Materials on the Benefits of Tabletop Roleplaying Games

For the first question, we have consulted a number of academic studies to find peer reviewed research that suggests that there are tangible benefits to tabletop roleplaying games. Research on the subject takes three primary courses, the first is the educational benefits of tabletop roleplaying games for young adults, the second are the emotional benefits of tabletop roleplaying games for young adults, and finally the third represents a broader treatment of the importance of play for the human condition in all age groups. It’s important to note that the emphasis on young adults stems from the fields which the studies are from, and the reputation of tabletop roleplaying games as being for young people, as widespread adoption by adults is a more recent phenomenon, rather than a commentary on the lack of benefits from adults, although more research would be necessary to establish the exact differences. For the time being, nothing about any of the research suggests that the benefits of Tabletop Roleplaying Games would be exclusive to young people.   In terms of educational benefits for young adults, the benefits identified by current research suggests that young people who play Tabletop Roleplaying Games such as Dungeons and Dragons develop stronger habits of literacy than their counterparts who don’t play such games (Kaylor 2017), and notes that the growth of this literacy habit takes place primarily through the fantasy genre, suggesting a causal link between the subject matter of the game and the interests of the young people who played. Another study focused on attempting to engage students in the school library as a means of raising overall engagement with academics, the study found that students viewed it as an engaging addition, but that additional research would be required to determine if it had a significant impact on their overall engagement with the curriculum. Because students found it an engaging addition that did not necessarily increase their engagement with the curriculum, it’s not hard to imagine that it would be more appropriate in the public library space for students to engage in their free time- a harmless extracurricular activity that might stimulate a love of reading and offer kids not interested in sports a kind of organized social outlet.   In terms of emotional benefits, the research indicates that such games have exhibited therapeutic properties. For example, one study found that as part of a larger treatment plan, playing Dungeons and Dragons allowed young people a safe environment in which to develop better social skills (Gutierrez, 2017) and that the events of the game allowed for some explorations of identity, as young people were able to use the game to try out different personas for themselves. This dimension of the research is supported by theme analysis identifying the needs fulfilled by the same game (Adams, 2013) which notes that through the game players seem to practice democratic values, maintain their friendships through emotional rapport and a sense of camaraderie developed through the game, explore new personas for themselves, and engage in a kind of moral involvement where the player is allowed to explore a variety of moral issues and take responsibility for their decisions- establishing their own understanding of morality through a safe environment.   Together, these two studies strongly suggest that there are very real emotional benefits to playing the game, and that tabletop roleplaying games have the power to address important niches in the lives of the people who play them, and contrary to the stereotype of escapism that surrounds them can actually contribute to the social and emotional well being of the player by becoming a platform for them to engage with others. As applied to the context of the public library this suggests that a Tabletop Roleplaying Game program would make for an excellent social program for patrons to be able to use the library as a place to engage with one another in a structured activity, one that promotes literacy in general, and would promote the library’s own fantasy and science fiction collection in the specific (with games in other genres potentially serving to promote them as well.) It can be identified as an overall positive social outlet for the patrons who might be interested in having a fun space to meet other people and enjoy a few hours of their day after work or school.   Bibliography:   Adams, Aubrie S. (2013) "Needs Met Through Role-Playing Games: A Fantasy Theme Analysis of Dungeons & Dragons," Kaleidoscope: A Graduate Journal of Qualitative Communication Research: Vol. 12 , Article 6. Available at: http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/kaleidoscope/vol12/iss1/6   Kaylor, Stefanie L. B., "Dungeons and Dragons and literacy: The role tabletop role-playing games can play in developing teenagers' literacy skills and reading interests" (2017). Graduate Research Papers. 215. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/215   Gutierrez, Raul, "Therapy & Dragons: A look into the Possible Applications of Table Top Role Playing Games in Therapy with Adolescents" (2017). Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations. 527. http://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/527