Utilizing Psychophysiological Measures in Role-playing Studies
Keywords:
role-playing games, game studies, wargames, tabletop role-playing games, TTRPGs, live action role-playing, edu-larp, psychophysiological, methods, player engagementAbstract
Role-playing studies encompass diverse and dynamic experiences, from tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) and wargames, to live-action role play (larp). These activities offer rich opportunities for examining interpersonal interactions, emotional engagement, and creative problem-solving. Employing psychophysiological measures—such as eye-tracking, galvanic skin response (GSR), heart rate, and facial and vocal emotion analysis—provides a means to quantify these phenomena. The considerations for incorporating psychophysiological methods into role-playing studies are outlined here, including an overview of the methods, their relevance to role-playing studies, and considerations for their implementation. Additionally, this paper details the importance, utility, and potential insights these measures bring, as well as challenges and limitations.
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