Psychology of games and play - OEBPQ1710Z

• Title: Psychology of games and play
• Guaranteed by: Katedra psychologie (41-KPSY)
• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Actual: from 2021
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: 10 / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: Mgr. Ondřej Hrabec, Ph.D.
• Teacher(s): Mgr. Ondřej Hrabec, Ph.D.

Annotation

English

Last update: Kateřina Esserová, DiS. (24.09.2019)

The course goal is to give students insight into a crucial role of games and play in psychology and culture. Most notably, emphasis is taken on videogames as a most recent game form creating the complex computer mediated environments (virtual worlds). The course consists of three meetings which provide both theoretical framework and practical illustrations (parts of documentary movies, products of player subcultures etc.) concerning given topics. The illustrations will then become a subject of discussion. Successful course completion requires writing of seminar paper. The paper’s topic should be based on observation or experiencing the play in a chosen context (e.g. video game, play in therapy, sport, theater, child’s play). Following theoretical parts of lectures, the content of the work has to analytically deconstruct playing process (genre of game or play, potential play styles/player types, structure, dynamics, motivation, flow experience etc.).

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Hana Sotáková, Ph.D. (30.10.2019)

Cílem kurzu je představit studentům význam hry a her v sociální a kulturní psychologii.

Descriptors

Last update: Mgr. Ondřej Hrabec, Ph.D. (14.02.2021)

Distance learning during summer semester 2021

The course use Moodle (virtual learning platform) to provide students with relevant materials and pre-recorded videolectures. The link is available here: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=11850

Literature

English

Last update: Kateřina Esserová, DiS. (24.09.2019)

Literature:
Caillois, R. (1961). Man, Play and Games. New York: Schocken Books.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row.

Fink, E. (2012). Oasis of happiness: Thoughts toward an ontology of play (Moore, I. A. & Turner, C.,Trance.). Purlieu: A Philosophical Journal 1 (4), 20-42. (Original work published 1957).

Huizinga, J. (1950). Homo Ludens. Boston: Beacon Press.

Juul, J. (2006). Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Millar, S. (1968) The Psychology of Play. Baltimore: Penguin Books.

Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2003). Rules of Play. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Sutton-Smith, B. (2001). The Ambiguity of Play. Cambridge, MA: Harward University Press.

Czech

Last update: PhDr. Hana Sotáková, Ph.D. (30.10.2019)

Caillois, R. (1961). Man, Play and Games. New York: Schocken Books. 

 

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row.

Fink, E. (2012). Oasis of happiness: Thoughts toward an ontology of play (Moore, I. A. & Turner, C.,Trance.). Purlieu: A Philosophical Journal 1 (4), 20-42. (Original work published 1957).

Huizinga, J. (1950). Homo Ludens. Boston: Beacon Press. 

Juul, J. (2006). Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Millar, S. (1968) The Psychology of Play. Baltimore: Penguin Books. 

Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2003). Rules of Play. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

Sutton-Smith, B. (2001). The Ambiguity of Play. Cambridge, MA: Harward University Press.

Syllabus

Last update: Kateřina Esserová, DiS. (24.09.2019)

The first lecture

Theory

-          theoretical approaches towards psychology of games and play

-          definitions and conceptions (historical and present)

-          function of play and games

 

Seminar and discussion

-          is game purposeless or functional

-          play vs. work

-          virtual vs. real world

-          digital games vs. traditional games

 

The second lecture

Theory

-          play styles

-          player types and motivation

-          classification of games and play

-          rhetorics of play

 

Seminar and discussion

-          why do we play games

-          "gamification" and professionalization

-          player subculture

 

The third lecture:

-          game structure (rules)

-          game dynamics (strategies)

-          game esthetics (experience and emotions)

-          flow experience and immersion

 

Seminar and discussion

-          how do we experience games

-          how do we strategize

-          impacts of games and play in the context of everyday life

Course completion requirements

Last update: Kateřina Esserová, DiS. (24.09.2019)

The main requirement to pass the course is to write an essay which will follow the theoretical categories presented during lectures. Students can freely choose one game example (video game, sport, board game etc.). Length of a paper is not specified, but all the categories must be included. Final papers should be submitted electronically to [e-mail].