Contextual Autonomy Support in Video Game Play: A Grounded Theory
1 like1,440 views
This document discusses how contextual factors can affect a player's experience of autonomy when playing video games. It presents a theory that autonomy is highest when gameplay is motivated intrinsically, the player has license to freely configure and leave the gameplay situation, consequences are minimized, and the temporal and spatial context is free from demands and distractions. Work contexts tend to be less autonomy-supportive due to lack of choice, high consequence of failure, and low intrinsic interest. The document suggests further research on how context affects other motivational factors and enjoyment, and how to design contexts like serious games and gamification to better support autonomy.
![»Apart from Counterstrike I would never play any game when I
don’t want to. [...] When Diablo 3 comes out, I will really want to
play it, so I will play it very much. But if I don’t want to play it […]
then I will not play it«
»At the office, [...] I have to focus on the game analytically, and
not say, I let myself go and play the whole day, and at the end no
results. That would be inappropriate.«
#2
leisure play: license to reconfigure & leave situation](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/presentation160510contextualautonomysupport-160511185523/85/Contextual-Autonomy-Support-in-Video-Game-Play-A-Grounded-Theory-22-320.jpg)
![Interviewer: »So that’s the usual process, that you, that you pick a day, and then on that day
start in the afternoon and stop in the evening?
Interviewee: »If it is that way and I can focus on the afternoon, then I also plan it like that,
such that I have finished everything until then, until that point, that could make me go to the
door or interrupt the game.«
»in my private rooms, then I can show any emotion, because there would be nothing
inappropriate in doing so, because I wouldn’t offend anyone with it«
[With a Nintendo DS] I am then mostly in a public surrounding, loud screaming or throwing
that thing in the corner are not an option. Although you would really want to do it, you have to
restrain yourself a bit there and, let’s put it this way, appear a bit more suited for public.«
leisure play: accomplishment of a relaxed field
#3](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/presentation160510contextualautonomysupport-160511185523/85/Contextual-Autonomy-Support-in-Video-Game-Play-A-Grounded-Theory-24-320.jpg)
![»[When money is involved] there's the pressure that you have to win. Of
course, everybody who plays wants to win somehow. […] Bu::t when it's
about money, that's a real thing, and that you have to work hard for. That
wouldn't have a playful character for me then.«
»when you fail and know: <<I can’t write the review tomorrow>>, because
you actually haven’t reached these and these things, [...] the consequence
then means for instance, that you have to get up in the morning two hours
early to start the game again. And that can be incredibly infuriating.«
leisure play: minimised socio-material consequence
#4](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/presentation160510contextualautonomysupport-160511185523/85/Contextual-Autonomy-Support-in-Video-Game-Play-A-Grounded-Theory-26-320.jpg)
![»Especially with WoW you somehow had [...] a social coercion behind it. Because
as I said, this reputation and then also the social contexts that you maintained
through it. Or found there. [...Y]ou don’t feel like training in the evening, or
something, and you still go there. Because you feel socially obliged somehow.«
»[When playing with friends not alone] the considerateness for the friends
dominates, for the people with whom I’m sitting there. So then it’s less the case,
that I focus on the game and say: <<I am now, now I am free and can determine
this.>> Instead it’s also more about me being the host, and being a guest of
somebody and still take regard of that.«
regard for others can make leisure play controlling
#5](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/presentation160510contextualautonomysupport-160511185523/85/Contextual-Autonomy-Support-in-Video-Game-Play-A-Grounded-Theory-27-320.jpg)
Contextual Autonomy Support in Video Game Play: A Grounded Theory
- 1. contextual autonomy support in video game playa grounded theory Sebastian Deterding / @dingstweets Digital Creativity Labs, University of York May 11, 2016 c b
- 3. autonomy experience is part of game enjoyment Deen 2015, Przybylski et al. 2012, Rigby & Ryan 2011, Sheldon & Filak 2008
- 4. game design supports autonomy experience • Meaningful choice in goals, strategies, actions • Customisation • Open explorable worlds • Ability to create and inhabit “ideal self” Deen 2015, Przybylski et al. 2012, Rigby & Ryan 2011, Sheldon & Filak 2008, Turkay 2013, Weinstein et al. 2009
- 7. Johan huizinga »First and foremost, all play is a voluntary activity.« homo ludens (1938/1950: 7)
- 8. serious games in school contexts?
- 9. gamification in work contexts?
- 10. Lopez 2011, cf. Heeter et al. 2011, Mollick & Rothbard 2013 first evidence that contexts matters: but how?
- 11. Research Question how does the situational context of video game play affect autonomy experiences?
- 12. <2> theory
- 13. Edward Deci, Richard Ryan »To be autonomous means to behave with a sense of volition, willingness, and congruence; it means to fully endorse and concur with the behavior one is engaged in.« motivation, personality, and development (2012: 85)
- 14. autonomy in self-determination theory • Action is energised and directed by three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, relatedness • All motives range from controlled to autonomous • We are energised by multiple motives at once; sum determines overall autonomy experience -> autonomy need satisfaction Ryan & Deci 2002, Deci & Ryan 2012
- 15. spectrum of motives Deci & Ryan 2012 Perceivedexternal locusofcausality Perceivedinternal locusofcausality External extrinsic introjected extrinsic internalised extrinsic integrated extrinsic intrinsic overall controlled: sense of “having to”, pressure, coercion overall autonomous: sense of “wanting to”, ease, enjoyment
- 16. <3> method
- 17. method • Semi-structured episodic interviews, 90-120 min. length • 19 interviewees gaming in leisurely and presumed-low autonomy contexts: game journalism, design, research, e-sports • Interviewees invited to narrate experiences of high/low autonomy, voluntariness, choice, consequence; then compare contexts and situations • Coding and analysis of transcribed interviews with MAXQDA following grounded theory Corbin & Strauss 2008, Flick 2008
- 18. <4> findings
- 19. mark twain »If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.« the adventures of tom sawyer (1876) #1
- 20. »It’s still a game as such, and defined as such, but I would not say that *I* play it at that moment.« »sometimes you just have to play, you have to get further, no matter whether you want to or not. And then, then that is, then playing is indeed work.« autonomy not context drives work/play labelling #1
- 21. #2 leisure play: license to reconfigure & leave situation
- 22. »Apart from Counterstrike I would never play any game when I don’t want to. [...] When Diablo 3 comes out, I will really want to play it, so I will play it very much. But if I don’t want to play it […] then I will not play it« »At the office, [...] I have to focus on the game analytically, and not say, I let myself go and play the whole day, and at the end no results. That would be inappropriate.« #2 leisure play: license to reconfigure & leave situation
- 23. #3 leisure play: accomplishment of a relaxed field
- 24. Interviewer: »So that’s the usual process, that you, that you pick a day, and then on that day start in the afternoon and stop in the evening? Interviewee: »If it is that way and I can focus on the afternoon, then I also plan it like that, such that I have finished everything until then, until that point, that could make me go to the door or interrupt the game.« »in my private rooms, then I can show any emotion, because there would be nothing inappropriate in doing so, because I wouldn’t offend anyone with it« [With a Nintendo DS] I am then mostly in a public surrounding, loud screaming or throwing that thing in the corner are not an option. Although you would really want to do it, you have to restrain yourself a bit there and, let’s put it this way, appear a bit more suited for public.« leisure play: accomplishment of a relaxed field #3
- 25. #4 leisure play: minimised socio-material consequence
- 26. »[When money is involved] there's the pressure that you have to win. Of course, everybody who plays wants to win somehow. […] Bu::t when it's about money, that's a real thing, and that you have to work hard for. That wouldn't have a playful character for me then.« »when you fail and know: <<I can’t write the review tomorrow>>, because you actually haven’t reached these and these things, [...] the consequence then means for instance, that you have to get up in the morning two hours early to start the game again. And that can be incredibly infuriating.« leisure play: minimised socio-material consequence #4
- 27. »Especially with WoW you somehow had [...] a social coercion behind it. Because as I said, this reputation and then also the social contexts that you maintained through it. Or found there. [...Y]ou don’t feel like training in the evening, or something, and you still go there. Because you feel socially obliged somehow.« »[When playing with friends not alone] the considerateness for the friends dominates, for the people with whom I’m sitting there. So then it’s less the case, that I focus on the game and say: <<I am now, now I am free and can determine this.>> Instead it’s also more about me being the host, and being a guest of somebody and still take regard of that.« regard for others can make leisure play controlling #5
- 28. private solitary play is highly autonomous play #5a
- 29. autonomy construal as a meta-process Play becomes controlled when provided choices mismatch spontaneous interests and perceived-controlling motives keep players from changing or leaving the situation #6
- 30. »In::: 95 percent of the cases no. It's still a hobby. You- it's still a passion. You enjoy playing it, also because something like:: a professional level comes in, money and you get around and you get to know new people. That's nice, no question. And those remaining five percent, those are the percentages where you say: <<Hm, not training again from seven to ten pm? Now I could have gone to the movies with my girlfriend.>> For example. Where you would say: <<I so would have wanted to go with her to the movies. Damn, damn, damn. Why do I have to train now?>>« #6 autonomy construal as a meta-process
- 31. Intrinsically motivated gameplay License to (dis)engage & configure situation Minimized social and material consequence Salient autonomous motives Salient controlled motives + + + – – Construal of action as autonomous + – Temporal field cleared from outer demands Spatial field shielded from public observers + Self-regulation of attention & emotion display Autonomy need satisfaction + +– Spatial field cleared from distraction – + – more in the paper ;-)
- 33. ramifications Context affects autonomy through license to configure and leave situation, spatiotemporal relaxed field, minimised consequence ‣ How does context affect other motives and aspects of enjoyment? ‣ Hard to observe this in lab studies: What are ecologically sensitive methods for discovery and validation? ‣ How can we design autonomy-supporting contexts within controlled environment, e.g. games in school, gamification at work?
- 34. conclusions & ramifications Leisure play can be controlling, play as work autonomous; autonomy experience drives play/work labelling ‣ Playbour, goldfarming: Explanatory process not essentialist work/play distinction ‣ The more is always not the merrier Work contexts thwart autonomy through lack of configuration choice, high consequence, low intrinsic interest ‣ Gamification, serious games don’t (just) thwart autonomy through extrinsic rewards undermining intrinsic motivation ‣ To control, rewards should be tied to perceived-controlling consequence