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Release Date: February 07, 2000 Summary prepared by: Ryan S. Dancey, Vice President, Wizards of the Coast; Brand Manager, Dungeons & Dragons Permissions: This file is Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast. This file may be freely redistributed or quoted in whole or part, provided that this attribution remains intact. Methodology: Wizards of the Coast regularly surveys various aspects of the adventure gaming channel; distributors, retailers and consumers to better understand their preferences, concerns, and needs. That data is regularly reviewed and distributed internally to senior management. The contents of this file are excerpts from those sources; the source materials themselves are confidential internal documents and are not available to the public. You have my assurances that to the best of my ability, the information presented in this document represents a fair and accurate representation of the data. Sources: The primary source is a market segmentation study conducted in the summer of 1999. No confidential information provided by non-Wizards companies was used in the preparation of this report. Exclusions: The internal information gathered by Wizards is considered an important competitive advantage. Therefore, not all the information available to Wizards is incorporated in this document, and there may be areas where substantial, significant information is purposefully not included. An effort has been made to ensure that the absence of any portion of this confidential information would not render the material provided herein inaccurate or invalid. Pokemon Effect: As this study was conducted just as the Pokemon TCG phenomenon was gathering speed. For this, and several internal reasons, I have elected not to present information on the TCG component of the industry at this time. Updates: From time to time, I intend to revise and update this file to reflect our ongoing efforts to understand the industry. When an update occurs, the version number of the document will be changed, as will the ìrelease dateî. Interested parties can write to me at ryand@frpg.com to request an up to date copy of this document. -------------------- Section 1: The Segmentation Study Since so much of this data is derived from the í99 Segmentation Study, it is important that the reader understand how this data was gathered. For the purpose of the 1999 study, the following methodology was employed: A two phase approach was used to determine information about trading card games (TCGs), role playing games (RPGs) and miniatures wargames (MWG) in the general US population between the ages of 12 and 35. For the rest of this document, this group is referred to as ìthe marketplaceî or ìthe marketî, or ìthe consumersî. This age bracket was arbitrarily chosen on the basis of internal analysis regarding the probable target customers for the companyís products. We know for certain that there are lots of gamers older than 35, especially for games like Dungeons & Dragons; however, we wanted to keep the study to a manageable size and profile. Perhaps in a few years a more detailed study will be done of the entire population. Information from more than 65,000 people was gathered from a questionnaire sent to more than 20,000 households via a post card survey. This survey was used as a ìscreenerî to create a general profile of the game playing population in the target age range, for the purposes of extrapolating trends to the general population. This "screener" accurately represents the US population as a whole; it is a snapshot of the entire nation and is used to extrapolate trends from more focused surveys to the larger market. A follow up survey was completed by about a thousand respondents from the ìscreenerî. The follow up survey is an extensive document with more than 100 questions. The particular individuals chosen to participate in this expanded survey represent the population, as determined by the screener. In other words, the small detailed survey group can be reasonably extrapolated to the larger screener group, and the larger screener group can be logically extrapolated to the public in general. This is a common, standard, and accepted methodology within the market research field. The data from the detailed survey was collated and prepared by the Wizards market Research Department, in conjunction with an external consulting firm. We believe that the data is a fair and accurate representation of the hobby game consumer profile and that it does statistically correlate with the population as a whole in the US for the target age bracket. -------------------- Section 2: Basic Terms As a part of the detailed survey, the following terms and examples were provided to the respondents: Term Example (*)Paper RPGs Dungeons & Dragons Card Games Bridge, Solitaire, Uno, Poker Trading Card Games Magic, Pokemon Word/ knowledge Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit Puzzle computer games Tetris Non-competitive problem solving Sim City, Myst Puzzle table games Jenga, Dominoes Class board games Chess, Monopoly, Go Action/Shooter/Arcade Doom, Mortal Kombat Miniatures table-top fantasy/sci-fi Warhammer Games that use miniatures Battletech War games Historical Simulations Flight/car Simulators Strategy games Risk, Civilization Social/party games Charades, Pictionary Strategic sport simulations Madden, MLB Other non-sport games N/A Specific questions were also designed to separate users of ìcomputer Role Playing Gamesî vs. ìpaper Role Playing Gamesî. (*) For my own purposes, I choose to use the term ìTabletop RPGsî in this document; the term ìpaper RPGsî was used in the study. The terms are synonyms; my choice is simply personal. I believe that in the fairly near future ìpaperî RPGs will hybridize with computer assistance ñ not becoming ìcomputer RPGsî as that term is commonly understood, but not being games played simply with paper anymore either. Consider this a ìforward lookingî terminology. The term ìD&Dî is used herein to describe all flavors and types of D&D play; from old ìwhite boxî players up to people playtesting 3rd Edition. -------------------- Section 3: Basic Demographics The study provides the following information about the basic demographics of the tabletop RPG marketplace: Size: 6% play or have played TRPGs (~ 5.5 million people) 3% play monthly (~ 2.25 million people) Gender: 19% are female (monthly players) Crossover: 17% of the total play MWGs monthly 46% of the total play computer RPGs monthly 26% of the total play TCGs monthly The study provides the following information about the basic demographics of the computer RPG marketplace: Size: 8% play or have played CRPGs (~7.3 million people) 5% play monthly (~4.5 million people) Gender: 21% are female Crossover: 33% of the total play tabletop RPGs monthly 21% of the total play TCGs monthly 13% of the total play MWGs monthly The study provides the following information about the basic demographics of the MWG marketplace: Size: 4% play or have played MWGs (~3.7 million people) 2% play monthly (~1.8 million people) Gender: 21% are female Crossover: 37% play tabletop RPGs 40% play computer RPGs 29% play TCGs The age breakdown of players within the marketplace is: Age TRPG MWG CRPG All Gamers(*) 12-15 23% 27% 23% 11% 16-18 18% 17% 16% 7% 19-24 25% 24% 23% 13% 25-35 34% 32% 37% 29% (*) ìAll Gamersî means people in the study population who reported playing >any< of the game types monthly, not just TCGs, RPGs, MWGs or CRPGs. Conclusions: 1. Few ìGeneral Gamersî: The first, most notable conclusion we can draw from this information is that the mythical ìhobby gamerî who plays TRPGs, CRPGs, MWGs and TCGs comprises a very, very small portion of the total market. A minority of gamers play more than one category of hobby game; very few play all three. The largest overlap, though still a minority, is with CRPGs and TRPGs. This is an exciting conclusion, because it indicates that a company can successfully create brand in one of the three hobby categories, and extend that brand into the other two without significantly cannibalizing sales. In other words, the people who buy the RPG are not likely to be the ones buying the MWG or the TCG. 2. There are ìWomen in Gamingî Second, it is clear that female gamers constitute a significant portion of the hobby gaming audience; essentially a fifth of the total market. This represents a total population of several million active female hobby gamers. However, females, as a group, spend less than males on the hobby. 3. Adventure Gaming is an adult hobby More than half the market for hobby games is older than 19. There is a substantial ìdipî in incidence of play from 16-18. This lends credence to the theory that most people are introduced to hobby gaming before high-school and play quite a bit, then leave the hobby until they reach college, and during college they return to the hobby in significant numbers. It may also indicate that the existing group of players is aging and not being refreshed by younger players at the same rate as in previous years. -------------------- Section 4: The Role of Computers There is an intense, ongoing discussion between publishers and customers about the use of computers and the interaction between computer game play and adventure game play. The market research study presented some revealing insights into this ongoing debate. Internet Gaming: 51% of the TRPG players report that they have ever played a game on the internet. 28% report that they play an internet game monthly. % Who want to buy software to help manage game and speed up combat: 52% % Who want to play D&D over the internet with others: 50% % Who read newsgroups, mailing lists and web sites: 37% % Who currently play with computer assistance: 42% What computer do gamers use? Wintel Platform: 63% Macintosh Platform: 9% (The question was essentially ìWhat platform have you used in the last monthî, and ìnoneî was an option, probably accounting for the missing percentage.) Whatís sitting at home? Wintel Platform: 54% Macintosh Platform: 7% Three quarters of the sample use the Internet at least once a week, but only two thirds have access from home. ìWho plays electronic games?î Computer Console/Handheld Both Average Age: 26 23 20 Education % 6th-8th: 5 20 27 % 9th-12th: 23 52 37 % College: 53 26 31 % Post Grad: 20 2 5 Marital Status % Single: 52 65 76 % Partnered: 46 29 22 Games electronic gamers play monthly: Computer Console/Handheld Both % TRPGs: 72 54 57 % CRPGs: 44 21 50 % Puzzle Comp: 39 41 49 % Classic Board: 39 48 44 % Action/Shooter: 32 55 61 % Simulations: 25 36 40 % Strategy Games: 26 26 32 One conclusion we draw from this data is that people who play electronic games still find time to play TRPGs; it appears that these two pursuits are ìcomplementaryî or ìnoncompetitiveî outside the scope of the macroeconomic ìdisposable incomeî competition. -------------------- Section 5: Tabletop RPG Business We asked questions of people who play TRPGs to get a better and more detailed picture of that category. This section explores some of that data. The market research study provides some useful information on the games TRPG players play when theyíre not role playing: 51% play a non-TCG card game monthly 43% play a puzzle computer game monthly 43% play a classic board game monthly 58% play an ìaction/shooterî computer game monthly 41% play a ìsimulationî computer game monthly The >least< played game types were: 26% play a TCG monthly 24% play a puzzle table game monthly 17% play a MWG monthly 17% play a social/party game monthly When asked how likely a person was to be the DM/GM, the responses were: 2+ Sessions as DM/GM: 47% Donít DM/GM: 41% When asked to describe a variety of past game experiences, the market provided the following data: Question: Result Used detailed tables & charts: 76% Included Miniatures: 56% Used ìrules lightî system: 58% Diceless: 33% Combat Oriented: 86% (*) Live Action: 49% House Rules: 80% (*) Looked at in reverse, this interesting answer tells us that 14% of the gamers who play an RPG >have never played< a combat oriented RPG. Of the people who reported playing a TRPG, we further screened for people who played D&D and asked those individuals some more detailed questions. This data comes from people who have played D&D, not necessarily those who play monthly. Age: <12 12-15 16-18 19-24 25-25 Learned D&D: 23% 41% 15% 12% 9% -------------- One conclusion we drew from the data was that if a player had played longer than one year, the chances they would play another year were greater than if they had not yet been playing for a full year. In fact, the longer a person plays, the higher the chance they will stay in the game; in other words, players are >less< likely to quit playing D&D the longer they play, not >more< likely. <=1 Year >1-5 Years >5 Years Expect another Year: 40% 75% 88% We asked what the frequency of play was: Total D&D <=1 Year >1-5 Years >5 Years Monthly: 7.2 4.9 13.2 5.9 So we see that the longer a player is in the game, the fewer times per month they play after the 5th year. Once the ìacquisitionî period (1st year) has passed, frequency of play accelerates tremendously, then drops. One explanation for this fact may be that since acquisition happens most often at age 15 or less, ìnew playersî may have a lot of time available for gaming, but as they age, they have less time per month to play. We looked at a few other questions based on how long a person had been playing the game: [ if this chart gets mangled in the formatting, it has three columns of data ] Typical 4 or More Average Sessions Session Gamers In before Restart 5+ Hours Group (New Characters) Total 28% 62% 15.4 <=1 Year 10% 48% 8.8 >1-5 Years 14% 60% 12.9 (*)>5 Years 42% 71% 19.6 (*) Remember that frequency of play is down sharply for these gamers) This data tells us that the longer a person plays the game, the longer the game sessions get, the more people play in the game, and the longer the game progresses before a character restart. In fact, if you look at the >5 year group, you realize that the big jump in long sessions and in average sessions before a restart means that the 5+ year gamers are playing the same characters, on average, vastly longer than anyone else. One conclusion might be that it takes 5 years for a player to really master the system and really figure out what kind of character that player likes to play. The following financial figures are for TRPG players in general (D&D information, where available, is provided as well) This data seems to validate the theory that young gamers, while very active, donít spend a lot of money. (The following data is reported by for RPG expenditures) The big dollars come from adults... Total spending by age: 12-17: $297 18-24: $850 25-25: $2,213 And, the longer they stay in the category, the greater their total outlays... Play <=1 Year: $116 Play 1-5 Years: $562 Play >5 Years: $2,502 And if they can be induced to become a DM/GM, expenditures skyrocket. Will DM/GM: $2,048 Will not DM/GM: $401 Some breakouts for the D&D population in particularÖ Total D&D spending by age: 12-17: $164 18-24: $443 25-35: $1,642 Monthly D&D spending by age: 12-17: $10 18-24: $12 25-35: $14 Total D&D spending by time in game: <=1 Year: $123 1-5 Years: $338 >5 Years: 1,756 Monthly D&D spending by time in game: <=1 Year: $7 1-5 Years: $22 5 Years: $16 (Interesting note: Monthly spending in the first five years after adoption of the game is higher than the spending beyond that point ñ though the older, longer gamer plays the game more, they spend less. This may relate to the frequency of a character/game restart.) D&D DM willingness effect on expenditures: Will DM: $1,444 total / $21 monthly Will not DM: $187 total / $7 monthly (Interesting note here: Even people who donít DM buy a heck of a lot more than just a PHB...) Effect of miniatures addition to RPG mix: Few miniatures owned/used: $139 total RPG spending Many minis owned/used: $4,413 total RPG spending We found that players who were ëlapsedí ñ reported that they had played TRPGs but were not currently doing so; had spent more money than the current players, and had played more different games monthly ñ but interestingly, they had spent less money, on average, on D&D than players who were ìcurrentî. (Current/Lapsed) Mean RPG Spending Mean Total D&D Number Spending RPGs Played $1,273 / $1,667 $895 / $599 2.2 / 3.3 One conclusion that could be drawn from this data is that gamers who donít like D&D will spend a lot of money and try a lot of systems to find something they do like before they quit. Gamers who like D&D will spend less money and try fewer systems, but will spend more on D&D than those who doní t. When asked why a gamer lapsed, the answers (multiple choices allowed) were: Got too busy with other things: 79% Too few people to play with: 63% Not enough time to play: 55% Found a game I liked better: 38% Unhappy with the game and the rules: 38% Cost too much money: 32% Burnt out from frequent play: 29% Getting back to the people still playing the games, when asked what games TRPG players play monthly, the answers (multiple choices allowed) were: D&D: 66% Vampire: The Masquerade: 25% Star Wars: 21% Palladium: 16% Werewolf: The Apocalypse: 15% Shadowrun: 15% Star Trek: 12% Call of Cthulu: 8% Legend of the Five Rings: 8% Deadlands: 5% Alternity: 4% GURPS: 3% When asked to describe aspects of their games, on a scale from 1 to 5, answers were: (normally/rarely) Create Own Adventures: 42% / 11% Create Own Campaign Material: 29% / 17% Replay Adventures: 18% / 35% Use adventures from magazines: 21% / 40% Follow official D&D Rules 33% / 17% When we asked RPG purchasers how many had purchased D&D at a particular retail type, the answers were: (*)Hobby/game shops: 36% Book Stores: 27% Comic book stores: 18% Specialty toy and game: 17% Large toy store chains: 15% Conventions: 4% (In other words, 36% of the respondents indicated they had purchased a D&D product at a Hobby/Game shop.)
Donate today to building the Wheelchair Fiendly RPG Trailer to provide role-playing games in all forms to those people with special needs. - https://www.gofundme.com/rpgtrailer
Yesterday they published an online article, in conjunction with a related video documentary on Autism and Live-Action Role-Playing.
http://www.vice.com/read/at-this-danish-school-larping-is-the-future-of-education-482
It is a good high-level article on the power of RPGs to increase immersion and other benefits when used in an academic setting. The video that is also embedded in the article is a nice example of the many benefits of LARP for Autism too.
The article is primarily about using LARP for Education, and specifically the Danish school I have mentioned for years.
Twice this year they have interviewed me on related topics.
Fortunately, they included part of one of their two interviews they conducted, and were quite generous in using many parts and links to my research and quotes from the second interview.
Please do check it out, and spread the word to others.
Happy Gaming!
-Hawke Robinson
I am archiving a copy of the article below in case it disappears or the link changes:
By Mike Pearl
Staff Writer
Østerkov Efterskole students. Screencap via YouTube user XEKZMoeffer
At Østerkov Efterskole, a boarding school in Hobro, Denmark, immersion in the subject matter is the central educational strategy. Students can be immersed in literature, immersed in history, or even immersed in a mission through outer space as they flee from futuristic American astronauts, according to founder and headmaster Mads Lunau.
"Actually, in that setting, [the US] has aligned with the Chinese against the Danish fleet, so they have to align to beat us. But there is one [Danish] ship that survived, and it's traveling through space," Lunau told VICE.
Some kind of lame classroom board game? Not so much. According to Lunau, "it's more like LARP," referring to the global phenomenon also known as live action roleplaying, often oversimplified as a mix between Dungeons & Dragons, and Comic Con-style cosplay, or mixed up with Civil War reenactment in the US.
In the US, LARPers got a little too much media exposure back in the 2000s, and the realization that dorky grown-ups with in costumes with swords were pretending to fight each other in the woods resulted in a barrage of online mockery.
Østerkov Efterskole students. Screencap via YouTube user XEKZMoeffer
But LARPing in Denmark and elsewhere in Scandinavia, while also a nerdy pastime, can be a little more intense. In its most extreme, it looks less like a Renaissance Faire, and more like an Ingmar Bergman film—with elaborate historical experiences that don't allow any non-functional, or non-period props. While a LARP experience can use the "mechanics of a board game" to keep it fun and on-rails, that doesn't begin to capture the experience, Lunau told us. "It's more something where you tell the story, or you're part of the story," he said.
LARP is a motivational tool at Østerkov. In what Lunau calls an "ordinary educational system," you do things in the hopes that you're pleasing the teacher. He sees this as a "narrow" motivation, and one that "certainly isn't the motivation you get when you get into your work life."
Østerkov Efterskole headmaster Mads Lunau. Photo by Flemming Laursen
Østerkov Efterskole (efterskole means "afterschool") is a boarding school where students aged 14- to 18-years-old attend a one-year program. Østerkov might be on the weirder side for an efterskole, but it still fits into the efterskole box. These schools are a Danish tradition that would seem just generally weird to the test-score fanatics in places like the United States.
Watch our full-length doc: LARPing Saved My Life
The time you spend in a totally optional efterskole—usually just after wrapping up your primary education—is your time to get away from your parents, discover yourself, get onto the college track, study art and music, or just maybe fool around with other teens. Now, in the case of Østerkov Efterskole, you can do all that while going on interactive adventures through history.
"We made a whole school using narrative to motivate young people or students to get into the subjects—a normal way to study," Lunau said.
Except in this normal school there are tons of props and costumes. "We have a lot of props and dress outfits from the school," he said. It's not a school where you learn to LARP, though, so the kids don't have to learn to sew their own tunics. In fact, costumes are optional. "They are not told to dress up, but it gives them a better feeling," Lunau said.
Østerkov Efterskole. Photo by Flemming Laursen
Not so fast with the prosthetic elf ears, though. "Fantasy is not really part of the agenda here," Lunau claimed, although he added that "they do a lot of fantasy playing when they use the games in their spare time." But on the whole, the game narratives at Østerkov are educational: They come from "narratives in history, or from society or from literature." In short, they're LARPing their way through the dusty old material from their textbooks.
Lunau founded the school ten years ago, basing it on an idea that had been cooking for decades. In the 80s and 90s Lunau and his associate Malik Hyltoft worked as organizers in the Danish gaming world. "We observed a lot of young people absorbing a lot of knowledge in order to play the games. Thick books in foreign languages containing complex descriptions of processes, rules and environments, or large quantities of different fiction—or historically based literature," Lunau told American researcher and recreation therapist Hawke Robinson in an email provided to VICE. Robinson is the founder of the RPG research center, and works with students in Spokane, Washington, using RPGs as what he calls an"intervention modality," for students who require unconventional forms of education.
Østerkov Efterskole. Photo by Flemming Laursen
Lunau's idea was met with little resistance, because of Denmark's more flexible education system, along with a really laid back education minister who Lunau says responded to the idea by going, "'this is interesting, so try it out.'" The eventual closure of one school wouldn't be a big deal, the minister reasoned, "but if it did work, with some good results, it would be good for everybody," Lunau said.
Such positive results, he hoped, might be particularly dramatic for special needs kids.
About 10 of Østerkov's 90 students have what Lunau calls "serious challenges," among them autism and major ADHD. These students are aided by three on-staff special needs teachers. About 30 other students cope with lighter disabilities, such as dyslexia, and dyscalculia.
Still from the VICE documentaryLARPing Saved My Life
Hawke Robinson tracked down Lunau because the smaller operation he runs in Washington State also features LARPing as an education tool, particularly for special needs students. Often Robinson's version is less academic, focused instead on education with simple, real-world applications.
"Let's say there's a goal that says we want this group to learn how to use the public transit system in Tacoma," Robinson told VICE. The exercise that teaches them to use the bus is a tabletop RPG, that turns into LARPing in the final chapter. "You're all agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," the game begins—placing the students squarely in the comfort of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, instead of the boring real world. As the students uncover the clues, they'll uncover an evil plan to release a virus using the public transit system in Tacoma—one that will turn everybody into zombies. "They follow some clues and ride a couple of buses to key locations to try to thwart the bad guy's plans," Robinson said.
Still from the VICE documentaryLARPing Saved My Life
Lunau's program, focuses instead on Danish school curriculum. "So if you want them to know about the European Union, they actually play foreign ministers having a meeting," he explained, "or they have an environmental conference where they try to solve the world's problems"—an idea not far removed from the Model United Nations.
"This week we're doing Ancient Rome," he said. Students have to conduct the Roman Senate, battle Roman adversaries like Carthage, build aqueducts, and mine the Alps to support the ancient Roman war machine.
Simulated experience is, in theory, a mnemonic device, helping the kids remember important information they'll be tested on later. It's an assertion that has showed up in promising scientific research, but it likely deserves further exploration.
However, in the case of the both the American and Danish programs, there's a bonus outcome for kids with autism and Aspergers, and it's an ironic one, considering LARPing's geeky reputation: an improved ability to interact with other people in a healthy way. Robinson's program works by putting kids and adults with social difficulties in a setting where they're working together for a common goal, and he says it works. "They're getting core social skills that really don't get developed in a classroom setting or video game setting."
A 2008 paper by psychiatrist Jacqueline Countryman also stresses the importance of group interactions and roleplaying in teaching social skills to students with autism. Robinson documents his findings, and posts volume after volume of his own research at the RPG Research Center website, where his papers apparently await the scrutiny of mainstream neuroscience and educational researchers.
Lunau fully acknowledges the significant portion of his students who go, in his words, "'This is great! We also LARP in school!'" and they're there because their hobby makes school less boring for them. But, he insisted, "it's not a school for LARPers—it just attracts them."
"You can use this system in a normal school if you wanted to," he added. That kind of judicious dissemination of his ideas—just a LARP or two sprinkled into a more conventional curriculum—might happen down the line, but things seem to be moving even faster than that: a whole new LARPing-focused efterskole is opening in Denmark, according to Lunau. "We are happy that we are not the only one in the world. Now we're two." What's more, at least one student who attended the school the year it opened is so committed to this kind of pedagogy that he's returned this year as a substitute teacher.
As for more conventional results, Lunau says they're seeing those too.
"We had a girl that was a special needs student and she was not doing well in her former school," he said. "And we had her for exams in history." Her teacher was a bit nervous when she had to explain the inner workings of the Roman Republic's government. But sure enough she demonstrated fluency with the ways the Senate decided things, along with "what the different roles of the senate were, and how it worked with the rest of the Italian people." According to Lunau, "She received what I think would be a B or A- in American grading system," but he said there was one last question thrown at her before the test administrator was satisfied: "How did you do this?"
Her answer, according to Lunau: "'It was not difficult because I was there.'"
Watch our full length film LARPing Saved My Life
Follow Mike Pearl on Twitter.
" At the risk of oversimplification, one could argue there are actually two forms of escapism: self-suppression and self-expansion. Self-suppression as running away from unpleasant thoughts, perceptions and emotions; self-expansion is actively seeking new skills, stronger relationships and positive experiences. According to Jane McGonigal, the difference between these two is comparable to the difference between saying, 'Everything sucks, so I'm going to go play games,' versus "Life is better when I have time to play games." - Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association, by W.A. Hawkes-Robinson President of RPG Therapeutic LLC, and Founder of The RPG Research Project Community Website http://www.rpgresearch.com
You can view the entire presentation file here: wstra-2016-rpg-research-presentation-20160329zzf3.pdf
The videos from the variants of the presentation (shorter versions can be viewed here:
Geek & Sundry Article Link:
http://geekandsundry.com/role-playing-gamers-have-more-empathy-than-non-gamers/
Also thank you Richard Wentworth very much for posting this article in the Facebook RPG Brigade Group, and drawing my attention to it.
There have been a number of indications along these lines from previous research, it is nice to see some more up to date information.
It is these indicators that prompted development, and seeing positive results in using RPGs for At-risk youth and the Autism Spectrum (ASD / PDD / Aspergers, etc.) populations, using tabletop RPG and LARP to work on developing social skills, including empathy:
* http://www.vice.com/read/at-this-danish-school-larping-is-the-future-of-education-482
* http://rpgr.org/asd-list
Below is a list of some related essays from others, on studies of gamers on Empathy, Meaninglessness, and related topics:
* http://rpgr.org/blog/alienation-1
* http://rpgr.org/documents/other-projects/symbolic-order-1
* http://rpgr.org/documents/full-text/looking-glass-1
Note that the study using Play By Email (PBEM), indicated players in that format had lower empathy scores, maybe this could be extrapolated as an indicator as to the effects (or draw of personality type to) of some formats of computer-based RPGs:
* http://rpgr.org/documents/-list/full-text-documents/personality.html
Again, thank you for drawing attention to this valuable topic.
Happy Gaming!
Archived article in case it moves or disappears.
POSTED BY CAROL PINCHEFSKY ON JANUARY 13, 2016
When you and your friends are sitting around the gaming table, you’re not just slaying orcs or battling the unholy legions of the dead. You’re becoming a more socially adjusted person. That’s because role-players have more empathy than those who have never sat around a table to slay a dragon.
According to the paper, “Empathic Features and Absorption in Fantasy Role-Playing,” by the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, researchers ran 127 gamers through two tests: the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index, which measures empathy (the ability to relate to other people) and the Tellegen Absorption Scale, which measures absorption (focus on the task at hand). They discovered that gamers scored higher than non-gamers on the IRI scale of empathy.
This “confirm[s] the hypothesis that fantasy role-players report experiencing higher levels of empathic involvement with others,” the abstract says.
Gamers have empathy? But these are the guys who laugh at your failed saving throws and leave you in a locked crate while they grab the loot (not that I’m bitter). But it seems that gamers are really good at putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes/boots of speed. We can imagine ourselves throwing fireballs, and we can imagine the pain of the burn.
Psychologists agree that empathy is an important characteristic—even if they can’t agree on a definition. Dr. Nancy Hoffer, clinical psychologist, said in a phone interview that different branches of psychology have different definitions. For the most part, it’s the ability to identify with other people. And it’s important because, as Hoffer explained, “In a social world, empathy allows us to interact with each other without killing each other so that we won’t eat each other.”
[Sidenote: Me: “So we don’t…eat each other? Oh gods!” Dr Hoffer: “I stand by my quote.”]
The University of California, Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center writes that empathy reduces prejudice, racism, and bullying and boosts relationship satisfaction. GGSC says that empathy is “a vital first step in compassionate action.” We could all use more of that.
There’s no way to tell if people with empathy are naturally attracted to RPGs, or if people can develop more empathy as they play. Videogame players, who frequently play alone, weren’t mentioned in this study, either.
But if this study is correct and gamers are empathic, and empathy leads to compassionate action, it would therefore follow that gaming makes the world a better place. Now get rolling.
Feature Image Credit: Wiki Commons/Creative Commons
I've written before about using video games to help target a number of disabilities and challenges from brain injuries to other issues.
Of course most Recreation Therapists poo-poo anything with a screen, though younger Therapeutic Recreation Specialists are more open minded. And video games have been readily adopted in Physical Therapy rehabilitation facilities, especially the Wii full range of motion.
And of course as a Recreation Therapist, we all understand the power of recreation and games to help facilitate recovery, health, and wellness, and making otherwise unpleasant exercises fun, to help achieve client therapeutic and educational goals!
I wanted to quickly put together a few links on this page about research into using video games FOR treatment (rather than treatment for video games), including substance dependency.
I have mentioned many times the game "Life is Strange", and how it is an excellent game for pre-teen/young-teen females (and potentially males though not the target audience), using a Choose Your Own Adventure like approach, but you can re-choose (to a limited extent) if you don't like the results.
And of course I've spoken at length about the benefits of bio and neuro feedback linked with video games, and my acquisition of bio and neuro feedback & monitoring EEG equipment.
Generally I have kept the focus to RPG-based video games, but for this page I am going with any video game format.
From these video game results of various games, consider then the added complexity of role-playing style games and the additional layers of potential benefits added from targeted and responsible participation in the activities.
This was just a quick 15 minute search (mostly skipping the aforementioned white noise) using the terms:
Here are some of the results I found of interest. I have not had a chance to read most of them, I have only skimmed them so far. I hope to delve in more deeply soon however...
A pilot trial of a videogame-based exercise program for methadone maintained patients - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment - http://fulltext.study/preview/pdf/328858.pdf
Using video game components to navigate brain imaging - A Motion Videogame for Opioid Relapse Prevention. - 3D-Neuronavigation - In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache - http://www.jove.com/visualize/abstract/26213838/a-motion-videogame-for-opioid-relapse-prevention
Video game developed at USC lets patients play their way through rehab Mystic Isle tracks the coordinates of players’ movements, giving therapists valuable data on progress and future sessions - https://news.usc.edu/79932/video-game-developed-at-usc-lets-patients-play-their-way-through-rehab/
CAN VIRTUAL REALITY TREAT ADDICTION? RESEARCHERS ARE PLUGGING IN SMOKERS, ALCOHOLICS, AND EVEN CRACK ADDICTS TO EXPOSE THEM TO A RELAPSE ENVIRONMENT--AND TEACH THEM HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. WILL IT WORK? - http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/addiction-therapy-and-virtual-reality
Some caveats:
VIDEO GAME SEIZURES - http://www.videogameseizures.org/Prevention_Strategies.html
Neil A. Douse & Ian Chris McManus (1993). The Personality of Fantasy Game Players. British Journal of Psychology, 84 (4), 505-509.
Players of a fantasy Play-By-Mail game were compared with matched controls on personality measures of decision-making style, sex-role, extraversion, neuroticism, empathy, leisure interests and personality type. Most players were male. On the Bem Sex-Role Inventory the players were less feminine and less androgynous than controls. They were more introverted, showed lower scores on the scale of empathic concern, and were more likely to describe themselves as âÂÂscientificâÂÂ, and to include âÂÂplaying with computersâ and âÂÂreadingâ amongst their leisure interests than controls.
Fantasy-Role Playing Games (FRPGs) have become increasingly popular over the past 20 years, following the creation in 1974 of the game Dungeons and Dragons (Butterfield, Parker & Honigmann, 1982; Gygax, 1979). Games are characterized by a set of fantastic individuals, often derived from quasi-medieval myths, whose personalities are adopted by the players. The gods, demons and other superhuman beings compete for power, influence and resources. Players control one or more characters which interact with other playersâ characters, precise rules deciding the outcome of interactions. The advent of home computers in the early 1980s extended these games with the appearance of Play-By-Mail-games (PBMs) in which the players send orders to a games controller with a home computer, who implements the orders simultaneously and returns the resultant positions to players, who resubmit further orders a week or two later. Games are often run on a commercial basis, with players paying to take part and the games controller taking a portion of the entrance fees. Fantasy games often use computers extensively, and it is therefore not surprising that players tend to be male since âÂÂcomputer addictionâ (Shotton, 1989) is primarily a male preserve (Hudson & Jacot, 1991).
FRPGs can be very time-consuming, taking several or more hours per week. Who therefore chooses to play such games, and do they have particular personality types? Fantasies derived from television violence (Heath, Bresolin & Rinaldi, 1990; Hoberman, 1990) and pornography (Bourget, Gagnon & Bradford, 1988; Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, 1970; Donnerstein, Linz & Penrod, 1989; Gubar & Hoff, 1990; Kutchinsky, 1991; Surgeon-GeneralâÂÂs Workshop Report, 1986) have been subjected to psychological research, particularly because of their possible relationship to violence in general, and to sexual crimes such as rape, in particular. More recently evidence has been presented that fantasy elements in video games, particularly aggressive components, can become incorporated into the subsequent play of children (Schutte, Malouff, Post-Gorden & Rodasta, 1988). Excessive fantasy has also raised concern because of links between quasi-mythical, quasi-theological components and concepts such as satanism (Bourget et al., 1988). Despite being played for many years, FRPGs have been studied very little; the sole exception in the literature is a study which assessed feelings of alienation in games players (DeRenard & Kline, 1990).
In this study we compared the personality of players of a PBM FRPG, Serim Ral, with controls matched for age, sex and educational level.
A total of 52 players were contacted via the gameâÂÂs controller, who distributed questionnaires to participants. Thirty-eight players (73 per cent) responded, 35 male (92 per cent) and three female (8 per cent), with average age 21.5 years (SD 4.5; range 14-34). The small number of female players precluded any worthwhile analysis of sex differences. Five players had education to O-level, 16 to A-level, and 17 were at university or intended to go to university. Matched control subjects were chosen from school students, university students and hospital patients. As well as playing this PBM FRPG, 32 players also played other FRPGs, whereas none of the controls did so; 27 players regularly played computer games, compared with 12 controls. Players devoted 11.4 hours a week to games playing (SD 6.2 hours), compared with 2.5 hours for controls.
Subjects completed four standardized personality questionnaires described below and two unpublished self-typing measures (perceived personality type and preferred activities).
Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Since players typically are male we assessed whether self-perceptions of male and female sex-roles differed from controls, using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) (Bem, 1974).
Decision-Making Questionnaire. Games typically require players to make and enjoy making an extended series of complex decisions. Differences in preferred ways of processing information were assessed using the Royal Holloway and Bedford Decision-Making Questionnaire (DMQ: French, West, Elander & Wilding, 1992; West, 1988; West, Elander & French, 1992), in which decision-making style is scored on seven different scales, entitled thoroughness, control, hesitancy, social resistance, perfectionism, idealism and instinctiveness.
Empathy Questionnaire. Games require players to empathize with the needs of certain personality characters, and to take into account the effects upon other players of their actions. Differences in empathy were assessed with the empathy questionnaire of Davis (1980, 1983) which is scored on four orthogonal dimensions.
Eysenck Personality Inventory (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1964). Extraversion, neuroticism and social acquiescence (the lie scale) were assessed using an abbreviated version of the Eysenck Personality Inventory with 29 questions.
BSRI
Players and controls did not differ significantly on the measure of masculinity, but players were significantly less feminine and less androgynous than controls (Table 1).
Measure
|
Players
|
Control
|
Significance
|
---|---|---|---|
Bem Sex-Role Inventory
|
|||
Masculinity
|
4.724
(.778) |
4.559
(.870) |
t (74) = .87
n.s. |
Femininity
|
4.096
(.595) |
4.546
(.700) |
t (74) = -3.02
p = .003 |
Androgyny
|
-0.628
(1.004) |
-0.132
(1.202) |
t (74) = -2.42
p = .018 |
Empathy scales |
|||
Fantasy
|
20.3
(4.08) |
18.8
(3.83) |
t (74) = 1.65
n.s. |
Perspective-taking
|
17.9
(3.21) |
18.2
(3.34) |
t (74) = -.35
n.s. |
Empathic concern
|
18.9
(3.91) |
21.2
(3.11) |
t (74) = -2.79
p = .007 |
Personal distress
|
14.4
(3.55) |
15.2
(2.96) |
t (74) = -1.05
n.s. |
DMQ
Players did not differ significantly from controls on any of the measures.
Empathy
Although players and controls did not differ significantly on fantasy, perspective-taking or personal distress, the players showed significantly lower scores than controls on the measure of empathic concern (see Table 1), which assesses âÂÂâÂÂother-orientedâ feelings of sympathy and concern for unfortunate others.â (Davis, 1983).
Extraversion, neuroticism and social acquiescence
Games players might be more introverted than controls because of the inward-looking nature of the games themselves, which are essentially solitary activities. Players and controls did not differ on neuroticism or social acquiescence, but players were significantly more introverted than controls (t (74) = 2.03, p = .46).
Perceived personality type
Subjects chose which of six personality vignettes best described them and least well described them. Players were more likely to describe themselves as âÂÂscientificâ (t (74) = 2.63, p = .010), but there were no differences from controls in their use of the other five types (âÂÂstudiousâÂÂ, âÂÂsportyâÂÂ, âÂÂculturedâÂÂ, âÂÂparty-goerâ and âÂÂpoliticalâÂÂ).
Preferred activities
Players ranked nine different activities in order of preference. Players rated âÂÂplaying with computersâ (t (74) = 4.43, p < .001) and âÂÂreadingâ (t (74) = 4.36, p < .001) as significantly more preferred; âÂÂgoing to cinema, theatre or concertsâ (t (74) = 2.50, p = .015) and âÂÂgoing to partiesâ (t (74) = 2.12, p = .037) as significantly less preferred; and there was no difference between subjects and controls on âÂÂtalking with your friendsâÂÂ, âÂÂmeeting new peopleâÂÂ, âÂÂmaking things, e.g. clothes, objects, mending machinesâÂÂ, âÂÂplaying a musical instrumentâ and âÂÂwatching TV and videosâÂÂ.
Players of FRPGs show clear personality differences from controls, although the differences are not as extreme as some stereotypical descriptions might have suggested. Players tend to be male, of high educational level, and sharing common interests in FRPGs and PBMs and in computer games in general. Time spent on the games is often considerable, particularly when allied with pastimes such as reading, which anecdotal reports suggest is often science fiction or science fantasy (which itself inspired the creators of the games (Gygax, 1979)).
FRPG players are significantly more introverted, less feminine, less androgynous, and showed less empathic concern than controls, a pattern similar to that of the shy, introverted intellectual who is drawn to the computer (Shotton, 1989). It is noteworthy that high scores on empathic concern are reported as âÂÂprone to anxiety and shynessâ (Davis, 1983). The fact that most players are male (a finding reported in other studies (Braun, Goupil, Giroux & Chagnon, 1986; Griffiths, 1991; Kiesler & Sproull, 1985)) and have lessened empathic concern agrees with HudsonâÂÂs description of males forming emotional relations with objects and also treating persons as objects (Hudson & Jacot, 1991).
Our data suggest that players of FRPGs and PBMs differ in personality from controls, although the differences are relatively small. To some extent individuals who are interested in any hobby or interest will differ from the population average, and these differences probably fit within that perspective.
We are grateful to Belinda Winder for her comments on the manuscript.
Bem, S. L. (1974). The measurement of psychological androgyny. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 153-162.
Bourget, D., Gagnon, A. & Bradford, J. M. (1988). Satanism in a psychiatric adolescent population. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 33, 197-202.
Braun, C. M. J., Goupil, G., Giroux, J. & Chagnon, Y. (1986). Adolescents and microcomputers: Sex differences, proxemics, tasks and stimulus variables. Journal of Psychology, 120, 529-542.
Butterfield, J., Parker, P. & Honigmann, D. (1982). What is Dungeons and Dragons? Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin.
Commission on Obscenity and Pornography (1970). The Report of the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, September 1970. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office.
Davis, M. H. (1980). A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 85.
Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 113-126.
DeRenard, L. A. & Kline, L. M. (1990). Alienation and the game Dungeons and Dragons. Psychological Reports, 66, 1219-1222.
Donnerstein, E., Linz, D. & Penrod, S. (1989). The Question of Pornography: Research Findings and Policy Implications. New York: Free Press.
Eysenck, H. J. & Eysenck, S. B. G. (1964). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Inventory. London: University of London Press.
French, D. J., West, R. J., Elander, J. & Wilding, J. M. (1992). Decision-making style, driving style, and self-reported involvement in road traffic accidents. Ergonomics (in press).
Griffiths, M. D. (1991). Amusement machine playing in childhood and adolescence: A comparative analysis of video games and fruit machines. Journal of Adolescence, 14, 53-73.
Gubar, S. & Hoff, J. (1990). For Adult Users Only: The Dilemma of Violent Pornography. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Gygax, G. (1979). Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Special Reference Work: Dungeon Masters Guide. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR Games.
Heath, L., Bresolin, L. B. & Rinaldi, R. C. (1990). Effects of media violence on children. A review of the literature. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47, 595-596.
Hoberman, H. M. (1990). Study group report on the impact of television violence on adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health Care, 11, 45-49.
Hudson, L. & Jacot, B. (1991). The Way Men Think: Intellect, Intimacy and the Erotic Imagination. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Kiesler, S. & Sproull, L. (1985). Pool halls, chips, and war games: Women in the culture of computing. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 9, 451-462.
Kutchinsky, B. (1991). Pornography and rape - theory and practice? Evidence from case data. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 14, 47-64.
Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Post-Gorden, J. C. & Rodasta, A. L. (1988). Effects of playing videogames on childrenâÂÂs aggressive and other behaviors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 18, 454-460.
Shotton, M. (1989). Computer Addiction? London: Taylor & Francis.
Surgeon-GeneralâÂÂs Workshop Report (1986). Pornography and Public Health. Washington, D.C.: US Surgeon-GeneralâÂÂs Office.
West, R. J. (1988). The Royal Holloway and Bedford New College (RHBNC) Decision-Making Questionnaire (DMQ). London: Royal Holloway and Bedford New College.
West, R. J., Elander, J. & French, D. J. (1992). Decision making, personality and driving style as correlates of individual accident risk. Report presented to Road Safety Division, Transport and Road Research Laboratory. Unpublished.
Received 6 July 1992; revised version received 28 January 1993
http://news.byu.edu/archive12-feb-mmorpgs.as
The article uses the term "negatively" (that can be confusing in research terms because that could be taken to mean it has negative, as in no, effect, but in this case they mean that it hurts marital satisfaction levels.
"The study reports that 75 percent of spouses of sword-carrying, avatar-loving gamers wish they would put less effort into their guilds and more effort into their marriage. The researchers, led by graduate student Michelle Ahlstrom, and recreation management professor Neil Lundberg, studied 349 couples to learn how online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, affect marital satisfaction for both gamers and their spouses. And in some cases, gaming even increased satisfaction."
I recently converted this report from the PDF version to a web page version, and while at it, updated a little bit of the information to correspond with recent market changes and other notes. This is also the version that is much longer than the previous shorter version, and has a lot more personal commentary added at the end, from the perspective of a role-playing gamer since 1979. Enjoy!
You can view the web version here:
The earlier PDF version is here:
The shorter PDF version (without the long commentary) is here:
<pending upload>
Much larger list of projects here: http://rpgr.org/documents/list-of-other-rpg-research-projects
http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/gaming/BreakdownOfRPGPlayers.html
http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/gaming/WotCMarketResearchSummary.html
http://www.digra.org/dl/db/09287.23528.pdf
UK-based Strange Agency has launched an analytical report on role-playing games. The agency used a sample of 272 RPGs to determine key selling points and new game potential. Its report, titled “The Empirical Analysis of the Role Playing Game (RPG) Genre for Video Games” also investigates the way technology influences game design. Future report topics from Strange will include "The Anatomy of Franchises" and "Games and Popular Culture Index."
http://www.edge-online.com/news/rpg-research-available/
http://www.hci.iastate.edu/REU09/pub/Main/723/yee-psychology-mmorpg.pdf
Below is the message that was sent to the Car-PGA (The Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games) mailing list. Regarding sexual harassment in the tabletop RPG industry & community. - http://latining.tumblr.com/post/141567276944/tabletop-gaming-has-a-white-male-terrorism-problem
While I have read the blog posting, I haven't researched it any further yet so I do not know more about validity of the source yet, but it was the occasional stories like these, for various orientations, ethnicities, disabilities, and other populations, told to me verbally as I was performing other RPG research, that lead to my starting research specifically on this topic years ago, which is currently undergoing analysis, to have some idea of prevalence as updated here: http://rpgresearch.com/blog/rpg-gender-bias-research-stage-2-status-update-1
This is also why I have been trying to build the RPG Trailer (http://gofundme.com/rpgtrailer) to provide a "safer" gaming environment, though most people have not understood what I meant by this (an unfortunate failure of communication on my part). Hopefully this article makes that clearer.
Much more needs to be done to fix the PUG (Pick-Up Gamer) environment at hobby stores, conventions, etc. See my points on the "Gamer Floater Hypothesis" for the long list of relevant issues: http://rpgresearch.com/blog/hypothesis-of-the-role-playing-gamer-floater While these dysfunctional players need help, and I believe a properly implemented gaming environment can help them, I believe they are driving away a much broader potential audience, and we as a community, industry, and PUG hosts, need to do more to address these issues.
The Car-PGA Email:
### BEING EMAIL ###
" A very long piece on sexual harassment in the tabletop community has been
brought to my attention:
http://latining.tumblr.com/post/141567276944/tabletop-gaming-has-a-white-male-terrorism-problem
Please note that there is an opportunity for direct action in the case of Wyrd;
their phone number and online contact form are at the bottom of the post.
CAR-PGa has a longstanding interest in increasing the number of women in
gaming and opposing all forms of harassment. Suggestions on new initiatives
to combat this problem are welcome.
CAR-PGa publishs one of if not *the* most complete gaming convention
schedules, and I'd be really interested in getting some volunteers to find
out which meet the Scalzi minimum-acceptable-harassment-policies (http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/07/02/my-new-convention-harassment-policy/).
An example of an acceptable harassment policy would be, for example, that
of the American Library Association's conferences (http://2016.alaannual.org/statement-appropriate-conduct).
Finally, while the subject does not normally come up, allow me to state for
the record that neither the Newsletter nor this discussion list will
tolerate attempts to harass people via them. —Alan"
### END OF EMAIL ###
UPDATE 20160403: Someone posted the following response: The person who posted the blog did get her Day in Court and did win: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/taking-a-stand-against-abuse-284204591.html
about "the potential for role-playing to act as a unifying communcal practice. Such unifying practices are few and far between in our fragmented, Western society." - The Functions of Role-Playing Games, 3. Interactional Dynamics in Role-Playing Games, by Sarah Lynne Bowman.
Supporters can listen to the episode now:
Here are the contents of the podcast:
I've written before about using video games to help target a number of disabilities and challenges from brain injuries to other issues.
Of course most Recreation Therapists poo-poo anything with a screen, though younger Therapeutic Recreation Specialists are more open minded. And video games have been readily adopted in Physical Therapy rehabilitation facilities, especially the Wii full range of motion.
And of course as a Recreation Therapist, we all understand the power of recreation and games to help facilitate recovery, health, and wellness, and making otherwise unpleasant exercises fun, to help achieve client therapeutic and educational goals!
I wanted to quickly put together a few links on this page about research into using video games FOR treatment (rather than treatment for video games), including substance dependency.
I have mentioned many times the game "Life is Strange", and how it is an excellent game for pre-teen/young-teen females (and potentially males though not the target audience), using a Choose Your Own Adventure like approach, but you can re-choose (to a limited extent) if you don't like the results.
And of course I've spoken at length about the benefits of bio and neuro feedback linked with video games, and my acquisition of bio and neuro feedback & monitoring EEG equipment.
Generally I have kept the focus to RPG-based video games, but for this page I am going with any video game format.
From these video game results of various games, consider then the added complexity of role-playing style games and the additional layers of potential benefits added from targeted and responsible participation in the activities.
This was just a quick 15 minute search (mostly skipping the aforementioned white noise) using the terms:
Here are some of the results I found of interest. I have not had a chance to read most of them, I have only skimmed them so far. I hope to delve in more deeply soon however...
A pilot trial of a videogame-based exercise program for methadone maintained patients - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment - http://fulltext.study/preview/pdf/328858.pdf
Using video game components to navigate brain imaging - A Motion Videogame for Opioid Relapse Prevention. - 3D-Neuronavigation - In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache - http://www.jove.com/visualize/abstract/26213838/a-motion-videogame-for-opioid-relapse-prevention
Video game developed at USC lets patients play their way through rehab Mystic Isle tracks the coordinates of players’ movements, giving therapists valuable data on progress and future sessions - https://news.usc.edu/79932/video-game-developed-at-usc-lets-patients-play-their-way-through-rehab/
CAN VIRTUAL REALITY TREAT ADDICTION? RESEARCHERS ARE PLUGGING IN SMOKERS, ALCOHOLICS, AND EVEN CRACK ADDICTS TO EXPOSE THEM TO A RELAPSE ENVIRONMENT--AND TEACH THEM HOW TO DEAL WITH IT. WILL IT WORK? - http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-04/addiction-therapy-and-virtual-reality
Some caveats:
VIDEO GAME SEIZURES - http://www.videogameseizures.org/Prevention_Strategies.html
NOTICE: "Santeria, witchcraft, voodoo, and most religious cults are not satanism." This article is not for the timid (due to explicit descriptions of certain crimes). Written by Kenneth Lanning, a high ranking FBI official, it investigates allegations linking criminal activity with the occult, and brings sanity to the subject. Although it is targeted at law enforcement people, it does contain much material of interest to others. Reprinted with permission by Cassandra-News a news service of the United Wiccan Church a 501(c)(3) California non-profit, tax-exempt religious corporation. Cassandra-News grants License for Non-Commercial electronic and print reproduction and distribution as long as no fee is charged for these reproductions other than the cost of reproduction and printing. The name and address of the United Wiccan Church, Kenneth Lanning and this notice must be preserved on all copies. United Wiccan Church P. O. Box 16025 North Hollywood California, 91615-6025, U.S.A., NA. (818) 899-3687 (3/12/2400 Baud 8N1) FIDO 1:102/922 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * SATANIC, OCCULT, RITUALISTIC CRIME: A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE NOTE: This article was completed after the killings in Matamoros, Mexico, became know in April, 1989. There is nothing known to the author about this case which changes the opinions and recommendations set forth in this article. By: Kenneth V. Lanning Supervisory Special Agent Behavorial Science Instruction and Research Unit FBI Academy Quantico, Virginia 22135 June 1989 (SUBMITTED FOR PUBLICATION) Introduction The belief that there is a connection between satanism and crime is certainly not new. In fact, one of the oldest theories of crime causation is demonology. Heightened concern about satanic or occult activity has appeared periodically throughout history. Concern in the late 1970s focused primarily on "unexplained" deaths and mutilations of animals, and in recent years has focused on child sexual abuse and the human sacrifice of missing children. In 1999 it will probably focus on the impending "end of the world." Today, satanism and a wide variety of other terms are used interchangeably in reference to certain crimes. This discussion will analyze the nature of "satanic, occult, ritualistic" crime and focus on appropriate LAW ENFORCEMENT responses to it. Recently a flood of law enforcement seminars and conferences have dealt with the occult. These training conferences have various titles, such as "Occult in Crime," "Satanic Cults," "Ritualistic Crime Seminar," "Satanic Influences in Homicide," "Occult Crimes, Satanism and Teen Suicide," and "Ritualistic Abuse of Children." The typical conference runs from one to three days and often includes many of the same presenters and instructors. A wide variety of topics are usually discussed during this training either as individual presentations by different instructors or grouped together by one or more instructors. Typical topics covered include the following: 1. Historical overview of satanism, witchcraft, and paganism from ancient to modern times. 2. Nature and influence of fantasy role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. 3. Lyrics, symbolism, and influence of rock and roll, Heavy Metal, and Black Metal music. 4. Teenage "stoner" gangs, their symbols, and their vandalism. 5. Teenage suicide by adolescents dabbling in the occult. 6. Crimes commmitted by self-styled satanic practitioners to include grave and church desecrations and robberies, animal mutilations, and even murders. 7. Ritualistic abuse of children as part of bizarre ceremonies and human sacrifices. 8. Organized, Traditional, or Multigenerational satanic groups involved in organized conspiracies, such as taking over day care centers, infiltrating police departments, and trafficking in human sacrifice victims. 9. The "Big Conspiracy" theory, which implies that satanists are responsible for such things as Adolph Hitler, World War II, abortion, pornography, Watergate, Irangate, and inflitration of the Department of Justice, the Pentagon and the White House. During the conference, these nine areas are linked together through the liberal use of the word "satanism" and some common symbolism (pentagrams, 666, demons, etc.). The implication often is that all are part of one continuum of behavior, one big problem or some common conspiracy. The information presented is a mixture of fact, theory, opinion, fantasy, and paranoia, and because some of it can be proven or corroborated (desecration of cemeteries, vandalism, etc.), the implication is that it is all true and documented. The distinctions between the different areas are blurred even if occasionally a presenter tries to make them. This is complicated by the fact that almost any discussion of satanism and witchcraft plugs into the religious belief systems of those in the audience. Faith, not logic and reason, controls the religious beliefs of most people. As a result, some normally skeptical law enforcement officers accept the information disseminated at these confereences without critically evaluating it or questioning the sources. Little said at such conferences will change the religious beliefs of the attendees. Such conferences illustrate the ambiquity and wide variety of terms involved in this issue. Deffinitions The words satanic, occult, and ritualistic are often used interchangeably. It is difficult to precisely define Satanism (with a capital S), and no attempt will be made to do so here. However, it is important to realize how the word satanism (with a small s) is used by many poeple. Simply put, for some poeple, satanism is any religious belief system other than their own. The Ayatolla Khomeini referred to the United States as the "Great Satan." In the British Parliament, a Protestant leader called the Pope the anti-Christ. In a book titled 'Prepare For War', the author, Rebecca Brown, M.D., has a chapter entitled "Is Roman Catholicism Witchcraft?" Dr. Brown also lists among the "doorways" to satanic power and/or demon infestation the following: fortune tellers, horroscopes, fraternity oaths, vegetarianism, yoga, self-hypnosis, relaxation tapes, acupuncture, biofeedback, fantasy role-playing games, adultery, homosexuality, pornography, judo, karate, and rock music. Dr. Brown states that the rock music "was a carefully masterminded plan by none other than Satan himself." The ideas expressed in this book may seem extreme and even humorous. This book, however, has been listed as serious recommended reading in law enforcement training material on this topic. In books, lectures, handout material, and conversations, the author has heard all of the following referred to as satanism: Church of Satan Stoner Gangs New Age Ordo Templi Orientis Heavy Metal Music Astrology Temple of Set Rock Music Channeling Demonology KKK Trancendental Meditation Witchcraft Nazis Holistic Medicine Paganism Scientology Buddhism Santeria Unification Chruch Hinduism Voodoo The Way Mormonism Rosicrucians Hare Krishna Islam Freemasonry Rajneesh Orthodox Church Knights Templar Religious Cults Roman Catholicism At law enforcement training conferences, witchcraft, santeria, and paganism are frequently referred to as forms of satanism. It may be a matter of definition, but these three things are *not* forms of traditional Satanism. The worship of lunar goddesses and nature and the practice of fertility rituals is not satanism. Santeria is a combination of 17th century Roman Catholicism and African paganism. The occult simply refers to the action or influence of supernatural powers or some secret knowledge of them, and it is not the same as Satanism nor is it necessarily evil. Many individuals define satanism from a totally Christian perspective, using this word to describe the power of evil in the world. With this definition, any crimes, especially those which are particularly bizarre, repulsive, or cruel, can be viewed as satanic in nature. Yet, it is just as difficult to precisely define satanism as it is to precisely define Christianity or any complex spiritual belief system. What is Ritualistic Crime? The biggest confusion, however, is over the word ritualistic. During law enforcement training conferences on this topic, ritualistic almost always comes to mean satanic or at least spiritual. Ritual can refer to a prescribed religious ceremony, but in its broader meaning refers to any customarily repeated act or series of acts. The need to repeat these acts can be cultural, sexual, or psychological as well as spiritual. Cultural rituals could include such things as what a family eats on Thanksgiving Day or when and how presents are opened at Christmas. The initiation ceremonies of fraternities, sororities, gangs, and other social clubs are other examples of cultural rituals. Since 1972, the author has lectured about sexual ritualism, which is nothing more than repeatedly engaging in an act or series of acts in a certain manner because of *sexual* need. In order to become aroused and/or gratified, a person must engage in the act in a certain way. This sexual ritualism can include such things as the physical characteristics, age, or gender of the victim, the sequence of acts, the bringing or taking of specific objects, and the use of certain words or phrases. This is more than the concept of M.O. (Method of Operation) known to most police officiers. M.O. is something done by an offender because of a need. Deviant acts, such as urinating on, defecating on, or even eviscerating a victim, are far more likely to be the result of sexual ritualism than religious or "satanic" ritualism. From a criminal investigative perspective, two other forms of ritualism must be recognized. The Diagnostic and Staistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R) defines Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as "repetitive, purposeful, and intentional behaviors that are performed in response to an obsession, or according to certain rules or in a stereotyped fashion." Such compulsive behavior frequently involves rituals. Although such behavior usually involves noncriminal activity such as excessive hand washing or checking that doors are locked, in some cases this compulsive ritualism can be part of criminal activity. Ritual can also stem from psychotic hallucinations and delusions. A crime can be committed in a precise manner because a voice told the offender to do it that way or because a divine mission required it. To make this more confusing, cultural, religious, sexual, and psychological ritualism can overlap. Some psychotic people engage in excessive religiosity and hear the voice of God or Satan telling them to do things of a religious nature. Psychopatic offenders who feel little, if any, guilt over their crimes may need little justification for their antisocial behavior. As human beings, however, they may have fears, concerns and anxiety over getting away with their criminal acts. It is difficult to pray to God for success in doing things that are against His Commandments. A negative spiritual belief system may fulfill their human need for assistance from and belief in a greater power. Compulsive ritualism (e.g. excessive cleanlinesss or fear of disease) can be introduced into sexual behavior. Even many "normal" people have a need for order and predictability and therefore may engage in family or work rituals. Under stress or in times of change, this need for order and ritual may increase. Ritualistic crime may fulfill the cultural, spiritual, sexual and psychological needs of an offender. The ritual behavior may also fulfill basic criminal needs to manipulate victims, get rid of rivals, send a message to enemies, and intimidate co- conspirators. The important point for the criminal investigator is to realize that most criminal ritualistic behavior is not motivated simply by satanic or religious ceremonies. At some conferences, presenters have attempted to make a big issue of distinguishing between "ritual," "ritualized," and "ritualistic" abuse of children. These subtle distinctions, however, seem to be of no significant value to the criminal investigator. What is Ritualistic Abuse of Children? It is not an easy question to answer. Most people today use the term to refer to abuse of children that is part of some evil spiritual belief system, which almost by definition must be satanic. Dr. Lawrence Pazder, author of 'Michelle Remembers', defines ritualized abuse of children as "repeated physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual assaults combined with a systematic use of symbols and secret ceremonies designed to turn a child against itself, family, society, and God." He also states that "the sexual assault has ritualistic meaning and is not for sexual gratification." This definition may have value for academics, sociologists, and therapists, but it creates potential problems for law enforcement. Certain acts engaged in with children (kissing, touching, appearing naked, etc.) may be criminal if performed for sexual gratification. If the ritualistic acts were in fact performed for spiritual indoctrination, potential prosecution can be jeopardized. The mutilation of a baby's genitals for sadistic sexual pleasure is a crime. The circumcision of a baby's genitals for religious reasons is most likely NOT a crime. The intent of the acts is important for criminal prosecution. The author has been unable to precisely define ritualistic abuse and prefers not to use the term. It is confusing, misleading, and counterproductive. Certain observations, however, are important for investigative understanding. Not all spiritually motivated ritualistic activity is satanic. Santeria, witchcraft, voodoo, and most religious cults are not satanism. In fact, most spiritually or religiously-based abuse of children has nothing to do with satanism. Most child abuse that could be termed ritualistic by various deffinitions is probably physical and psychological rather than sexual in nature. Not all such ritualistic activity with a child is a crime. Almost all parents with religious beliefs indoctrinate their children into that belief system. Is circumcision for religious reasons child abuse? Does having a child kneel on a hard floor reciting the rosary constitute child abuse? Does having a child chant a satanic prayer or attend a black mass constitute child abuse? Does a religious belief in corporal punishment constitute child abuse? Does group care of children in a commune or cult constitute child abuse? Does the fact that any acts in question were performed with parental permission affect the nature of the crime? Many ritualistic acts, whether satanic or not, are simply not crimes. When a victim describes and investigation corroborates what sounds like ritualistic activity, several possibilities must be considered. The ritualistic activity may be part of the excessive religiosity of a mentally ill, psychotic offender. It may be a misunderstood part of sexual ritualism. The ritualistic activity may be incidental to any real abuse. The offender may be involved in ritualistic activity with a child and also may be abusing a child, but one may have little or nothing to do with the other. The offender may be deliberately engaging in ritualistic activity with a child as part of child abuse. The motivation, however, may be not to indoctrinate the child into a belief system, but to lower the inhibitions of, to control and manipulate, and/or to confuse the child. In all the turmoil over this issue, it would be a very effective strategy for any child molester to deliberately introduce ritualistic elements into his crime to confuse the child and therefore the criminal justice system. The ritualistic activity and the child abuse may be integral parts of some spiritual belief system. In that case, the greatest risk is to the children of the practitioners. But this is true of all cults, not just satanic cults. A high potential of abuse exists for any children raised in a group isolated from the mainstream of society, especially if the group has a charismatic leader whose orders are unquestioned and blindly obeyed by the members. Sex, money, and power are most often the main motivations of the leaders of such cults. What Makes a Crime Satanic, Occult, or Ritualistic? Some would answer that it is the spiritual beliefs of, or the membership in, a cult or "church" by the perpetrator. If that is the criteria, why not label the crimes committed by Protestants, Catholics, and Jews in the same way? Are the atrocities of Jim Jones, in Guyana, Christian crimes? Some would answer that it is the presence of certain symbols in the possession or home of the perpetrator. What does it mean then to find a crucifix, Bible, rosary, etc., in the home or possession of a bank robber, embezzler, child molester, or murderer? If different criminals possess the same symbols, are they necessarily part of one big conspiracy? Others would answer that it is the presence of certain symbols such as pentagrams, inverted crosses, and 666 at the crime scene. What does it mean then to find a cross spray painted on a wall or carved into the body of a victim? What does it mean for a perpetrator to leave a Bible tied to his murder victim? What about the possibility that an offender deliberately left such symbols to make it look like a "satanic" crime? Some would argue that it is the bizarrenenss or cruelness of the crime: body mutilation, amputation, drinking of blood, eating of flesh, use of urine or feces. Does this mean that all individuals involved in lust murder, sadism, angthropophagy, urophilia, and coprophilia are satanists or occult practitioners? What does this say about the bizarre crimes of psychotic killers such as Ed Gein or Richard Trenton Case, both of whom mutilated their victims as part of their psychotic delusions? A few might even answer that it is the fact that the crime was committed on a date with satanic or occult significance (Halloween, May Eve, etc.) or the fact that the perpetrator claims that Satan told him to commit the crime. What does this mean for crimes committed on Thanksgiving or Christmas? What does this say about crimes committed by perpetrators who claim that God or Jesus told them to do it? One note of interest is the fact that in handout and reference material collected by the author, the number of dates with satanic or occult significance ranges from 8 to 110. This is compounded by the fact that it is sometiems stated that satanists can celebrate these holidays on several days on either side of the official date or that the birthday of a practitioner can be a holiday. The exact names and exact dates of the holidays and the meaning of symbols listed may also vary depending on who prepared the material. The handout material is often distributed without indentifying the author or documenting the original source of the information. It is then frequently photocopied by attendees and passed on to other police officers with no one really knowing who says it is valid or from where it came. Most, however, would probably answer that what makes a crime satanic, occult, or ritualistic is the motivation for the crime. It is a crime that is spiritually motivated by a religious belief system. How then do we lable the following true crimes? a. Parents defy a court order and send their children to an unlicensed Christian school. b. Parents refuse to send their children to any school because they are waiting for the second coming of Christ. c. Parents beat their child to death because he or she won't follow their Christian beliefs. d. Parents volate child labor laws because they believe the Bible requires such work. e. Individuals bomb an abortion clinic or kidnap the doctor because their religious belief system says abortion is murder. f. A child molester reads the Bible to his victims in order to justify his sex acts with them. g. Parents refuse life-saving medical treatment for a child because of their religious beliefs. h. Parents starve and beat their child to death because their minister said the child was possessed by demonic spirits. Some people would argue that the Christians who committed the above crimes misunderstood and distorted their religion while satanists who commit crimes are following theirs. But who decides who is misinterpreting a religious belief system? The individuals who committed the above-described crimes believed that they were following their religion as they understood it. Religion was and is used to justify such things as the Crusades, the Inquisition, Apartheid, segregation, violence in Northern Ireland, India, and Lebanon. Who decides exactly what "satanists" believe? In this country, we can't agree on what Christians believe. At many law enforcement conferences 'The Satanic Bible' is used for this, and it is often contrasted or compared with the Christian Bible. 'The Satanic Bible' is, in essence, a 150-page paperback book written by one man in 1969. To compare it to a book written by over 30 authors over a period of thousands of years is ridiculous, even ignoring the possibility of Divine revelation in the Christian Bible. What satanists believe certainly isn't limited to other peoples' interpretation of a few books. More importantly, it is subject to some degree of interpretation by individual believers just as Christianity is. The fact is that far more crime and child abuse has been committed in the name of God, Jesus, and Mohammed than has ever been committed in the name of Satan. Most people don't like that statement, but few can argue with it. Although defining a crime as satanic, occult, or ritualistic would probably involve a combination of the criteria set forth above, the author has been unable to clearly define such a crime. Each potential definition presents a different set of problems when measured against an objective, rational, and constitutional perspective. Each offender in a group may have a different motivation for the crime. The author has discovered that the *facts* of so called "satanic crimes" are often significantly different from what is described at law enforcement training conferences or in the media. The actual involvement of satanism or the occult in these cases usually turns out to be secondary, insignificant, or nonexistent. The Law Enforcement Perspective The perspective with which one looks at satanic, occult, or ritualistic crime is extremely important. Sociologists, therapists, religious leaders, parents, and just plain citizens each have their own valid concerns and views about this issue. This discussion, however, will deal ONLY with the law enforcement perspective. The law enforcement perspective must focus on crime and clearly recognize that just because an activity is "satanic" does not necessarily mean it is a crime or that it is not a legitimate religious practice protected by the First Amendment. Within the personal religious belief system of a law enforcement officer, Christianity may be good and satanism evil. Under the Constitution, however, both are neutral. This is an important, but difficult, concept for many law enforcement officers to accept. They are paid to uphold the Constitution and enforce the penal code, not the Ten Commandments. The apparent increasing numbers of teenagers and some adults dabbling in satanism and the occult may be cause for concern for parents, school officials, and society. What, however, law enforcement can or should do about it is another matter. Police interference with free exercise of constitutional rights potentially creates major problems and conflicts. What is the justification for law enforcement officers giving presentations on satanism and the occult to citizen groups, PTA's or school assemblies? Is it public relations, a safety program, crime prevention? If it is crime prevention, how much crime can be linked to satanic or occult activity? The author is not suggesting that such presentations should never be done but only that law enforcement agencies should carefully consider the legal implications and the justification. Is the fact that satanism or the occult is or can be a negative influence on some people enough justification for such law enforcement intervention? When you combine an emotional issue such as the sexual abuse of children with an even more emotional issue such as people's religious beliefs, it is difficult to maintain objectivity and remember the law enforcement perspective. Some police officers may even feel that all crime is caused by evil, all evil is caused by Satan, and therefore, all crime is satanic crime. This may be a valid religious perspective, but it is of no value in the investigation of crime. Many of the police officers who lecture on satanic or occult crime do not even investigate such cases. Their presentations are more a reflection of their personal religious beliefs than documented investigative information. In the United States, they are entitled to this personal perspective, but introducing themselves as police officers and then speaking as religious advocates causes confusion. As difficult as it might be, police officers must separate the religious and law enforcement perspectives when they are lecturing or investigating in their official capacities as law enforcement officers. Many law enforcement officers begin their presentations by stating that they are not addressing or judging anyone's religious beliefs, and then proceed to do exactly that. Some police officers have resigned rather than curtail or limit their involvement in this issue as ordered by their departments. Maybe such officers deserve credit for recognizing that they could no longer keep the perspectives separate. Law enforcement officers who believe that the investigation of satanic/occult crime puts them in conflict with supernatural forces of evil should probably not be assigned to these cases. If, however, such officers must be or are assigned, they will need the power of their own spiritual belief system in order to deal with the superstition and religious implications of these cases. The religious beliefs of officers should provide spiritual strength and support for them, but not affect the objectivity and professionalism of the investigation. The law enforcement perspective requires avoiding the paranoia that has crept into this issue and into some of the law enforcement training conferences. Paranoia is characterized by the gradual development of an intricate, complex, and elaborate system of thinking based on and often proceeding logically from misinterpretation of an actual event. It typically involves hypervigilance over the perceived threat, the belief that danger is around every corner, and the willingness to take up the challenge and do something about it. Another very important aspect of this paranoia is the belief that those who do not recognize the threat are evil and corrupt. In this extreme view, you are either with them or against them. You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. Concern over satanic crime and ritualistic abuse of children is a very polarizing issue. After one presentation on this topic, a student wrote in a critique that the author was obviously an "agnostic cultist." The term "clean" is sometimes used to refer to law enforcement officers who have not been infiltrated by the satanists. Does the fact that some police officers or military personnel practice satanism or paganism mean that law enforcement and the military have been infiltrated? The word "infiltrated" is only used when talking about an unpopular spiritual belief system. Protestants, Catholics, and Jews don't "infiltrate" the police and military. Overzealousness and exaggeration motivated by the religious fervor of those involved in law enforcement training is more acceptable than that motivated by ego and profit. Some people are deliberately distorting and hyping this issue for personal notoriety and profit. Satanic and occult crime has become a growth industry. Speaking fees, books, video and audio tapes, prevention material, television and radio appearances all bring ego and financial rewards. Law enforcement officers must be objective fact finders. It is not their job to *believe* the children. It is their job to *listen* to the children. THe law enforcement perspective can't ignore the lack of physical evidence (no bodies or even hairs, fibers, or fluids left by violent murders); the difficulty in successfully committing a large-scale conspiracy crime (the more people involved in any crime conspiracy, the harder it is to get away with it); and human nature (intragroup conflicts resulting in individual self-serving disclosures are bound to occur in any group involved in organized kidnapping, baby breeding and human sacrfice). When and if members of a destructive cult commit murders, they are bound to make mistakes, leave evidence, and eventually make admissions in order to brag about their crimes or to reduce their legal liability. Bizarre crime and evil can occur without organized satanic activity. The law enforcement perspective requires that we distinguish between what we know and what we're not sure of. The facts are: a. Some individuals believe in and are involved in satanism and the occult. b. Some of these individuals commit crime. c. Some groups of individuals share this belief and involvement in satanism and the occult. d. Some of these groups commit crime together. The unanswered questions are: a. What is the connection between the belief system and the crimes committed? b. Is there some organized conspiracy of satanic and occult believers responsible for inter-related serious crime (e.g., molestation, murder)? After all the hype and hysteria is put aside, the realization sets in that most satanic/occult activity involves the commission of NO crimes, and that which does, usually involves the commission of relatively minor crimes such as trespassing, vandalism, cruelty to animals, or petty thievery. The law enforcement problems most often linked to satanic or occult activity are: 1. Vandalism 2. Desecration of churches and cemeteries 3. Thefts from churches and cemeteries 4. Teenage gangs 5. Animal mutilations 6. Teenage suicide 7. Child abuse 8. Kidnapping 9. Murder and human sacrifice Valid evidence shows some "connection" between satanism and the occult and the first six problems set forth above. The "connection" to the last three problems is far more uncertain. Even in those areas where there seems to be a "connection," the nature of the connection needs to be explored. The author's experience indicates that involvement in satanism and the occult is a justification for crime, not a motivation for crime. A teenager's excessive involvement in satanism and the occult is usually a symptom of a problem and not the cause of a problem. Blaming satanism for a teenager's vandalism, theft, suicide, or even act of murder is oversimplifying a complex problem. The law enforcement investigator must objectively evaluate the legal significance of any criminal's spiritual belief system. In most cases, including those involving satanists, it will have little or no legal significance. If a crime is committed as part of a spiritual belief system, it should make no difference which belief system it is. The crime is the same whether a child is abused or murdered as part of a Christian, Hare Krishna, Moslem, or any other belief system. We generally don't label crimes with the name of the perpetrator's religion. Why then are the crimes of child molesters, rapists, sadists, and murderers who happen to be involved in satanism and the occult labeled as satanic or occult crimes? If criminals use a spiritual belief system to rationalize and justify or to facilitate and enhance their criminal activity, should the focus of law enforcement be on the belief system or on the criminal activity? Several documented murders have been committed by individuals involved in one way or another in satanism or in the occult. In some of these murders, the perpetrator has even introduced elements of the occult (e.g., satanic symbols at crime scene). Does that automatically make these satanic murders? It is the author's opinion that the answer is no. Ritualistic murders committed by serial killers or sexual sadists are not necessarily satanic or occult murders. Ritualistic murders committed by psychotic killers who hear the voice of satan are no more satanic murders than murders committed by psychotic killers who hear the voice of Jesus are Christian murders. Rather, a satanic murder can be defined as one committed by two or more individuals who rationally plan the crime and whose PRIMARY motivation is to fulfill a prescribed satanic ritual calling for the murder. By this definition, the author has been unable to identify even one documented satanic murder in the United States. Although such murders may have and can occur, they appear to be few in number. In addition, the commission of such killings would probably be the beginning of the end for such a group. It is highly unlikely that they could continue to kill several people, every year, year after year, and not be discovered. A brief typology of satanic and occult practitioners is helpful in evaluating criminal actvity. The following typology is adapted from the investigative experience of Officer Sandi Gallant of the San Francisco Police Department, who began to study the criminal aspects of occult activity long before it became popular. No typology is perfect, but the author uses this typology because it is simple and offers investigative insights. The typology divides satanic practitioners into three categories. Practitioners in any of these three categories can participate in satanic/occult activity alone or in groups. 1. Youth Subculture -- Most teenagers invovled in fantasy role-playing games, heavy metal music, or satanism and the occult are going through a stage of adolescent development and commit no significant crimes. The teenagers who have more serious problems are usually those from dysfunctional families or those who have poor communication within their families. These troubled teenagers turn to satanism and the occult to overcome a sense of alienation, to obtain power and/or to justify their antisocial behavior. For these teenagers, it is the symbolism, not the spirituality, that is important. It is either the psychopathic or the oddball, loner teenager who is the most likely to get into serious trouble. Extreme involvement in the occult is a symptom of a problem, not the cause. This is not to say, however, that satanism and the occult isn't a strong negative catalyst for a troubled teenager. Probably the worst thing, however, that society could do about this problem is to hysterically warn teenagers to avoid this "mysterious, powerful and dangerous" thing called satanism. This approach will drive many teenagers right to it. Some rebellious teenagers will do whatever will most shock and outrage society in order to flaunt their rejection of society. 2. Dabblers (Self-styled) - For these practitioners, there is little or no spiritual motivation. They mix satanism, witchcraft and paganism. Symbols mean whatever they want them to mean. Molesters, rapists, drug dealers and murders may dabble in the occult and may commit their crimes in a ceremonial or ritualistic way. This category has the potential to be the most dangerous, and most of the "satanic" killers fall into this category. Again, this extreme involvmement in satanism and the occult is a symptom of a problem and a rationalization and justification of antisocial behavior. Satanic/occult practices (as well as those of other spiritual belief systems) can be used as a mechanism to facilitate criminal objectives. 3. Traditional (Orthodox, Multigenerational) - These are the true believers. They are usually very careful of outsiders. Because of constitutional issues, such groups are difficult for law enforcement to penetrate. Although there is much we don't know about these groups, as of now there is little or no hard evidence that they are involved in serious, organized criminal activity. In addition, instead of being self-perpetuating master crime conspirators, true believers probably have a similar problem with their teenagers rebelling against their belief system. Many police officers ask what to look for during the search of the scene of suspected satanic activity. The answer is simple: look for evidence of a crime. A pentagram is no more criminally significant than a crucifix unless it corroborates a crime or a criminal conspiracy. If a victim's description of the location or the instruments of the crime includes a pentagram, then the pentagram would be evidence. But the same would be true if the description included a crucifix. In spite of what is sometimes said or suggested at law enforcement training conferences, police have no authoritiy to seize any satanic or occult paraphernailia they might see during a search. A legally valid reason must exist for doing so. It is not the job of law enforcement to prevent satanists from engaging in noncriminal beliefs or rituals. Conclusions There must be a middle ground in this issue. Concern about satanic or occult activity should not be a big joke limited to religious fanatics. On the other hand, law enforcement is not now locked in a life-and-death struggle against the supernatural forces of ancient evil. Law enforcement officers need to know something about satanism and the occult in order to properly evaluate their possible connections to the motivations for criminal activity. They must know when and how beliefs, symbols, and paraphernalia can be used to corroborate criminal activity. From a community relations perspective, they must also learn to respect spiritual beliefs that may be different or unpopular but that are not illegal. The focus must be on the objective investigation of violations of criminal statutes. Until hard evidence is obtained and corroborated, the American people should not be frightened into believing that babies are being bred and eaten, that 50,000 missing children are being murdered in human sacrifices, or that satanists are taking over America's day care centers. No one can prove with absolute certainty that such activity has NOT occurred. The burden of proof, however, as it would be in a criminal prosecution, is on those who claim that it has occurred. As law enforcement agencies evaluate and decide what they can or should do about satanic and occult activity in their communities, they might want to also consider how to deal with the hype and hysteria of the "anti- satanists." The overreaction to the problem can clearly be worse than the problem. In general, the law enforcement perspective can best be maintained by investigators repeatedly asking themselves what they would do if the acts in question were part of Protestant, Catholic or Jewish activity. If a law enforcement agency wants to evaluate the group spiritual framework within which a crime is committed, it is more appropriate, accurate, and objective to refer to such crimes as cult crimes rather than as satanic, occult, or ritualistic crimes. The "Sects, Cults and Deviant Movements" seminar put on by The Institute of Police Technology and Management at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, is a good example of this more objective, broad-based approach. Satanic cults have no more law enforcement significance than many other potentially destructive cults that exist in this country.