While this may not be Data Science directly, I wrote this paper during my freshman year,
and I really found a passion. So, I thought I’d share.
The research I did for this paper really inspired me and I hope that it inspires you, too.
Storytelling has been an integral part of human civilization for longer than humanity has possessed written language. These stories, whether true or not, teach us how the world works, and allow us to exercise our minds to cope with the difficulties in this world. Overcoming the challenges of this world is more demanding for some, and building a deeply personal story with a group can be just what people need. Storytelling games like Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), akin to the legends of yore, focus on teamwork and overcoming against incredible odds. There have been numerous studies into the potential side effects of role-playing games, and one thing has become clear; Utilizing games such as D&D in a therapeutic setting would be beneficial, especially in situations where the patient is suffering from social anxieties.
Humans, historically, learn through storytelling and the act of doing. D&D combines these two ideals. Narratives like the ones crafted in a game of D&D stick with the players, and much like our favorite stories growing up, the details of the epic adventures the players shared are not easily forgotten. Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) like D&D have been around only since the 1970’s and stemmed from wargaming which has been around for centuries. (Hawkes-Robinson, 3) Since its inception, D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games have been subject to criticism. People who are opposed to D&D often attempt to vilify the game by making various outlandish claims. Regardless of the misgivings of some, RPGs have seen a fair amount of success and are enjoyed by millions all over the world.
These TTRPGs involve groups of people gathered around a table rolling dice, a seemingly simple concept that hides a vast sea of complexity. The official D&D product line is house to a great many books for the player to use. These books contain rules for running a game, as well as a list of spells and various examples of worlds and creatures that a player can use to create a world of their own. In these crafted worlds, a player and other members of their group form adventuring parties that will go on quests to help locals and potentially save the world. Despite being portrayed as a violent game, D&D is more focused on the narrative of the party and its deeds and what they can accomplish as a team.
TTRPGs have been under scrutiny in the past. D&D’s largest opponents are members of the fundamental Christian faith; They fear that D&D will destabilize their youth’s sense of reality. “… some people are concerned that role-playing games reduce the ability of players to distinguish between fantasy and reality.” (Abyeta, 1187) While there have been cases where players of D&D are involved in crimes, no link has ever been established between the two. A study on self-reported criminal behavior showed that after all other factors were taken into account, “The seven-predictor regression model for the dependent variable crime was nonsignificant.” (Abyeta, 1191) Abyeta goes further stating that the non-players in the study scored higher on the Psychoticism Scale. People who score high on this scale are described as individuals who may be considered a loner as well as someone who may be lacking in compassion and/or empathy.
Certain groups go so far as to fear that the spells inside the books will tempt evil spirits into this realm and torment the souls of those who play this game. Others also claim that the game encourages acts of violence in the real world. More realistic concerns are simply over the ideals that are being enforced by games like D&D. “Games that focus on violence, sensuality, greed, and ego-gratification should be avoided.” (“Parental Concerns About ‘Dungeons and Dragons’”)
Taking a closer look at the data from studies on D&D however, it is suggested that there are no ill effects from merely playing fantasy roleplaying games. Simon states that according to his research, “Increased exposure to D&D is not positively correlated to emotional instability.” (Simon, 332) Some studies even suggest that there are actually numerous positive effects to be gained by playing games like this. Wright claims that at the very least, games like D&D serve almost as a protective shell against the “[moral] integration from a natural backward shift experienced by the non-gaming participants.”
Mental disorders are an alarming problem affecting millions of people across the globe, and there are many treatments available. Research into the treatment options already available shows that both roleplaying in the general sense and group therapy have positive results. Group therapy has proven time after time to be more effective in both treatment and cost, but most who stand to gain the most from group therapy actually shy away from it due to the anxiety of speaking to one’s struggles in front of others. Framing group therapy with something fun like a role-playing game can encourage more to participate, which increases their chance at recovery. These adventuring parties become de facto support groups which meet in the real world to deal with real-world issues in the land of make-believe. This gives many who would not be able to otherwise make friends the opportunity to form lasting bonds with people that can support them. Forming these ideals into a working model, some therapists take D&D and use it as a therapeutic tool. Groups like Geeks Like Us engage in group therapy sessions for a wide range of mental disorders. These groups, led by trained professionals, look to externalize challenges so that those playing the game can gain new insight on what they are going through. These games are structured and monitored to encourage growth without causing further traumas. The therapists take into consideration who will be playing and what their clients struggle with to craft gaming sessions that provide a safe space to experiment with complex social behaviors. Exploring these behaviors in a fantastical setting significantly reduces the risks associated with practicing them in the physical realm.
In an interview, Dr. Megan Connell, along with her colleagues, have expressed not only a growing passion for this method but also stories of success. (D&D Beyond, 2018) The results in this style of play is in line with research done in 2017 where Wright states: “In particular, gaming that involves the encounter of morally relevant situations appears to facilitate a shift away from concern for one’s own personal interests and toward the interests of others, both in one’s reasoning about moral scenarios and in the expression of one’s values.” (Wright, et al, 2017) Growth like this is crucial for children, people who are on the autistic spectrum, and people who are suffering from various mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. In D&D, details and events can be mentally reviewed and explored to distill life long lessons. These lessons may be just what a person who is teetering on the edge of despair may need in order to take a safe step back from the brink of disaster.
In Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, Aaron Beck describes a model of depression that is now referred to as Beck’s Cognitive Triad. (Beck, 242) In this model, someone who is suffering from depression or anxiety has not only a negative view of themselves but also the world around them and everything the future holds for them. Once a person holds this set of beliefs close, these viewpoints are hard to “fix” and are crippling to everyone affected. Having children who have developed this negative bias play a constructive role-playing game like D&D is something that is already being done on a small scale. These studies have shown that working as a group through not only immediate dangers and challenges but also a deeper overarching issue can address all three of these issues.
Games like D&D empower its players to have an effect on the world at large. Through the actions of a group, cities, nations, and even entire worlds can be saved or destroyed. This self-efficacy can work wonders on a person’s self-esteem. For example, if a character inside of the game wields such fate changing power, it is easy to see how a single person outside of the game could hold the same level of power in the real world. A player zooms in and out of their character’s point of view constantly while engaging in a session of D&D, and it becomes quite natural for the player to see through what is effectively another person’s worldview, a person that the player loves, trusts, and knows very intimately, which is to say that the character is a creation and extension of the player themself. In Dr. Blackmon’s case study of a suicidal teen that was having a very hard time connecting with and communicating to his therapist, the teen began to play D&D with a group he met outside of therapy. Once he started playing, he started to open up about his characters, and more importantly, himself. Throughout this journey, he was able to make a recovery, and now is living a normal life and no longer attends therapy sessions. (Blackmon, 1994) This is where the negative bias of oneself is broken.
It is not just a singular character that a player relies on to shape the universe they inhabit though, but rather their adventuring group, the non-player characters they encounter, even the villains in the story have roles to play. Building this level of trust within the game quite often translates to a certain bond with the players outside the game. Quite often the people playing D&D as a form of group therapy will exchange contact details and become quite close. Adam Davis, a certified therapist currently testing out D&D as a medium for group therapy, shares a story of two young boys who fought bitterly at first but formed a very close, healthy and supportive friendship after encountering a two-headed ogre that represented an exaggerated version of their destructive dynamic. (“D&D Beyond”, 2018) After all, triumphing over great evils with your friends has a pretty strong effect on your view of the world at large, and particularly the others around you.
The final piece of Beck’s cognitive triad is the negative view of the future. With the positive outcome that D&D has on a person’s self-view as well as their world view, one can easily understand the profound effect that this game could have on a person’s outlook towards the future. Dr. Connell tells a story of a group of girls that after a long and grueling campaign, finally defeated the dragon at the end of their adventure and saved the world from certain destruction. These girls did not cheer however, they simply sat in silence for a moment and then burst into tears. When Dr. Connell asked what was the problem the girls smiled and said “Look at what I am capable of. Look at what we can do when surrounded by those who love us.” These girls, through their own will, surmounted near impossible odds and changed the fate of millions of people living in their collective imagination. Proving to themselves that the future can be bright, and they can be the agents of change this world needs.
The act of play is so crucial to development that article 31 of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child states that “…[THE UN] parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities…” It is common knowledge that free time is shrinking away in today’s busy lifestyle, in fact, “These guidelines were written in response to the multiple forces that challenge play. The overriding premise is that play is essential to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”. (Ginsburg, 2007) Parents have less time to spend with their children, and children have less time to play as the focus on academics grows stronger every day. Missing out on play means missing out on invaluable opportunities to learn and grow. This is exceptionally disturbing as the “Negative cognitive schema, the basis for the cognitive triad, are hypothesized to develop early in life.” (Kaslow, 339) It is really no surprise that in this world where play is being marginalized cases of mental illnesses are on the rise. The fact is that more must be done to combat this epidemic and research suggests TTRPGs can be part of that solution; To quote Blackmon, “A process whereby fantasy is used to overcome the inability of obsessives, schizoids, borderlines, adolescents, and alexithymics to work toward emotional change may have considerable merit.” (Blackmon, 631) Evidence shows that there are no adverse effects to playing D&D; rather, it shows that there are great benefits of playing as opposed to them not. How can one stand to deny all those who are afflicted the opportunity to play, especially because it nurtures the vital socialization and coping behaviors that will better equip them to stand firm against stressors of this life we have built?
Go forth and adventure, go slay your inner demons.
Works Cited
Abyeta, Suzanne. “Relationship Of Role-Playing Games To Self-Reported Criminal Behaviour.” Psychological Reports, vol. 69, no. 8, 1991, p. 1187.
Beck, Aaron T. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND THE EMOTIONAL DISORDERS. INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES PRESS, 1978.
Beyond, D&D. “Using D&D to Treat Depression, Anxiety and to Combat Bullying.” YouTube, YouTube, 11 Dec. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTynipvVz8M&t=18s.
Blackmon, Wayne D. “Dungeons and Dragons: The Use of a Fantasy Game in the Psychotherapeutic Treatment of a Young Adult.” American Journal of Psychotherapy, vol. 48, no. 4, 1994, pp. 624–632.
“Convention on the Rights of the Child.” OHCHR, www.ohchr.org/en/ProfessionalInterest/pages/crc.aspx.
Ginsburg, Kenneth R. “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds.” Pediatrics, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 Jan. 2007, pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/119/1/182.
Kaslow, Nadine J., et al. “Cognitive Triad Inventory for Children.” PsycTESTS Dataset, 1992,
“Parental Concerns About ‘Dungeons and Dragons.’” Focus on the Family, 3 Nov. 2016, www.focusonthefamily.com/family-q-and-a/parenting/parental-concerns-about-dungeons-and-dragons.
Wright, Jennifer Cole, et al. “Imaginative Role-Playing as a Medium for Moral Development.” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 2017, p. 626.