Why People Play Table-Top Role-Playing Games: A Grounded Theory of Becoming as Motivation
Year: 2017
Type: article
Abstract: There is a paucity of research related to the motivation of people who play table-top role-playing games (TRPGs). Two questions drove this research: (1) What motivates people to play TRPGs and (2) Can a single supra-motivator be developed which envelopes a larger theory of why people participate in TRPGs? Grounded Theory methodology was used to investigate why people initiate and continue to participate in table-top role-playing games. Fourteen people who attended a 4-year college who played TRPGs and two people who did not play were interviewed regarding their participation in role-playing games. Open codes, emergent categories, conceptual categories, and a theoretical category indicated there exist two conceptual categories related to why people initiate participation in TRPGs and five conceptual categories related to why people continue to play TRPGs. These categories were linked together to develop the theoretical category of “becoming” to explain the motivations of people who play TRPGs. The emergent theory of becoming as motivation, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed within the interpretive context and research context.
Source: The Qualitative Report
Author: Darrin Coe
Institution: Peru State College
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $500
OpenAlex ID: W2765292297