Mindfulness Techniques Taught Through Game Mechanics
Hwang, D., & Melcer, E. F. (2024). Mindfulness Techniques Taught Through Game Mechanics. In Companion Proceedings of the 2024 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. (pp. 300-305). https://doi.org/10.1145/3665463.3678839
Project Highlights
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Designed a narrative empathy game, "Mindful Fido".
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Translated abstract mindfulness concepts (e.g., mindful breathing, here and now, etc.) into interactive game mechanics.
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Grounded the game's narrative in evidence-based adolescent stressors.
Game preview video
Challenge
Various approaches to providing stress-coping strategies for adolescents have been proposed, and mindfulness has been one of the commonly introduced techniques. It has shown clinical evidence of effectiveness, and questionnaires measuring its efficiency have been developed as well. However, the majority of current methods take a conventional approach of involving verbal or text-based explanations of mindfulness practices, which suffer from a distinct lack of engagement and long-term adherence. However, there are still limited methods for introducing mindfulness to adolescents.
How could we make mindfulness not only more accessible for teens but also more engaging and effective?
Approach
1. Identified key stressors for adolescents
Based on research, we defined general stress factors for teenagers to craft a relatable storyline of the game.
2. Organized core mindfulness techniques
We chose three foundational mindfulness practices: Mindful Breathing, Here and Now, and Mindful Eating.
3. Translated mindfulness techniques into game mechanics
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Mindful Breathing -> rhythmic tapping game with synchronized taps and visual breathing cues.
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Here and Now -> sensory exploration game identifying what they can see, hear, smell, and feel.
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Mindful Eating -> interactive simulation with prompts to focus on the experience.
Mindful Fido
An interactive narrative empathy game that involves players in three different mindfulness techniques, making the learning process more enjoyable and relatable to their daily experiences.
In Mindful Fido, players follow the story of a teenage student who faces common stress factors of adolescence. The game is designed to keep players engaged and present mindfulness techniques as game mechanics that naturally allow players to practice mindfulness.
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To verify the effectiveness of the game, we plan to conduct two studies. One will involve general user testing of the game using a cognitive walkthrough, accompanied by observational study techniques. Through this approach, we aim to analyze how players react to different parts of the game and identify any areas for improvement in gameplay or user experience.
Click image to play the game