Davis, DonnaRahman, Md Waseq Ur2024-08-072024-08-07https://hdl.handle.net/1794/29856This dissertation studies the formation of pleasurable and meaningful entertainment experiences during playing board games using a media psychological lens. It sheds light on players’ psychological and emotional substrates during play and the potential links between them that predict entertainment gratifications. Following the dual process model of entertainment framework that describes mechanisms behind pleasurable and meaningful gratifications (Oliver & Raney, 2011; Elson et al., 2014; Lewis et al., 2014; Bartsch et al., 2014; Bartsch & Schneider, 2014; Rieger et al., 2014; Vorderer & Reinecke, 2015; Weinmann, 2017; Raney et al., 2020), the study scrutinizes how playful interaction with analog elements of board games are connected to hedonic and eudaimonic forms of experiences that facilitate thought-provoking and self-reflective contemplation about the game’s meaning and purpose. Theoretically, it explores the question of how players come to appreciate the experience of board game play (as opposed to playing for fun) and traces the connection between eudaimonic outcomes of playing board games and affective and psychological gratifications. The study first argues and empirically investigates the notion that board games present a unique media context to facilitate meaningful and enduring experiences that can involve both psychological gratifications as well as complex emotional deliberations. In addition, the study evaluates the potential downstream effects of the eudaimonic entertainment experience in influencing deep engagement and issue interest in socio-political issues. Specifically, it scrutinizes board games that feature environmental, ecological, or natural themes in provoking reflective thoughts and issue interest about the environment (Fjællingsdal & Klöckner, 2017, 2020). Together, the study evaluates the value of playful interactions with analog simulations in board games in facilitating meaningful entertainment in general and its effects on engagement with environmental science rhetoric and their advocacy value. To do so, it asks three overarching research questions. First, how do hedonic, non-hedonic, and eudaimonic mechanisms of entertainment experiences predict enjoyment and appreciation of board games? Second, how are board game elements linked to the experience of enjoyment and appreciation, and the specific mechanisms that underlie these outcomes? Third, how do eudaimonic experiences from playing environmental board games influence cognitive elaboration or reflective thoughts about the games themselves, as well as broader implications of the games’ environmental theme outside of the game? To answer these questions, a first survey study on board game players takes stock of the play experience in board games using the dual process model of media entertainment (Oliver & Raney, 2011; Elson et al., 2014; Oliver et al., 2016; Bartsch et al., 2014). Based on this theoretical framework, the study links the intrinsic elements of the analog medium, such as game mechanics, narrative themes, and social context of play to hedonic enjoyment and eudaimonic appreciation during board game play (Elson et al., 2014; Oliver et al., 2016). Second, the study evaluates the experience of commercially available environmental board games to understand the downstream effects of non-hedonic and eudaimonic forms of entertainment from environmental-themed board games in influencing environmental issue interest (LaMarre & Landreville, 2009; Bartsch et al., 2014; Bartsch & Schneider, 2014; Vorderer & Reinecke, 2015; Weinmann, 2017; Raney et al., 2020). It considers how non-hedonic forms of emotions during media entertainment can influence cognitive depth and its effects on reflective contemplation, environmental issue interest, and connectedness to nature. The evidence presented for the study consists of two separate sets of sample populations investigated. To understand whether games can proffer meaningful emotional experiences, data was collected from general people who play board games. On the other hand, the examination of the experience of environmental science simulations in board games sought to understand the perspectives of players familiar with popular games that feature environmental/ecological themes. The findings suggest analog games may indeed provide a space for discursive learning to unfold and for players to feel equipped to tackle critical issues relating to the environment through deliberative co-construction of playful simulations with others. The two studies together present converging evidence for how board games facilitate meaningful experiences. It reports evidence for the continuum that psychological gratifications lie on and that certain need satisfactions are crucial in delivering eudaimonic entertainment while others tend to coincide. The findings also indicate that a meaningful appreciation of board games can facilitate cognitive elaboration in the form of reflective thoughts. Certain types of reflective thoughts while playing games can lead to issue interest and connectedness to nature. Overall, player interactions with environmental board games and the resulting entertainment experience (e.g., satisfaction of self-determination needs, eudaimonic affect) may aid in negotiating challenging emotions arising from dissonance experienced during play. While these findings are constrained within the bounds of the limitations that exist in the study they can inform environmental science communication strategies to engage audiences with climate science.en-USAll Rights Reserved.Board GamesEntertainmentEnvironment CommunicationIssue InterestReflective ThoughtElectronic Thesis or Dissertation