Emotional Exploration and the Eudaimonic Gameplay Experience: A Grounded Theory

Title of the Paper

Emotional Exploration and the Eudaimonic Gameplay Experience: A Grounded Theory

Paper Information

• Subject Area: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Digital Game Studies
• Keywords: Video games, gameplay experience, mixed emotions, grounded theory, well-being, emotion research, game design, player experience, self-determination theory, escapism

Research Background and Problem Statement

• Issues and Challenges:

  1. Research on gameplay experiences often focuses on hedonic experiences centered around "pleasure" and "entertainment," while studies on eudaimonic experiences centered on "appreciation" and "reflection" are relatively scarce.
  2. Although the concept of "emotional challenge" has been explored to some extent, its causes, experiential processes, and design strategies remain unclear.
  3. There is limited research on how single-player games fulfill players' need for relatedness.
  4. Further research is needed to understand why players choose to challenge their emotions and how to design games that evoke mixed emotions (a combination of positive and negative emotions).

• Significance of the Research:
  Exploring how games can transcend traditional "entertainment" boundaries to touch on reflection and the search for meaning is crucial for the development of digital games. This will help games attract a more diverse audience and expand their applications in fields like education and mental health.

• Motivation and Related Work:
  The authors reference related literature on emotional challenges, mixed emotional experiences, and eudaimonic entertainment research. They argue for a redefinition of the concept of eudaimonic gameplay experience (EGE), considering the unique interactivity of video games.

Solution

• Proposed Core Concepts:

  1. Emotional Exploration: The way players explore themselves, others, and the world through emotional experiences in games.
  2. Eudaimonic Gameplay Experience (EGE): Unlike films or books, the interactivity of games uniquely facilitates this "exploratory mixed emotional experience."

• Research Methodology:
  The authors adopt Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM), conducting 26 interviews with 24 players to deeply investigate the motivations, processes, and design strategies of emotional experiences in video games. The interview data is systematically analyzed through open coding, abstraction, and comparative categorization.

• Innovations:

  1. Introduced the concept of "emotional exploration" as a core framework for understanding eudaimonic gameplay experiences.
  2. Positioned video games as emotional possibility spaces that should be designed to challenge and foster players' emotional growth.
  3. Highlighted the potential of single-player games to fulfill the need for relatedness with oneself or others, a critical area that has been underexplored in player experience research.

• Key Techniques and Implementation Steps:

  1. Conducted anonymous semi-structured interviews via instant messaging tools, focusing on players' "memorable emotional experiences" in games.
  2. Dynamically adjusted research questions and data collection directions (theoretical sampling).
  3. Transcribed and coded interview content, using methodological whiteboards and other tools to extract core concepts.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:

  1. Identified six attributes of "emotional exploration":
     • Expectation Setting: Players need to be guided in advance to adapt to emotional challenges in games.
     • Challenge Attributes: Divided into emotional, moral, and intellectual challenges.
     • Ambiguity: Games should leave room for players to interpret and reflect.
     • Mixed Emotions: Experiences of intertwined positive and negative emotions are often perceived as overall positive.
     • Interactive Vulnerability: The interactivity of games makes emotional experiences more personal and impactful.
     • Need for Relatedness: Games can help players better connect with themselves and the world around them.
  2. Further demonstrated that eudaimonic experiences in video games differ from those in traditional media, advocating for an independent definition of "Eudaimonic Gameplay Experience" (EGE).

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  1. Addressed the research gap on relatedness needs in single-player games.
  2. Provided specific recommendations for designing mixed emotional experiences.
  3. Enriched the vocabulary of game studies related to "emotional exploration" and "meaning-making."

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:
  Players generally reported that games evoking mixed emotions encouraged self-reflection and growth, distinctly different from traditional hedonic experiences. Interview data revealed that the participatory nature of games made their emotional impact stronger than that of films, books, and other media.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations:

    1. Subjectivity of data: The study is based on a small sample of qualitative research, and the results are not fully generalizable.
    2. Some participants were concentrated in communities of specific game types like Journey, reducing sample representativeness.
    3. Interviews conducted via instant messaging may differ in data type and quality compared to face-to-face interviews.

  • Future Directions:

    1. Compare the specific characteristics of mixed emotional experiences triggered by different game genres.
    2. Further explore the impact of different communication methods (e.g., voice or in-person interviews) on interview data.
    3. Deepen research on the specific implementation of "ambiguity" and "emotional challenges" in game design.

Conclusion

This paper constructs a new conceptual framework, "emotional exploration," through grounded theory to understand and design eudaimonic gameplay experiences (EGE). The research provides developers with design recommendations for diverse audiences and opens new pathways for studying the emotional complexity of video games.