Games that Heal: Identity and hope

Video Game Characters give us Hope

I was Mario, Link, and a number of heroes in the video games of my youth. Although I knew I was literally not these pixely creations, part of them formed part of me. My actions and quests created an interesting bond with the character, and made the character more intimate. To this day, I am still a fan of the Hero of Hyrule (aka Link), and I strive to live courageously battling for the good in the world like he does.

Moreover, I am not alone. Part of the reason perhaps that video game characters are becoming some of the most recognizable cultural icons is because we live their stories in an incredibly intimate, and life altering way. We latch onto not only their story, but also the heroes' actions, thoughts, and feelings. While there is a danger in becoming “lost” in the virtual rewards, or over indulge in these rewards, there is some profit to be gained by living out our ideal selves in a virtual way.

Video Game Avatars and the Self

It's no secret that video games give users an alter ego experience, in fact this alter identity is so powerful that it can sometimes suck users into a world away from their daily life. However, the alter ego can also help empower the player to change the world. And in this way, games can help heal.

If we think about the self, there are really three forms including actual, ideal and ought. The ideal self relates to our goals and wishes, our ought relates to the sense of duty and obligation (things we should do) and the actual self is well self-explanatory. The question is whether video games can positively alter our actual selves by placing in us contexts that foster a particular kind of ideal self. A study was recently done that sought to being to answer this question.

Study shows video game characters help us act out our ideal selves

In this recent study, around 136 20-year old male students at a University in the United States were asked to fill out a questionnaire before and after playing a video game on whether or not they would be likely to give or help out at a charity (Seung, 2011). The students who played a video gamed focused on kill or be killed, or making sure one did one's duty to survive, it was shown that the ought self was engaged, and but in doing things that did not correspond to the players hopes, or ideal self, the players often rated their experience of flow as decreased. Moreover, when students were given a game in which they were responsible for saving people using surgery, it was shown that there sense of generosity also increased as a result. Their conclusions seemed to indicate a deeper engagement with the game when players felt their avatar was acting out a similar hoped-for or ideal self (ibid).

Games that help us overcome illness and injury

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A deep connection between the players hopes and their avatar may prove an area in which patients might benefit or heal from. A recent site called SuperBetter, takes the notion of boss fights, personal quests, and ideal avatars to another extreme. Started by a video game designer and survivor of a traumatic brain injury, this website helps individuals set goals and connect with friends to solve all manner of problems from traumatic physical injuries to physiological issues (stress, anxiety, etc.). The broad ability for accountability from the online community, and a superhero identity that you get to take on, make SuperBetter a “game” that transforms players into self-efficacious healers.

As the trend for more interactive video games continues, the role of the hoped for or ideal self, will continue to help a wide range of players grow and flourish in the midst of online communities. The new communities, and healing programs of the next century will involve similar integrative approaches that utilized these dreams, and help players visualize their ends in order to attain healing and personal happiness.

Works Cited:

Seung, Annie Jin. “My Avatar Behaves Well and This Feels Right: Ideal and ought selves in video gaming.” Boston College, MA, USA. Social behavior and personality, 2011, 39(9), 1175-1182. http://dx.doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2011.39.9.1175

Games that Heal

I remember watching my friends play the PC game Doom as a child, and blowing away demons with semi-automatic weapons in a mad dash to the end of the level. This adrenaline-filled experience is probably something most researchers would call the induction of anti-social and aggressive behavior through play. But this is not the whole experience of video-games and many players recognize that some games which promote “pro-social” behavior (games which focus on saving humanity), can make players more empathetic human beings.

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The Positive Side of Video Games

 

There is a growing body of research that shows how priming the brain to experience a pro-social behavior can actually help induce pro-social mental states. (Greitemeyer, Tobias, & Osswald, 2011:122) One example of this includes a study done in 1995 where participants were “primed” or given help-related words every day, and were more likely to exhibit helpful behavior throughout the day (ibid). Nelson and Norton (2005) found that participants primed in the category of “superhero” were more likely to help and volunteer for service. Similarly, a video game which places an individual in the role of hero, or savior, might prime the prime towards acting to help other classmates in need, thus inducing pro-social behavior (ibid).

How Games Heal and Harm

On the flipside of this conversation, games have also been shown to promote aggressive thoughts, affect, and behavior; priming the brain for the anticipation of negative interactions. Playing video game relative to neutral (in terms of violence) might increase hostile expectation bias (Bushman & Anderson, 2002) and state hostility and anxiety levels (ibid). These effects were explained by the General Aggression Model which claims that aggressive media contents activate an individual’s internal states, including cognition, affect, and arousal (ibid). This model however has recently been combined with GLM model or General Learning Model which basically claims exposure to media of this kind might induce both aggressive and pro-social behavior depending on the content of the game (ibid).

How Games Help Educators

Behavioral issues ranks as one of the top-most concerns for teachers leaving the Teaching profession. Moreover, it is also one of main causes of student discontentment at school. Behavior has mostly been tackled with in the form of developing a teacher-student relationship, fostering respect between both groups, and using role playing and teaching to facilitate student learning. However, the prospects of doing this combined with regular class instruction, meetings, etc. seems incredibly daunting for most instructors. Video-games that simulate and induce pro-social behavior offer the chance for instructors to give students “clinics” that might help prime their brains for good actions in the real world, without direct instruction. The burden is then placed on the student and their engagement with the virtual program rather than the teacher.

Examples in the Classroom

There are a variety of team games that can help students develop positive social relationships in the physical world. An earlier study showed the power of these pro-social games (by examining products from The Game Factory) to help students develop empathic feelings and positive relationships (Street, Hoppe, Kingsbury, and Tony Ma., 2004). However, video games which combine physical and virtual presence have great promise for helping students develop ethical behavior on and offline. Really, any game with a team or cooperative focus can help students to develop these attributes.

Games with problem-solving components, or moral choice segments, in which players have to make choices about how to best play the game could include a classroom component where students discuss their strategies and ultimately vote on the best way to play. In this way, team-based gaming, or cooperative gaming (where students are paired) can provide opportunities for students to help each other out, build relationships and ultimately succeed in school.

Next week:

We will explore gaming communities, and the controversy over the creation of ulterior personalities and virtual lives that replace our “ordinary” ones.

 

Works Cited:

Greitemeyer, Tobias, and Silvia Osswald. "Playing Prosocial Video Games Increases The Accessibility Of Prosocial Thoughts." Journal Of Social Psychology 151.2 (2011): 121- 128. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.

Street, Hoppe, Kingsbury, and Tony Ma. “The Game Factory: Using Cooperative Games to Promote Pro-Social Behaviour among Children.” Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental Psychology, v4 p97-109 2004. University of Newcastle. School of Education, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. e-mail: ajedp@newcastle.edu.au; Web site: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/group/ajedp

Learner as Player: How Video Games are Changing Education

 

“The key to learning, Negroponte’s fellow panelists agreed, is to engage children rather than simply talk at them. And one of the most effective ways of doing this is through play.”

Educating Players: Are Games the Future of Education? | Observations, Scientific American Blog Network

Currently, education in America is caught between two movements, the standardization craze (with national assessments) and the hope for cooperative and constructive learning where educators tap into the prior knowledge a student has mastered to help them learn. The standards movement aspires to measure student progress on a national level, while the cooperative learning model is more concerned with building bridges between concepts to enhance student learning (Bursuck & Friend, 2012). The first movement imagines the student as a product, with specific skills that can be assessed through testing. The second movement envisions the student as a participant in the construction of knowledge, and an adventurer in the journey to learn. However, games are continuing to construct a third model of the student – the learner as player, creating meaning and knowledge through play.

There has been hope for a long time that video games would provide a natural link between student motivation and learning content. After all, video games are adept at teaching skills through play, and forcing players to want to learn more and more in order to experience a new level or ability. However, while the link seems natural, the transition is far from easy.

Challenges

Questions about Effectiveness

One of the major challenges to video game use in the classroom includes skepticism regarding its effectiveness as an overall teaching tool. Some teachers have reported mixed reactions to entertainment media on the social and academic development of students according to Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project (2012). Evidence that this kind of education is more effective than more traditional methods has been scarce. At most the use of video games has been shown to increase student motivation about schoolwork, but not necessarily their ability to retain material.

Financial Issues

The same study also identified the monetary burden that teachers face when attempting to give their students games to play for learning. For example, the recent attempt to use MinecraftEDU as a mod to the traditional Minecraft game (a kind of virtual lego world) for students to explore concepts about economics, problem-solving, and a range of other topics in school, requires about $20 per person to set up. If the software is bundled for all students in a typical middle school grade level this would amount to $600 per class (given 30 students per class). A subsidy has been suggested by the creator of Minecraft to help with the financial burden, but the cost still remains too high for most teachers.

Teacher Training

Because most teachers have not learned from educational games themselves, they are often at a loss in how to use games or gaming concepts effectively to teach students following evidence-based practices. Using a book requires basic knowledge that all teachers are equipped with, while using a computer program often requires training in the use of the game itself, a greater time strain for educators. As video games continue to populate schools, hopefully more educational materials will be produced that allow teachers to follow evidence-based practice in creating games, and evaluating student gaming projects.

 

Emerging Gaming trends in Education

 

Although there are considerable challenges to using video games in the classroom, nevertheless the model of student as player is growing ground in a number of educational initiatives inside and outside of schools.

Minecraft EDU

Minecraft EDU, (the mod mentioned above) has been enthusiastically adopted by some teachers for the use in educating students. Rather than simply taking the students on a field trip, Minecraft allows for the full customization of a working environment that all students can explore, manipulate (in some cases) and work at their own pace. Assignments become in-context assessments and reflections using the environment rather than something external to their lived experience. Because of how tangible the world is, students who have not yet developed abstract thinking to solve problems (something which occurs in the later years of high school, Bursuck & Friend, 2012) are able to directly experience important elements of these concepts through play.

For example, one assignment created using the Minecraft EDU mod throws students into a world in which there are very few natural resources left, and the students have to interact and figure out how to solve the problem of creating a rocket and repopulating a world with forests. Another assignment allows students to go on virtual tours of ancient civilizations and explore the Hanging gardens of Babylon, Ancient China, or other features of a world through this style of immersive play and exploration.

Minecraft EDU mod expert Joel explains how teachers can create worlds for students to explore

 

Kahn Academy and its derivatives

Gaining prominence in 2009, the Kahn Academy practically revolutionized both the gaming world and online education by applying game-like rewards for gaining proficiency in a variety of traditional school topics. Students follow a game-like model by attaining badges for each level of education. Because of these virtual awards and the way it advances students progress like leveling up, Kahn Academy has been labeled as a “gamification” resource for students. Although the practice model only includes math and science concepts, a similar “gaming” system that rewards streaks, gives virtual prizes for performance, etc. and motivates students to do better and provides an immediate boost to their self-esteem. Other sites like Codeacademy include similar rewards, streaks, and badges as a motivator to help students master material. Codeacademy is particularly successful in creating a tutorial lesson in which students get to practice and develop advanced coding skills.

The Future: Student as Player

Cooperative learning suggests the student is a coauthor in the creation of knowledge, not simply a bucket that is periodically filled with facts and then forced to regurgitate them. The “gamification” and gaming movements currently reverberating through the field of education suggest the learner is something also fundamentally different. He or she is an explorer in the world of knowledge-working. The learner as player manipulates existing knowledge and evaluates its efficacy in real time. Rather than simply creating, he also evaluates, tests, synthesizes and manipulates information in a transformational way. Games have this power, but not without some potential drawbacks and it has yet to be seen if games will truly transform the learner or entrap him in skinner box-like pursuit of gimmicks, badges, and meaningless “level-ups.”

Works Cited:
Friend, M.  & Bursuck, W. D. (2012) Including Students With Special Needs. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Merrill.

State of the God Gap - Blog: Spiritual Politics

Down from 9% from eight years ago, this article discusses the role religion (i.e. defined by worship attendance) is playing in the presidential debate. The “gap” or worship distinction is shrinking for those who support either candidate. However, the god gap might also be an indication of the general move away from religious affiliation that the nation is currently experiencing.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hands_of_God_and_Adam.jpg

So what's the current state of the God Gap? A good deal less robust than it was in 2008.

Just in is a new Hartford Courant/UConn poll that tabulates presidential preference by frequency of (reported) worship attendence. And what we find is that frequent attenders prefer the GOP ticket (Romney/Ryan) by 51 percent to 43 percent. That's down by one-third from the 55-43 margin for the GOP (McCain/Pain) in 2008.

Then there are the occasional attenders, who in 2008 preferred Obama/Biden 57-42. That margin has now been cut by nearly two-thirds, to 49-43. Finally. we have those who never darken the door of a house of worship. They strongly prefer Obama/Biden, but by a modestly smaller margin than in 2008: 61-31 compared to 67-30.

The religious demographic that's most up for grabs this year are the truly lukewarm--those who report going to services once or twice a month. Ten percent of them are undecided--twice the proportion of the rest of the attendence cohorts. But at 14 percent of the voting population, they're also the smallest.

What's most striking about the God Gap this year is that for the first time since 1960 (!) it's smaller than the Gender Gap. In 2008, women preferred the Democratic ticket to the Republican one by 13 points; the Courant/UConn poll show that gap now running at 17 points. In 2008, men preferred the Democratic ticket by a single point; they are now going Republican by 12 points. The differential between the two gaps was 16 points in 2008; it's now running at 29 points.

It seems, in short, that gender is now trumping religious identity. That is, women who are more religious are finding themselves pushed away from the GOP by the Party's libertarian economics and stricter-than-ever social conservatism. Meanwhile, less religious men are moving strongly towards the GOP because they like the tough economics and think Obama's going to take away their guns.

The trouble for the Republicans is that there are more women than men in the electorate.

State of the God Gap - Blog: Spiritual Politics
Mark Silk
Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:28:40 GMT

State of the God Gap - Blog: Spiritual Politics

Down from 9% from eight years ago, this article discusses the role religion (i.e. defined by worship attendance) is playing in the presidential debate. The “gap” or worship distinction is shrinking for those who support either candidate. However, the god gap might also be an indication of the general move away from religious affiliation that the nation is currently experiencing.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hands_of_God_and_Adam.jpg
So what's the current state of the God Gap? A good deal less robust than it was in 2008.
Just in is a new Hartford Courant/UConn poll that tabulates presidential preference by frequency of (reported) worship attendence. And what we find is that frequent attenders prefer the GOP ticket (Romney/Ryan) by 51 percent to 43 percent. That's down by one-third from the 55-43 margin for the GOP (McCain/Pain) in 2008.
Then there are the occasional attenders, who in 2008 preferred Obama/Biden 57-42. That margin has now been cut by nearly two-thirds, to 49-43. Finally. we have those who never darken the door of a house of worship. They strongly prefer Obama/Biden, but by a modestly smaller margin than in 2008: 61-31 compared to 67-30.
The religious demographic that's most up for grabs this year are the truly lukewarm--those who report going to services once or twice a month. Ten percent of them are undecided--twice the proportion of the rest of the attendence cohorts. But at 14 percent of the voting population, they're also the smallest.
What's most striking about the God Gap this year is that for the first time since 1960 (!) it's smaller than the Gender Gap. In 2008, women preferred the Democratic ticket to the Republican one by 13 points; the Courant/UConn poll show that gap now running at 17 points. In 2008, men preferred the Democratic ticket by a single point; they are now going Republican by 12 points. The differential between the two gaps was 16 points in 2008; it's now running at 29 points.
It seems, in short, that gender is now trumping religious identity. That is, women who are more religious are finding themselves pushed away from the GOP by the Party's libertarian economics and stricter-than-ever social conservatism. Meanwhile, less religious men are moving strongly towards the GOP because they like the tough economics and think Obama's going to take away their guns.
The trouble for the Republicans is that there are more women than men in the electorate.

State of the God Gap - Blog: Spiritual Politics
Mark Silk
Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:28:40 GMT

Rise of Christian Music - Part 2

    The meteoric rise of Christian music industry left a number of rock singers and musicians ambivalent about their relationship with the larger secular music culture. These artists adopted either one of three approaches. They chose to be seperational, creating music only for ministry, integrational by not discounting the potential for evangelism but focusing primarily on Contemporary Christian music as positive alternative to secular music, or transformational, viewing music as spiritual in itself with or without ministerial purposes.

Seperational approach

    Bands like XI Saves have taken a multifaceted approach to dealing with and justifying their use of secular music in the worship of God. First, bands like XI Saves argue that God made all things good and since he made music ergo music is not inherently evil but something inherently divine. They also argue that God sings to us, and we sing to him using a variety of instruments and worship styles. Some musicians argue to this end that one can separate the mode, music, from the content or what is being said, i.e. the message. Excluding things like profanity, gratuitous sex or excessive hedonism, almost any music could have a divine quality to it. Thus, Christians can appropriate secular culture as long as they stay true to the message of Christianity.

     Some argue that Christians are also called to engage with contemporary music to reach young people and youth culture. But others maintain there are still limits to how Christian musicians ought to act. Some of these boundaries or limitations include not abusing power or status, submitting one's will to the overall vision of the band, and not isolating themselves with a woman (i.e. using their status to flirt or pick up girls). If Christian musicians act in accordance with their faith, then they might be able to engage with secular culture and not become completely “corrupted” by it.

Integrational and Approach

    TobyMac, tends to take an approach of viewing christian music positively, but ultimately more concerned with how his identity comes out in his lyrics.

Listen to Eyeon It.

    Lacrae, a hip-hop Artist who concurrently owned first, second and seventh slots on iTunes hip-hop chart, expressed his relation with music by stating "I let my faith bleed out in my music.” Lacrae defines his faith, i.e. Christianity, as an identity while hip-hop forms his culture. In this way, his music naturally takes on his faith-based worldview.

Transformational Approach

    Other artists believe that music itself can have a healing effect irregardless of explicit faith-based lyrics. These artists including Lady Gaga and Kanye West have argued that worship and music are virtually the same. Many have responded by claiming that identity, or what is in your heart is really what infuses your music with a particular power.

    While all of this is interesting, it speaks to a larger trend within popular culture to appropriate religious themes and even construct pseudo-religious values in the wake of an overall dispersal of dogmatic religion. For our culture today, we can see that faith-based music, or music as faith, is the growing trend and will continue to evolve drawing the secular and sacred crowds for each new generation.

The Rise of Contemporary Christian Music- Part 1

     Despite a recent poll suggesting 1 in 5 Americans are no longer “religious,” Contemporary Christian Music is not only going strong, but compounding its influence in American popular music. What gave rise to this phenomena, and how did this previously debased media form become one of the most effective forms of evangelism in the modern era? We shall explore this question in a two-part series exploring popular music in American Christianity.

The Devil's Music

   The 1950s and 1960s in America were a time of cataclysmic change including the introduction of occult and eastern traditions into mainstream music, widespread reactions and demonstrations to the government, and a general suspicion of authority that pervaded youth culture. The response of the Christian church to rock music followed a similar response towards these changes in the overall American culture: fear and suspicion.  David Wilkerson wrote "The Devil's Heartbeat: Rock and Roll!" (1959) in this climate, lambasting rock and roll as an inherently immoral form of music. In addition to the content of rock music affirming immoral sexual practices, Wilkerson claimed that Rock music was also seen as unconsciously altering the minds of youth causing them to become unwitting social deviants. Others alleged during that time that there were "hidden messages" in rock music, influencing the youth to do drugs, commit crimes, etc. There was a deep fear regarding how the music itself was able to induce ecstatic and emotional states that could override human reason, leading to unnatural or even "primal" acts of debauchery (many feared that the undulations of Elvis Presley were corrupting the sexual integrity of their teenagers). Some even went so far as to allege that the rhythm and volume of rock music was destructive to the human body, citing studies done on houseplants that showed their degeneration via repeated exposure to rock music.

You can watch this video production from 1992 that discusses some of the theological points of contention

Tradition of Worship

     The Old Testament God sings to us "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17). There is also a tradition of worship and the use of instrumental accompaniment throughout the Psalms that continues even into the liturgies of the early church. In this sense, there seems to be little issue with particular forms of music in the Christian tradition. However, the problem arises when many began to consider that music itself could be influential in a morally destructive way. However, some Christians began to consider that Rock music could be cleansed of these "evil" influences if the music was oriented towards Godly worship and away from hedonistic music festivals, sex and drugs. 

Sanitizing the Devil

    Following these insights into worship music, some church worship leaders attempted to provide an alternative form of music that would offer a spiritual, sanitized form of rock for the youth to consume. In the 1960s, Evangelical churches began to incorporate non-traditional musical instruments and rock-like innovations in the liturgy leading to new kinds of music in the church. Largely Evangelical rock music has been limited to the rise of soft rock, adult contemporary, and country, however towards the end of the 1990s rap, grunge and hip hop became popular forms for expressing Christian worship.

Larry Norman - Can't Take Away the Lord

    Larry Norman released the album Upon this Rock in 1969, considered by many to be one of the first Christian Rock Albums. In this clip you can see the influence of blues, the upbeat tempo characteristic of Rock and Roll, a more guttural singing timbre and the influence of the almost ubiquitous 4/4 rock and roll drum beat.

    Willow Creek Church was formed in 1975, and the Willow Creek Association formed in 1992 as a way to connect Evangelical pastors in new ways of reaching their local communities, utilizing different forms of music, and incorporating staging, lighting and other elements from mainstream cinema and the music industry. The WCA also began to launch a Global leadership summit to provide tools to a worldwide assortment of churches for developing their congregations in America and abroad. It has since grown to become largest networked church association in America committed to adapting the style and idiom of contemporary culture into their worship, sermons and overall message.

Exponential Growth of Contemporary Christian Music Industry

    Growth in the Contemporary Christian Music industry has been phenomenal. From $188 million in recorded music sales in 1990 to about $700 million in 2007, and has continued to grow steadily since then. In 2012, two Christian artists TobyMac and Lacrae both topped the music charts consistently with Eye on It and Butterfly Kisses. Not since Amy Grant exploded onto the music scene in 2006 has there been such a resurgence in popularity in Christian music. As the music of TobyMac and Lacrae attest to, their music is often a blended form including influences from hip hop, heavy metal, punk, country, and alternative rock. Other successful artists that have broken down the divide between contemporary Christian music and secular music industry include Jars of Clay, Styper, Switch Foot, and many others.

Engaging with the Corporate World

   The growth of Contemporary Christian Music Industry has been the result of a melding and merging of the corporate practices with Christian messages. Word Inc. and Sparrow Records used promotion styles borrowed from contemporary music industry to increase of distribution of Christian music, advertise artists, bands, and generally help spread such music all across the world. Cornerstone Festival in Peoria, Illinois is one example of a 4-day gathering or Woodstock-like event where participants camp out and listen to Contemporary Christian Music, ask for autographs, dance and generally enjoy the music. Knott's Berry Farm also hosts a "Jubilation" concert each year which draws Contemporary Christian musicians into the mix.

Criticisms and Justification

    Because of the growing affinity between music industry, secular culture, and christian worship music, many band members have been forced to justify not only their appropriation of secular culture, but also how they navigate the tricky waters of "staying pure" to their message. usually the justification comes in three forms:

• All music comes from God

Since all things from God are good, then no form of worship is inherently evil.

• Mode vs Message

Instead, a proper Christian must modify the mode of delivery by staying true to an authentic message of Christian salvation in their lyrics. Although this continues to be the official stance of many Christian musicians, listeners have also seen that the "message" has been toned down or diluted (sometimes not even mentioning Christian words at all, or making somewhat vague references to God). This begs the question how much the "mode" has bent or constricted the "message."

• Boundaries for Musicians

IX Saves developed a particular attitude towards dealing with female fans called the "Mackability" laws. Basically, it holds each band member to not remain alone after a rock concert in the presence of another female, nor to flirt or make advances towards one of the star-struck fans back stage. There are also boundaries for drug use, and proper actions that befit a Christian.

     In this way, Musicians have argued that their accommodation of secular music and some practices of the music industry have not contaminated either their worship of the Lord or their Christianity.

Next time

Response to "Hipster" faith from Christian leaders
State of worship music in faith today
The larger debate: When are we eating with sinners, and when are we adopting sinful habits?