Review of the Viability of Role-Playing Games as Drama-Therapy-Informed Interventions. Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses. [online] Available at: https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/expressive_theses/322/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2021].

This paper made some great points about how RPG games affect people and how it is used in therapy for a variety of different disorders. It discusses how there is a stigma around gaming amongst different generations, that arrived some time  between the 70s and 80s. It talks about studies done into this stigma, researching was it true - does gaming, particularly RPG gaming, lead to aggression, violence or mental disorders? Speaking of these studies; "they all have several key similarities: they show that only a minority of practitioners believe that engagement in RPGs marks a sign of psycho-pathology, and that familiarity with the games in question leads to a reduced probability of that belief" (cited in (Ben-Ezra et al., 2018; Lis et al, 2015; Lis et al., 2016)). There is further discussion about why this stigma is there and actually why it's a bad thing. As noted above, RPG games can be incredibly useful for drama therapy, socialising and other personal developments. There is also talk of how RPG games affect people's social skills and can further develop them. Tied to it being used in drama therapy, it's a useful tool when used correctly. Furthermore, whether it be for people with developmental issues or not, it is still an emotional connection many people seek out - even non-therapeutic participants seek out “forceful emotional experiences” (cited in Robinson, 2019, para. 9). This paper also notes, ironically, that RPG games being reviewed in literature papers is a dying thing - "...reviewing this body of literature shows a dearth of published research dramatherapy-oriented research into the therapeutic aspects of role-playing games," (Mendoza, 2020). 

Paper 2: Adams, A. (2013). Needs Met Through Role-Playing Games: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Dungeons & Dragons. Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research, [online] 12(1). Available at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/kaleidoscope/vol12/iss1/6 [Accessed 12 Feb. 2021].

This paper discusses how people connect with RPG games, specifically Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). "Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is an immersive fantasy role-playing game (RPG) which allows players to fulfill real-world social needs through interaction", (Adams, 2013). The paper talks about D&D but also about RPG games in general, talking about the benefits of playing these games; "Some of the cognitive benefits of RPGs include the ability to experience other perspectives, practice visualization, escape social pressure, increase personal control, improve social skills (cited in Hughes, 1998), and release unconscious fantasies (cited in Blackmon, 1994)." Further along, it explains that it found players often lacked certain parts of social needs being met in their lives and that these needs were often met when they played D&D. There are parallels drawn where a person may not be able to 'slay their inner dragons' but can slay their dragons on the board. 

The paper also discusses how our own personalities attribute to the games we choose and also talks about stereotypes and if they're accurately accredited to certain personalities and people or are they just made up. A cited study (Douse & McManus, 1993) found that D&D players tended to be less feminine and more inclined to enjoy hobbies like reading and computer games. It also points out that gamers in general are more introverted people, which is a contrast to the previous point made about hobbies and personalities varying a person's preferred game. Also mentioned is morals and how our own morals also affect how this game is played and could contribute to us changing or creating new morals. The game often uses the idea of good vs. evil which can be whittled down to right or wrong often. Speaking of a speech delivered by Ronald Reagen - "By framing the situation as a struggle between good and evil, Reagan was able to utilize morality as a tool to unite attitudes" (Hjälmeby, 2008).

Paper 3: David M. Higgins (2016). Dreams of Accumulation: The Economics of SF Video Games. Science Fiction Studies, 43(1), p.51.

This paper shines light on science fiction-based games and how they benefit the economy and make companies money in different ways, but also how RPG is a big part of these games. There were some great points made but there wasn't enough information about RPG games specifically. 

** I'm not counting this, but I'll leave it in. There'll be 7 in week 16 as I'm editing these in that week anyway **

Paper 4: Cross, K.A. (2012). The New Laboratory of Dreams: Role-playing Games as Resistance. Women’s Studies Quarterly, [online] 40(3/4), pp.70–88. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23333474?seq=1 [Accessed 12 Feb. 2021].

This paper talks a lot about how feminism is depicted in games and how it can give women some sort of freedom or safe space to explore different things: "Feminist science fiction has created a privileged space—a sort of dream laboratory— where feminisms may try out different wonderful and/or terrifying social projects" (cited in Rose, 1994). It further discusses how playing games can lead others to do things they may never have thought of before. A study is cited in which a classroom full of boys and girls are asked to create a game and it was found that neither boys or girls created a world or character that was exactly like themselves, there was always some modification made - "norms are never simply maintained but always remade—or made anew—in new games and new situations," (Pelletier 2008,156).

The author also talks about how games, World & Warcraft for her, gave her an opportunity to live out situations that she, as a woman, never could have - "it was where I discovered myself as a woman through gameplay that offered me a social experience that real life had denied me," (Cross, 2012) - and again when talking about how it led her to her transgender journey - "particularly through roleplaying games that gave them the opportunity to play as the gender of their choice," (Cross, 2012). On this point, she explains that because she had this choice of which gender she played as, she could feel safe and welcome in doing whatever it was she did in the game. Further down, a sociologist explains that gender is often a process and is often reactive to our experiences and the author states that through playing this game and having these experiences, it led her to where she was.