Overview

This book examines how video game mechanics and narratives can teach players skills associated with increased psychological well-being. It integrates research from psychology, education, ludology, media studies, and communication science to demonstrate how game play can teach skills that have long been associated with increased happiness and prolonged life satisfaction, including flexible thinking, openness to experience, self-care, a growth mindset, solution-focused thinking, mindfulness, persistence, self-discovery and resilience. The chapters in this volume are written by leading voices in the field of game studies, including researchers from academia, the video gaming industry, and mental health practitioners paving the way in the field of “geek therapy.”  This book will advance our understanding of the potential of video games to increase our psychological well-being by helping to mitigate depression, anxiety, and stress and foster persistence, self-care, and resilience.

Full Product Details

Author:   Rachel Kowert
Publisher:   Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Imprint:   Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Edition:   1st ed. 2020
Weight:   0.454kg
ISBN:  

9783030327699

ISBN 10:   3030327698
Pages:   166
Publication Date:   19 December 2019
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Preface; Eve Crevoshay.- Chapter 1: Digital games and well-being: An overview; Felix Reer, Thorsten Quandt.- Chapter 2: Press Reset; Chelsea Hughes.- Chapter 3: Explore the Map; Shane Tilton.- Chapter 4: Oh me, Oh My! Identity development through video games; Sarah Sawyer.- Chapter 5: Forever questing and “gitting gud”; Jamie Madigan.- Chapter 6: +1 Strength, +1 Faith: Positive psychology and gaming; Ryan Kelly.- Chapter 7: Gaming the mind and minding the game: Mindfulness and flow in video games; Mark Cruea.- Chapter 8: Follow the Trail of Enemies; Emory Stephen Daniel.- Chapter 9: You are the one foretold; Finding yourself through the journey; Megan Connell, Kelli Dunlap.- Chapter 10: Extra lives; Raffael Boccamazzo.- Chapter 11: Concluding comments; Rachel Kowert.

Reviews

The book is worthwhile reading as it provides you with a solid understanding how video games can help us grow, learn, thrive, and acquire new skills. It is a must-read book for parents who are perturbed with their children being confirmed gamers. ... the book should be considered a good choice for game developers who want to understand how to entice people into buying a brand-new game and at the same time to push up the value of it. (Kateryna Nykytchenko, Acta Ludologica, Vol. 3 (1), 2020)

Author Information

Rachel Kowert is the Research Director of Take This, a US non-profit mental health organization that provides resources and information to the gaming industry and gaming communities. As a research psychologist, she has been studying games and gamers for more than 10 years with a specific focus on video game effects.  She has published multiple scientific articles and books on this topic.

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