The Role of Gaming During Difficult Life Experiences

HCI has become increasingly interested in the use of technology during difficult life experiences. Yet despite considerable popularity, little is known about how and why people engage with games in times of personal difficulty. Based on a qualitative analysis of an online survey (N=95), our findings indicate that games offered players much needed respite from stress, supported them in dealing with their feelings, facilitated social connections, stimulated personal change and growth, and provided a lifeline in times of existential doubt. However, despite an emphasis on gaming as being able to support coping in ways other activities did not, participants also referred to games as unproductive and as an obstacle to living well. We discuss these findings in relation to both coping process and outcome, while considering tensions around the potential benefits and perceived value of gaming.

[1]  J. Moskowitz,et al.  Coping: pitfalls and promise. , 2004, Annual review of psychology.

[2]  R. Engels,et al.  The benefits of playing video games. , 2014, The American psychologist.

[3]  Regan Lee Mandryk,et al.  Toward Game-Based Digital Mental Health Interventions: Player Habits and Preferences , 2017, Journal of medical Internet research.

[4]  Michael G. Lacy,et al.  A vacation from your mind: Problematic online gaming is a stress response , 2014, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[5]  R. Lazarus.  From psychological stress to the emotions: a history of changing outlooks. , 1993, Annual review of psychology.

[6]  Anna Louise Cox,et al.  Switch on to games: Can digital games aid post-work recovery? , 2014, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[7]  Robert J. Lewis,et al.  Characterizing Mood Management as Need Satisfaction: The Effects of Intrinsic Needs on Selective Exposure and Mood Repair , 2012 .

[8]  Patrick McAndrew,et al.  The Gaming Involvement and Informal Learning Framework , 2014 .

[9]  Christopher J. Ferguson,et al.  Internet Gaming Addiction: Disorder or Moral Panic? , 2017, The American journal of psychiatry.

[10]  Michael G. Lacy,et al.  The partial truths of compensatory and poor-get-poorer internet use theories: More highly involved videogame players experience greater psychosocial benefits , 2018, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[11]  Wendy Moncur,et al.  The emotional wellbeing of researchers: considerations for practice , 2013, CHI.

[12]  Daniel Kardefelt-Winther,et al.  A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research: Towards a model of compensatory internet use , 2014, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[13]  Crystal L. Park,et al.  Making sense of the meaning literature: an integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events. , 2010, Psychological bulletin.

[14]  Daniel M. Johnson,et al.  Playing Support: Social Connectedness Amongst Male Videogame Players , 2016, CHI PLAY.

[15]  Lynn Dombrowski,et al.  Digital Footprints and Changing Networks During Online Identity Transitions , 2016, CHI.

[16]  Irina Shklovski,et al.  Routine patterns of internet use & psychological well-being: coping with a residential move , 2006, CHI.

[17]  Elise van den Hoven,et al.  Digital Decoupling and Disentangling: Towards Design for Romantic Break Up , 2017, Conference on Designing Interactive Systems.

[18]  Mario Romero,et al.  Situational Ethics: Re-thinking Approaches to Formal Ethics Requirements for Human-Computer Interaction , 2015, CHI.

[19]  M. Haggis.  Creator’s discussion of the growing focus on, and potential of, storytelling in video game design , 2016 .

[20]  T. Johnson,et al.  Emotional Risks to Respondents in Survey Research: Some Empirical Evidence , 2013, Journal of empirical research on human research ethics : JERHRE.

[21]  Christopher A. Le Dantec,et al.  Finding a new normal: the role of technology in life disruptions , 2012, CSCW.

[22]  Lynn Dombrowski,et al.  Disclosure, Stress, and Support During Gender Transition on Facebook , 2015, CSCW.

[23]  Ioanna Iacovides,et al.  "A Game that Makes You Question...": Exploring the Role of Reflection for the Player Experience , 2018, CHI PLAY.

[24]  Andrew K. Przybylski,et al.  A weak scientific basis for gaming disorder: Let us err on the side of caution , 2018, Journal of behavioral addictions.

[25]  Daniel Kardefelt-Winther,et al.  The moderating role of psychosocial well-being on the relationship between escapism and excessive online gaming , 2014, Comput. Hum. Behav..

[26]  Klaus Opwis,et al.  Negative Emotion, Positive Experience?: Emotionally Moving Moments in Digital Games , 2016, CHI.

[27]  Elise van den Hoven,et al.  HCI and Sensitive Life Experiences , 2016, NordiCHI.

[28]  Mark Chen,et al.  Communication, Coordination, and Camaraderie in World of Warcraft , 2009, Games Cult..

[29]  Anne Marie Piper,et al.  "Tell It Like It Really Is": A Case of Online Content Creation and Sharing Among Older Adult Bloggers , 2016, CHI.

[30]  J. L. Pals,et al.  Narrative identity processing of difficult life experiences: pathways of personality development and positive self-transformation in adulthood. , 2006, Journal of personality.

[31]  Martin R. Gibbs,et al.  Beyond Addiction: Positive and Negative Parent Perceptions of Minecraft Play , 2017, CHI PLAY.

[32]  Bryan C. Semaan,et al.  Transition Resilience with ICTs: 'Identity Awareness' in Veteran Re-Integration , 2016, CHI.

[33]  Wendy Moncur,et al.  The Role of Digital Technologies During Relationship Breakdowns , 2016, CSCW.

[34]  Geraldine Fitzpatrick,et al.  Reflecting on reflection: framing a design landscape , 2010, OZCHI '10.

[35]  Tom Schofield,et al.  Transitions in Digital Personhood: Online Activity in Early Retirement , 2017, CHI.

[36]  Robert E. Kraut,et al.  Using facebook after losing a job: differential benefits of strong and weak ties , 2013, CSCW.

[37]  Virginia Braun,et al.  Successful Qualitative Research: A practical guide for beginners , 2013, QMiP Bulletin.

[38]  V. Braun,et al.  Using thematic analysis in psychology , 2006 .

[39]  Montola Markus.  The Positive Negative Experience in Extreme Role-Playing , 2010 .

[40]  Victor Kaptelinin,et al.  Technology and the Givens of Existence: Toward an Existential Inquiry Framework in HCI Research , 2018, CHI.

[41]  Patrick C. Shih,et al.  Modern Bereavement: A Model for Complicated Grief in the Digital Age , 2018, CHI.

[42]  Jenny Waycott,et al.  Ethical Encounters in HCI: Research in Sensitive Settings , 2015, CHI Extended Abstracts.