Meaning in Digital Games: A Mixed Methods Investigation

Understanding what leads to meaningful experiences in digital games can help researchers and practitioners create more meaningful games and other interactive experiences. Literature on meaning is reviewed from the fields of Positive Psychology, Existential Psychology, and Human-Computer Interaction. An interview and survey mixed-methods study is proposed to identify the factors that contribute to meaningful experiences in digital games. Purposive sampling will be used to recruit participants who have had a meaningful or important experience playing a digital game in the last month. Participants will be interviewed and then fill out the Enjoyment Questionnaire (EQ) and Sources of Enjoyment Questionnaire (SoEQ) to assess that recent meaningful experience. Interviews will be transcribed, and the qualitative data will be analyzed with thematic analysis. This research will advance the study of positive player experiences by helping identify sources of meaning when people play digital games.