The Gaming Persona

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona welcomes Dr. Chris Ferguson to the show! This week, we review one of his research studies which explored perceptions from players related to whether orcs are portrayed in a racist way in Dungeons and Dragons. Gaming Library: Elden Ring, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Pokémon, Dead By Daylight, Assassin's Creed, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Dungeons & Dragons...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and the Gaming Persona cast review games they have had to step away from. This difficult decision comes accompanied by research and player experiences from the entire group. This thoughtful discussion aims to bring gaming habits into a real-life context that helps to emphasize the value of knowing your in-game goals, and using play time as a way to help you move forw...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology has played Dead By Daylight for the first time. After an evening of getting chased down by Killers of all kinds, he reflects on the experience and discovers the research on this style of multiplayer. Spirited debate ensues on what winning and competition mean in the context of a game in this style.  Gaming Library: Dead By Daylight,  Borderlands,  Oregon Trail,  Amon...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona reviews a recent publication by Vuorre et al. (2022) which found no significant reduction in wellbeing due to gameplay patterns. Dr. Gameology talks with Jenny and Gene to uncover what it is about video games that works for their week, and what they pay attention to so they can stay on the right path. Gaming Library: Persona 5, Persona 3 Portable, Final Fantasy...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona talks about Stray! This game has been sweeping across the gaming world as one of our first best opportunities to run around the post-apocalyptic streets as a cat. The charm and mental shifts of playing as a cat definitely have an impact on the player. The TGP hosts all review their interactions with animals in games, and reveal the specific ways animals are used...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology reviews the Resident Evil franchise with Jenny and Gene. Research on problem solving and decision making is introduced to further the discussion of positive elements, even in games where players are running for their lives more than they are choosing to fight.  Gaming Library: Resident Evil, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Nier: Automata, Phasmapho...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny review some of the games most notorious in the current gaming landscape for deploying grinding mechanics to extend gameplay interactions for their player base. The discussion extends to labeling different kinds of grinds, and each host shares their experiences being drawn in by these styles of game design. Gaming Library: Disgaea, Man of Medan, Until Dawn,...

Send us Fan Mail We use so many life skills to conquer the many problems we face each day. Some of these skills are actually taught to us by video games. Each time we practice a new skill, we potentially level up in our abilities to handle new situations more effectively. This episode, The Gaming Persona welcomes in a new cohost to join the weekly discussion - Gene Wong! Now as a three person pane...

Send us Fan Mail The Persona games are a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei JRPG series, and this game centers on the Phantom Thieves. The games focus on the journey of these high school students as they use their personas, creatures born from their minds, to explore the depths of their psyches. Along the way, they must face their demons and prevent impending doom. While the tone of these games ca...

Send us Fan Mail Ninjas prefer difficult challenges, but they also desire fast-paced decision making and competition. For them, video games are regarded as a testing ground for their abilities and intellect. In-game progression isn’t as important to ninjas as it is to most other player types. It is all about skill-based mastery, not in-game advancement. They're quick and nimble, and they like...

Send us Fan Mail The Quarry has been released this month! This decision-based video game with multiple endings features teenagers in a spooky campground trying to survive until the end of the night. Our guest host for the week, Gene Wong, joins Dr. Gameology to review some of their most memorable gaming memories with stories we play using our choices on the screen. Since Gene and Dr. Kaufmann have...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny discuss some of the most powerful mental health spells they have learned form their time in Final Fantasy XIV Online. This episode shares a tribute specifically to the Black Mage class, and how the metaphorical lessons in how we play fit into our daily lives. Support the show If you would like to support the show and help us unlock additional possibilities...

Send us Fan Mail Female gamers often report experiencing harassment during their times of playing video games online. For this episode, the Gaming Persona welcomes Dr. Michelle Fynan and her expertise on sex therapy issues to explore insights from recent research findings on why people watch streamers, and why it feels acceptable to behave poorly on the internet. Support the show If you would like...

Send us Fan Mail There is a new game in town, and this year, it has become one of the most popular games released so far. Elden Ring is a Souls Style game published by From Software that gives the players a vast open world, the opportunity to build characters of various classes, weapon choices, and stat selection, and an intense difficulty curve to master en route to becoming Elden Lord. In this e...

Send us Fan Mail Cooperative gaming experiences for couples are extremely rare. One game that focuses on this experience is the local coop game, It Takes Two.   It Takes Two was the winner of the Video Game Awards 2021 Game of the Year. The game features a married couple who are sucked into an imaginative and dangerous version of their own home life to battle the fears of their daughter who has ju...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that mobile games can help boost mental health? Dr. Gameology and Jenny review some of the mobile games they are currently playing. They give special mention Pokemon Go, Candy Crush, and other games that had a tremendous impact on mobile gaming. It’s interesting to dive into the psychological insights of the mobile gaming experience. Examples include the experiences o...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny review the concept of archetypes and apply them to characters from various video games. This Jungian concept has been applied to all forms of literature and media with characterizations of different heroic traits and personal aspirations. We start first with the psychological concept, and then move into video game centric perspectives on th...

Send us Fan Mail For this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny review the variables being measured by a different motivation scale used by psychologists to understand gaming motivations. Metaphorical connections are shared relating to how we play Elden Ring from a place of confidence or from a place of fear. A special mention goes out to the moment Doc recites the lyrics to Triple H's entrance th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we review the Satisfaction with Life Scale and how we display our answers to the questions through the way we play (or think about) different kinds of video games. Support the show If you would like to support the show and help us unlock additional possibilities for future episodes and projects, this can now be done through Patreon ! You can watch us play games LI...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny talk about 4 different kinds of happiness chemicals and how each of them actually fit into the reward experience of playing video games. Support the show If you would like to support the show and help us unlock additional possibilities for future episodes and projects, this can now be done through Patreon ! You can watch us play games LIVE and join our comm...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona is joined by  Elizabeth Sanchez Arvizu from psychologyforgeeks.com and @SuperPwrToolkit to explore her gaming motivation profile, how social media posts have become a form of self care, and the role of fandoms in positive mental health in people's lives. To find more of Elizabeth's work, visit: https://www.psychologyforgeeks.com/ https://www.facebook.c...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny reflect on their Ordinary World and share more concepts on Social Capital, delving into the mental health lessons we can absorb when playing healing classes such as the White Mage in Final Fantasy XIV Online. Support the show If you would like to support the show and help us unlock additional possibilities for future episodes and projects, this can now be d...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology & Jenny review several research publications to construct a conversation on how structural game characteristics determine how a player is going to play the game itself.  Perhaps deep engagement in video games is more a manifestation of the player's drive for social capital, fulfilling the goals inherent in their personality, or other completely reasonable th...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Gameology and Jenny review their gaming session of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and the tips they came away with for successful mental health planning from this game. Favorite characters, impact of the franchise on each of them from childhood until now, and the ability to course correct and learn from past errors all get time in the discussion to shine. Support the show If you wo...

Send us Fan Mail The Gaming Persona welcomes 2 friends from Guardians Mental Health onto the show!  This episode we explore the implications of Para-Social Relationships, the needs of streamers related to the mental health of themselves and their viewers, how to survive being a Blueberry, and how cool Destiny is!! Support the show If you would like to support the show and help us unlock additional...