Originally written in 2004, and periodically tweaked over the years. After decades of using RPGs in educational settings, this was the paper that started the therapeutic focus and building of the RPG Research website. There are very few social table-top recreation activities available that are cooperative rather than competitive in nature. Role playing gaming is by design a cooperative past time, which in and of itself may have significant benefits in the world where everything is becoming competitive at all ages and levels of society...
I need 2 more panelists to join me on the educational and/or therapeutic benefits of RPGs at ZoeCon next month. Anyone available?
Goal 4, determine/validate if there are any correlative demographic idiosyncrasies in variables found between intensely dedicated role-playing gamers, more casual but experienced role playing gamers, and the general population.
Determine if the correlative tests indicating significant differences in role-playing gamers from the general populace, are a causal result of their participation in role-playing games? ...
Thanks to feedback from @Jmstar on Twitter, he pointed out a public school in Denmark teaching all subjects for what in the US we would consider sort of upper high school, or post high school between high school and college, teaching in depth educational subjects entirely using LARP techniques.
Last week the PBS Idea Channel ran a piece on Dungeons & Dragons benefits. Today they responded to comments from last weeks video, and mentioned in the comments section of their video (towards the end of the video on Justin Bieber), mentioned RPG Research and suggested people should check out the website.
Recently updated the main page's list of goals. Over the next few weeks, I will elaborate on the details of each of those goals. Here is the overview list:
Though the ultimate goal is to establish causality, there are some correlative aspects that should be checkedinto. Attempt to verify or invalidate existing correlative and meta-research results. Much of the existing research is dated from the 1980's and 1990's. Attempt to bring the research up to date, and verify if there are any statistically significant differences found between role-playing gamers and the general populace, at difference age and other demographic levels...
Attempt to differentiate between correlative and causal data related to role-playing gamers. When possible, use blind, double blind, and triple blind study methodologies.
I'm getting ready to get a couple of new groups together, and was thinking about how to setup the seating and such. Here are some thoughts (additional thoughts from others are welcome)...
In addition to reviving the earlier polls, I have added several more polls in rpg.net, here is a list of the current polls running there. I hope to replicate these on other sites as well. It has been a useful process however unscientific the data itself maybe it, it is still interesting....
Two of the polls on rpg.net have been closed because they triggered transgender debate. No offense was ever intended, and the listed of transgender separate from male and female was meant to be inclusive not exclusive.
I guess I should have staged the polls more slowly. Clearly too much attention was drawn by posting too many new polls too closely together. RPG.net just moved ALL the polls effectively to their bit-bucket the Ads/Open Promo Classifieds section, basically spelling the death of those polls. :-(
This is a copy of the posting I made on the rpg.net forum back around June 2012, regarding role-playing gamer stigma. It is a very long post. What have your experiences been with role-playing gaming, gamers, and any social stigma?
I posted a couple of (unscientific) polls on rpg.net related to the demographics of role-playing gamers. The first one is average income (in estimated annual United States Dollars), the other on current relationship status (married, single, divorced, etc.). This is specific to tabletop role-playing gamers.
A little bit of a thread on the rpg.net site about RPG research...
Though it has been slow, people are bit by bit registering to participate in the research project in one form or another.
According to reports from vendors, sales of Video Games were actually down 8% during the first 7 months of 2010, while Hobby games, including Role Playing Games, sales were all up across the board...
If you can't find anyone to join you in your favorite tabletop RPG, Google's Hangout might be your solution. We have been experimenting with 5 participants since November, here is information about how it is going so far...
I recently added a new section to the website under the Documents section, books. These are various books that I have read, am reading, or plan to read. They are related in some way to any of the following: role-playing gaming, therapy, psychology, psychology research, recreation therapy, play therapy, neuropsychology, cognitive neuropsychology, bio and neuro feedback, and similar topics. I hope this resource will be helpful for others in their research as well.
Some notes for future reading, research, and commentary.
I have had many conversations with folks about where this project is at, and where it is planned to go, and I have blogged a bit about the overall vision of the future, but now I need to write down the approximate road map of the next few stages that has been discussed with others but not written down until now...
Both the online and print registration forms and questionnaires are now available to the general public to fill out and submit...
We have been playing the Serenity (aka Firefly) Role-playing Game now for several weeks in a row. It is very much enjoyed by everyone due to the feel and setting of the game. Here are a few thoughts about the game so far...
Though I've had the books for some time, it was not until this weekend that my eldest son finally indicated he wanted to make a character. Vampire: The Requiem RPG One of his friends was at first interested, but when he skimmed through the core book, he lost interest because of it being in his view so different from the LARP version, Vampire: The Masquerade that he was learning from a friend of his. I can not yet speak to that, though I do have many of the Masquerade books too, including the 2nd edition core book. So far...
I was running around town trying to track down various books for my son and others today. While I was at the downtown Riverside Mall en route to the Auntie's book store there (they had one of the books I needed on hold for me), I noted a store I had not seen before calling itself "Calendar Club Go Games". I decided to find out if they carried any role-playing games...
I bought the core rulebook and the Gaia Volume some time ago, but folks we not quite ready for learning yet another system.
Since hearing that the folks in Israel claimed that WHFRP is less combat oriented than D&D 4th edition, I once again am trying to wade through the Warhammer rpg rule books, and will actually begin making some characters, though the whole setup of the game grates my nerves almost as much as World of Warcraft MMORPG does...
Many thanks to John, the owner of Merlyn's in Spokane, for allowing me to setup the trifold brochure stand, with sign, with questionnaire, and drop box, at his store.
We now have research facilities and new contact information available...
