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Arun Kumar Kadaganchi
Production
Honor Systems and Open World Activities in Red Dead Redemption II : Impact on Players with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression
Video games are not only played for fun but are also believed to provide cognitive , social , and therapeutic benefits . This thesis dives deeper into explaining the complex interplay between moral gameplay in an open world game and other relaxation activities during phases of challenging mood . For this study , Red Dead Redemption II was chosen for its narrative tied in with the honor system and a plethora of activities that help players unwind . 210 players filled out a 116-question survey with their pre-game engagement anxiety and depression symptom levels , qualitative assessments of their honor systems and open-world activities engagement , and their post-play mental well-being assessments . I found that playing with a moral resolute or disengaging morality during play doesn ’ t significantly impact wellbeing benefits for players laden with anxiety . However , it does make a significant impact in making an honorable choice for players undergoing depression symptoms . Moreover , engagement in open-world ,
unstructured relaxing activities was found to be rewarding to players with both anxiety and depression symptoms . Players who engaged in these activities also showed highly significant basic psychological needs satisfaction and mental well-being scores . RDR2 offers a plethora of real-life relaxation activities that are easy for players to engage in freely of their own free will , enhancing their need for autonomy . New open-world video game developers should involve as many calming pursuits as possible and feedback systems for positive behavior in their games . These have proven to be the most beneficial in helping players unwind from anxiety symptoms and even potentially help with depression .
I am very grateful to Dr . Stringer and my colleagues for helping me write this thesis for nine months . I hope this thesis contributes to the growing research on the therapeutic potential of video games and gameplay systems .
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