Board Gaming Research Articles

Game Changer: Exploring the Role of Board Games in the Lives of Autistic People.

This mixed methods paper reports findings from three studies examining the overlap between autism and hobbyist board gaming. The first was a quantitative survey of over 1600 board gamers, showing that autistic individuals are overrepresented in this hobby compared to the general population and that autistic traits measured by the AQ are significantly elevated amongst board gamers. Study 1 also assessed gamers' motivations and preferences and reported key differences as well as similarities between autistic and non-autistic gamers. The second was a qualitative study that reported the results of 13 interviews with autistic individuals who are hobbyist board gamers. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), four key themes were uncovered, including a preference for systemising, escapism and passions, the social lubrication effect of games and difficulties with deception. In the third, 28 autistic individuals were introduced to board games in groups of 5-10 over an afternoon. Subsequent focus groups were then analysed using IPA. This analysis uncovered themes around how board games are challenging but encouraged growth and how they were an alternative vehicle for forging social relationships. Through this paper, we discuss how and why board games may be a popular hobby amongst the autistic population, and its potential utility for improving autistic wellbeing.

Informal adult learning and training sessions: playing modern board games in the digital age

ABSTRACT Board gaming is a popular activity, growing despite all the pressures of digitalization. People are gathering to play socially. Besides this ludic movement, modern board games can be used directly or adapted to achieve other goals beyond entertainment, approaching serious game methods as a modding exercise. This paper describes a process where a facilitator selected a sequence of modern board games (mostly party games) and played them with the employees of an enterprise (design and marketing) during an informal meeting. The games were played in a restaurant, in an environment, testing whether participants could recognize learning and training utility. The game facilitator observed the game dynamics and collected participants’ comments during gameplay and debriefing. Participants recognized the activity as a pleasant learning and training informal session. The author argues that these informal playable learning spaces can be beneficial for institutions that wish to foster them because participants would train, learn, and strengthen social bonds.

Finding the fun: Towards a playful archaeology

AbstractGames and other forms of play are core human activities, as vitally constitutive of cultural and social practices in the past as they are today. Consequently, play, games and fun should be central in archaeological theory, but our review shows they are anything but. Instead, very few studies deal with these concepts at all, and most of those that do focus on how the affordances play offers link it to ritual, power or other ‘more serious’ phenomena. Here, we offer an explanation as to why play has taken such a backseat in archaeological thought and practice, relating it to the ambivalent aesthetics of having fun with the past in our own discipline. Building on our own playful practices and those of other scholars in the ancient board gaming and archaeogaming communities, we propose a move towards a more playful archaeology, which can provide us with a new window into the past as well as into our own professional practices.

Geek girl today, scientist tomorrow? Inclusive experiences and efficacy mediate the link between women's engagement in popular geek culture and STEM career interest

ABSTRACT Evidence suggests that participating in geek pop culture (e.g. fandoms, digital gaming, live action role playing, board gaming, etc.) can enhance women's interest in STEM by increasing their STEM-related efficacy. This study proposed that this effect hinges on the type of social experiences that women have in geek culture. Inclusive experiences were expected to enhance STEM-related efficacy, while experiences of hostile sexism in these spaces were expected to diminish STEM-related efficacy. An online survey of both U.S. MTurk users (N = 77) and undergraduate students (N = 172) under the age of 30 demonstrated that inclusive experiences and STEM-related efficacy does serially mediate the effect of geek culture engagement on interest in STEM careers. A second model examining the indirect effect of geek engagement on STEM career interest through hostile sexism and STEM-efficacy was not significant. These findings underscore the broader implications of creating a welcoming environment for women in geek culture. They also suggest that women who experience hostile sexism in geek culture and continue to participate might have a general tolerance of toxic geek masculinity.

Accuracy and Precision of Reaction Time Measurements for Psychological Research Time and Timing Measurement Tests across Typical Key Board Gaming Devices Response Pad and Recent VR Devices

Accuracy and Precision of Reaction Time Measurements for Psychological Research Time and Timing Measurement Tests across Typical Key Board Gaming Devices Response Pad and Recent VR Devices

Pilot Project Exploring Low-tech Collaborative Board Gaming on Student Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Education

Objectives: The intent of this project was to explore the impact of a small, collaborative gaming experience among undergraduate students on student attitudes and beliefs about Interprofessional Education (IPE). Methods: Health sciences librarians at two state universities used a low-tech, collaborative board game to facilitate small, in-person group gaming. The authors used an adapted version of the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS), a validated instrument that measures the four domains of the 2011 IPEC Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice, as a pre/post assessment of the impact of the gaming experience. Results: While anecdotal evidence indicated that playing a collaborative board game had an impact on the participating students, there was no statistically based evidence that collaborative board games increases positive or negative attitudes about IPE and interprofessional collaborative practice. Conclusions: More student participation is required for statistical significance, recruiting students and ensuring that students have enough time to complete the game play is key to future possible success.

Why so Serious? An Extraordinary Cone Shell Group from Mycenae and the Problem of Identifying Mycenaean Board Gaming Material

Abstract In 1974 in Room Θ3 of House Θ in the Southwest Quarter of the Mycenae citadel, an extraordinary find came to light: 545 conus mediterraneus ventricosus shells were found together with 12 small objects in a crevice of the bedrock. 353 cones were intentionally pierced and ground, and 9 of them were filled with lead. This assemblage includes the largest collection of cone shells known from the Late Bronze Age Aegean, and it is now possible to attempt an interpretation of its use, after the publication of the Southwest Quarter excavation. The find is examined in detail, in comparison to other large cone shell groups from Mycenaean contexts. The facts suggest that the Θ3 assemblage artefacts could have been markers for a kind of game, for which games of strategy, skill and chance known in the Eastern Mediterranean, are suggested as possible candidates. Under this hypothesis, context finds from the Room Θ3 deposit are also examined. This study highlights the difficulty in identifying the material remains of board games, as well as the need to include the game – being a basic human activity- in the potential interpretations of archaeological records from the Mycenaean period.

Association Between Adolescent Internet Gaming and Adult Problematic Web-Based Board Gaming.

Introduction: The results of studies comparing the characteristics of Internet gaming with those of Internet gambling have been controversial. We hypothesized that problematic web-based board gaming behaviors are associated with psychological and social interaction factors. We also hypothesized that non-problematic adolescent Internet gaming is a protective factor against problematic web-based board gaming and that problematic Internet gaming is a predictive factor for problematic web-based board gaming.Methods: We recruited 104 adults who reported engaging in web-based gaming. All participants were asked to complete the Problematic Web Board Gameplay Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale (K-AADHD), Family Environmental Scale (FES), Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SADS), and questionnaires on their web-based board gaming patterns and Internet gaming history.Results: Problematic web-based board gamers showed a lower history of adolescent Internet gaming but a greater rate of problematic Internet gaming compared with healthy web-based board gamers. Moreover, problematic web-based board gamers showed an increase in CES-D, STAI, K-AADHD, and SADS scores but decreased FES scores compared with healthy web-based board gamers. Joblessness; less experience as an Internet gamer; a history of problematic Internet gaming; higher CES-D, STAI, and K-AADHD scores; and lower FES scores were significant predictors of problematic web-based board gaming.Discussion: Psychological, social, and environmental factors can positively influence problematic Web-based board gaming. Healthy Internet gaming during adolescence may play a preventive role in adult problematic web-based board gaming. However, because adolescent problematic Internet gaming tends to lead to problematic web-based board gaming, measures should be taken to prevent it.

Do Gaming Simulations Substantiate That We Know More Than We Can Tell?

Background. Revealing tacit knowledge often is seen as very valuable for organizations, although it is usually challenging to enunciate and share this type of knowledge. Methods. This study uses a participatory design and the application of a board gaming simulation as instruments to extract tacit knowledge. To illustrate this application, the gaming simulation is played with entrepreneurs from horticulture. Horticulture represents a complex social system where tacit knowledge plays a major role in the trade process. A participatory design process is used to explore whether the design and play of gaming simulations enable participants to explicate their tacit knowledge. Participants’ participation in designing the gaming simulation explicated that reconstructing reality was a prerequisite for their commitment. Results. The results from playing simulation sessions show that participants were able to: (1) narrow down the anecdotic behaviour to a few factors; (2) to structure these factors; (3) explore how these factors relate to trade barriers and (4) to explain which tactics are applied to foster trade. Conclusion. The educational value of this study is that it helped entrepreneurs in understanding complex real-life situations.

Designing advertisement board game and examining factors correlated with board gaming behaviors

Advertising is a form of mass education for people to learn that something exists in a market. In this post-information era, from consumer products to consumer services, every company in various businesses such as airlines, the marketplace, even education have used various advertising media to raise public awareness of the brand. It can be concluded that to raise awareness of a product or public services, advertising is one of the essential parts as well as in the field of education. The study has a purpose to design a board game advertising a program in a university. The board game has the element of advertisement concealed, making the students able to enjoy searching for information about the university and increasing their will to learn about the university. This study results in a board game prototype “Flow Into The System” game tested towards 29 high school students and 9 college students in the age range of 19 to 23. The questionnaires from 38 respondents have been analyzed using SPSS statistical analysis. The finding of analysis proves that the game can make the respondents want to play it again and again because the game is fun to play, making their bonds stronger, and being perceived as useful.

Development and Verification of a Web Board Game Scale.

ObjectiveOur previous study suggested that monitoring online board gamers may be an efficient approach to curb illegal gambling. We aimed to invent and validate a behavioral scale for assessing the risk of problematic web-based board gaming. MethodsThe sample included 300 Korean adults, representing a response rate of 3.1%. All participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires, which included questions on demographic variables, patterns of online board gaming, and the web-based board game scale score. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine whether the items on the new behavioral scale would indicate a risk of pathologic web-based board gaming behavior. ResultsThe internal consistency of the 17-item scale was high (Cronbach’s α=0.89). The test-retest reliability of the 17-item scale in a randomly selected sample of 100 participants in 2 weeks was r=0.77 (p<0.001). The criterion-related validity based on a comparison of the total behavioral scale scores between the high-risk group and low-risk group was relatively high. The data obtained from the 300 participants were acceptable for a factor analysis. After removing 7 items from the 17-item scale, internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) of the 10-item scale increased to 0.936. ConclusionThese results showed that the 10-item version of the scale appeared to be more valid than the 17-item version. We suggest that the 10-item web-based board game behavioral scale is a useful tool for assessing the risk of pathologic web-based board gaming.

The National Labor Relations Board and Indian Gaming

Whether the NLRB has jurisdiction over businesses owned and operated by Indian tribes is a contested issue on which federal courts of appeals disagree. Indeed, there seems to be a lack of clarity across the board on whether federal regulatory statutes of general application presumptively govern Indian tribes in their sovereign capacity. Yet the U.S. Supreme Court has thus far allowed this uncertainty to persist unabated; in fact, just last summer, the Court denied certiorari in a case that squarely presented an opportunity for the justices to settle the issue of NLRB jurisdiction over tribal enterprises. Needless to say, the question is an extremely close one; all told, however, I side with those who find that the NLRB lacks authority over labor relations at these businesses. Here, I explain my basis for so concluding. This Paper draws in part on prior analysis by jurists and commentators, contributing thereto some additional support and observations; and, in addition, presents some novel lines of argument and thus-far overlooked historical evidence.

From treetops to tabletops: a preliminary investigation of how plants are represented in popular modern board games

Societal Impact StatementPlants have been elements in games throughout history. In an era where “digital pushback” is becoming more common, the impressions that representations of plants in board games have on an audience is not to be overlooked. By acknowledging the importance, beauty and history of the botanic world and its considerable impact on the daily lives of human beings connected to it, modern board games may offer an entertainment route towards awareness as well as an educational resource to challenge plant blindness. Summary Plant blindness is the inability to appreciate plants in one's own environment, in the biosphere as a whole and their relationship to human affairs. Here, we discuss a community of interests in which we suggest that an appreciation of plants is vital for success: namely the world of modern board gaming. We present a classification system for the presentation of plants in the 500 most popular modern board games, where games are categorised based on their complexity, and representation and portrayal of plants. This initial mapping exercise defines a potential scope for the future analysis of how modern board games may offer a novel and interactive entertainment mechanism to challenge plant blindness and a framework for future analysis work in this area.

The Effect of Social Dilemma on Flow Experience: Prosociality Relevant to Collective Efficacy and Goal Achievement Motivation

According to social dilemma theory, students may be characterized as being indifferent to reciprocal behavior and disengaged from interacting with the board gaming process. Given a common goal, students’ prosociality can affect the collective efficacy and goal achievement motivation that reflects their flow experience in a cooperative-competitive computer-based digital board game, called Strike-Up. The players were randomly provided with five numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division signs, and parentheses, and needed to complete the arithmetic calculation to find the best approaches to achieve the goal of reaching the end of the game. In addition to the cognitive strategies, the game allowed players to help each other to win. To explore the correlation, 240 students were randomly grouped into three-player teams to play Strike-Up against other teams. Data of 180 players were effectively returned and subjected to confirmatory analysis with structural equation modeling. The results revealed that prosociality can positively predict players’ flow experience mediated positively by collective efficacy and performance-approach goal motivation. The results also implied that the higher level of prosociality students had, the higher level of flow state they experienced in the game which involved a social dilemma.

Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment During Active Video Gaming Using an Adapted Wii Fit Balance Board in Adults with Physical Disabilities: Observational Study.

BackgroundIndividuals with physical disabilities have fewer opportunities to participate in enjoyable physical activity. One option for increasing physical activity is playing active video games (AVGs); however, many AVGs are inaccessible or offer limited play options.ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine energy expenditure and enjoyment in adults with mobility impairment during AVG play using off-the-shelf (OTS) and adapted versions of the Wii Fit balance board (Nintendo).MethodsDuring visit 1, participants completed a functional assessment and the familiarization period. During visit 2, metabolic data were collected during a 20-minute baseline and four 10-minute bouts of Wii Fit Plus game play, with two bouts on each of the boards. During the resting period, participants completed the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). Statistical analyses were computed using SPSS software. Data were analyzed separately for individuals who were able to play while standing on both boards (StdStd); those who could not play while standing on the OTS board, but were able to play while standing on the adapted board (aStd); and those who could only play while sitting on the adapted board (aSit).ResultsData were collected for 58 participants (StdStd, n=17; aStd, n=10; aSit, n=31). The sample included 31 men and 27 women with a mean age of 41.21 (SD 12.70) years. Energy expenditure (metabolic equivalent [MET]) during game play was significantly greater than that during rest for all players. Only 17 participants (StdStd group) were able to play using the OTS board. During game play on the adapted board, the average MET values for the two game sets were 2.261 (SD 0.718) kcal/kg/hour and 2.233 (SD 0.751) kcal/kg/hour for the aSit group, 3.151 (SD 1.034) and 2.990 (SD 1.121) for the aStd group, and 2.732 (SD 0.655) and 2.777 (SD 0.803) for the StdStd group. For game play on the adapted board, self-reported ratings of perceived exertion on a 0-10 scale suggested greater exercise intensity levels, with median scores ranging from moderate (3) to very hard (7). The PACES scores indicated that all players enjoyed using the adapted board, with a median score of 4 on a 5-point scale.ConclusionsThe adapted Wii Fit balance board provided an opportunity for individuals with mobility impairments, including wheelchair users, to engage in AVG. All participants were able to utilize the adapted controller and enjoyed the AVG activity. Although the average MET values achieved during AVG represented light-intensity exercise (<3 METs), 16% of sitting participants and 41% of standing participants achieved moderate-intensity exercise (3-6 METs) in at least one of the games. Factors not accounted for, which may have influenced the intensity of exercise, include game selection, limited familiarization period, and discomfort wearing the COSMED portable metabolic system for measurement of oxygen consumption. Accessible AVG controllers offer an innovative approach to overcome various barriers to participation in physical activity. The next steps include assessment of an AVG intervention using an adapted board gaming controller on health and fitness outcomes.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02994199; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02994199 (Archived by Webcite at http://www.webcitation.org/75fc0mN39).

Comparing the Behavioral Patterns and Psychological Characteristics of Web Board Gamers and Gamblers.

ObjectiveIn Korea, online board games, such as “flower cards,” are played using virtual money. In contrast, Internet-based gambling (ibGambling) concerns the use of real money to gamble online. We hypothesized that online board gamers using virtual money show less risky behaviors than do gamblers who use real money, and that, in regard to psychological aspects, online board gamers are less depressed and more introverted than online gamblers are. MethodsFor this study, 100 online board gamers, 100 ibGamblers, 100 offline gamblers (offGamblers), and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited by an online research company. Gambling behavior and self-efficacy were assessed using the Korean Gambling Behavior Scale-high/low factors (KGBS-H/L) and the Gambling Abstinence Self-efficacy Scale (GASS). Additionally, introversion, depression, and mania tendency were assessed. ResultsOnline board gamers had good intentions gaming, as evidenced by their higher KGBS-L scores than ibGamblers and offGamblers, and they showed less risky behaviors, as evidenced by their lower KGBS-H scores than offGamblers. Additionally, online board gamers were less introverted than ibGamblers and less depressed than offGamblers. ConclusionOnline board gaming could be a gateway to the world of gambling (ibGambling or OffGambling). However, the higher tendency of online board gamers to engage in good intentioned gaming could help prevent online board gaming from progressing to online or offline gambling.

The four board game eras: Making sense of board gaming’s past

Abstract The history of board games stretches back into pre-history presenting a challenge for examining the full sweep of the medium’s past. In response this article suggests a way of dividing board gaming’s past into four broad phases or eras. These eras are defined by primarily by shifts in production processes rather than game design choices or player tastes. Drivers of each era discussed include intellectual property law, mass-scale printing, plastics and online developments such as crowdfunding. Examples of what games align with which era are given. The article also explores the relationship between video games and board games. The strong influence of board games on early video games is explored as is the question of why relatively few ideas transfer from video games back into board games.

Finding Time for Tabletop

Hobby board gaming is a serious leisure pastime that entails large commitments of time and energy. When serious hobby board gamers become parents, their opportunities for engaging in the pastime are constrained by their new family responsibilities. Based on an ethnographic study of serious hobby board gamers, we investigate how play is constrained by parenting and how serious board gamers with these responsibilities create opportunities to continue to play board games by negotiating the context, time, location, and medium of play. We also examine how these changes influence the enjoyment players derive from board games across the key dimensions of sociality, intellectual challenge, variety, and materiality.

The Magic of Math: Solving for x and Figuring Out Why

"The Magic of Math: Solving for x and Figuring Out Why." Math Horizons, 23(3), p. 28 Additional informationNotes on contributorsMatt DavisMatt Davis is an assistant professor of mathematics at Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio. He enjoys board gaming and bad math jokes. Email: mattd@muskingum.edu

Examining the Influence of Different Physical Activity Training on the Postural Stability of University Students

Static balance ability has a critical role in the execution of complex motor patterns as well as normal daily activities, and its efficiency could be improved by means of a regular and specific training program. In this study we investigated the relation between postural stability and different types of physical activities (PA) training among university students. Thirty-six students were enrolled and grouped into two PA categories: the Exergames category included subjects who use Nintendo Wii Balance Board gaming at least twice a week, and the Sport category included subjects who practiced sport activities at least twice a week. Subjects who did not practice structured sports or physical activities were enrolled as Control. Postural control was assessed by means of a normal standing balance test with open eyes (OE) and closed eyes (CE), respectively; a force plate was used to acquire data of the center of pressure (CoP) sway. From the CoP sway we were able to select two variables: the total displacement of sway (DOT) and the mean velocity. The mean velocity was estimated for antero-posterior (MVAP) and medio-lateral (MVML) directions, respectively. ANOVA revealed significant differences among groups for the three variables. We found that the mean of DOT and MVAP was significantly decreased in the Exergame's category compared with the others groups. Furthermore, the differences were higher for the CE than the OE test. The training programs based on the use of exergames seems to improve the postural control level of the aforementioned ability more than conventional sport training.