ERIC Number: ED638097
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 151
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3803-9274-7
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Ready Player Two: An Exploration of the Relationship between Parental Engagement, Game Design and Child Wellbeing in Digital Gameplay
Meagan Kathleen Bromley
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, New York University
Parental involvement in play has long been an essential piece of healthy child development and wellbeing, yet when it comes to digital play, parent-child relationships are often characterized by conflict and stress. This research explored the relationship between parental involvement with children's digital game play, digital game design, and child wellbeing through an examination of today's gamer generation of American parents -- those who are among the first that grew up with digital video games available in the home -- with children between the ages of 8-12. Specifically, this study investigated the influence of 1) parent attitudes, 2) engagement levels (personal practices around gaming and parent-child interactions including co-play activities), and 3) styles of mediation (restrictive to permissive) on parent beliefs about digital games and the potential of gameplay to impact child wellbeing. Data were collected via a mixed methods approach with an online survey of 351 parents, followed by 16 semi-structured interviews conducted over zoom. Statistical analyses of survey data included correlational relationships between variables, ANOVAs to understand differences between categories of parent gamers (hard-core, casual and non-gamers), and regression analysis to determine the role of engagement on overall beliefs in the potential of digital games to promote child wellbeing. These findings were triangulated with findings from interview data analysis, which included themes related to attitudes, engagement and mediation as well as pain points and affordances of game design. Research findings included high-level parent concerns about self-regulation, unknown spaces in technology, and finding balance. Key differences were found between gamer parents and non-gamer parents, revealing that digital play may offer more opportunities for involvement and therefore the potential to promote wellbeing in families where parents took an active interest or role in digital gaming. Additionally, in contrast to previous studies in the field, mediation styles were not found to be related to parental involvement, with parents across all categories managing game play in their home according to their personal circumstances without clear patterns. Implications of these findings can inform theory and research on parent-child experiences with digital media, parenting practices, and design recommendations for the digital game industry. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Parent Participation, Child Development, Parent Child Relationship, Video Games, Design, Well Being, Children, Preadolescents, Parent Attitudes, Parenting Styles
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A