Narrative Play: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Games for the Cognitive and Emotional Development of Diverse Populations
| dc.contributor.author | Mori, Fox | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-02-27T23:52:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-02-27T23:52:00Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-02-05 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In this thematic literature review the author explores how tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) can be a suitable tool for improving the social and emotional skills of various populations of clients. The utilisation of TRPGs reduces the symptoms of social anxiety, improves social connectedness, and enhances emotional resilience. The research on whether virtual or in person TRPG sessions are more effective is mixed, because the researchers conducted their studies during the Covid 19 pandemic; thus, the results vary depending on the circumstances. Grounded in Yalom's (1970) group therapy framework and Bandura and Walters’s (1963) social cognitive theory, this capstone highlights that TRPGs can improve interpersonal skills, motivation, and engagement from adolescence to older adulthood. The findings suggest that TRPGs create a structured yet flexible atmosphere in which the participants feel safe, accepted, and comfortable with taking risks in a low-stakes environment to practise social interactions, develop problem-solving abilities, and engage in the co creation of narratives. Additionally, current research has suggested that TRPGs can increase intrinsic motivation and might be a suitable alternative for individuals who do not engage in traditional forms of therapy. However, the literature also reflected potential limitations, including safety concerns, the necessity of skilled facilitation, and ethical considerations with regard to fantasy-reality distinctions. The implications for practice include the need to develop a structured, regulated facilitation training, which did not exist at the time of this research. Future researchers should explore the longitudinal impacts and standardisation models to strengthen the empirical basis for therapeutically applied role-playing games (TA RPGs). | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11803/2802 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher.institution | City University of Seattle (CityU) | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States | |
| dc.rights | openAccess | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ | |
| dc.subject | therapeutically applied tabletop role-playing games (TA-TRPGs) | |
| dc.subject | tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) | |
| dc.subject | Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) | |
| dc.subject | social anxiety | |
| dc.subject | autism spectrum disorder (ASD) | |
| dc.title | Narrative Play: Using Tabletop Role-Playing Games for the Cognitive and Emotional Development of Diverse Populations | |
| dc.type | Capstone | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Counselling | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | City University of Seattle (CityU) | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Counselling |
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