The Gaming Persona talks about Stray! This game has been sweeping across the gaming world as one of our first best opportunities to run around the post-apocalyptic streets as a cat. The charm and mental shifts of playing as a cat definitely have an impact on the player. The TGP hosts all review their interactions with animals in games, and reveal the specific ways animals are used to create the gaming experience.

Gaming Library:
Stray, Final Fantasy XIV Online, The Last Spell, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Prince of Persia, It Takes Two, Journey, The Last of Us, Sonic the Hedgehog 1-3, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Monster Hunter, Sea of Thieves, Persona 5 Royal, Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto, Uncharted, God of War, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Last of Us: Part 2, Dark Souls, God of War: Ragnarok, Fall Guys, Alien Isolation, World of Warcraft, Tokyo Jungle, Spore

Dr. Gameology reviews the Resident Evil franchise with Jenny and Gene. Research on problem solving and decision making is introduced to further the discussion of positive elements, even in games where players are running for their lives more than they are choosing to fight. 

Gaming Library:
Resident Evil, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Nier: Automata, Phasmaphobia, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Fatal Frame, Resident Evil 5, Bioshock, Half-Life 2, Tetris, Dr. Mario, Medal of Honor, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Remission, Danganronpa, Assassin's Creed: Unity, God of War (PS2), God of War (PS4)

Dr. Gameology and Jenny review some of the games most notorious in the current gaming landscape for deploying grinding mechanics to extend gameplay interactions for their player base. The discussion extends to labeling different kinds of grinds, and each host shares their experiences being drawn in by these styles of game design.

Gaming Library:
Disgaea, Man of Medan, Until Dawn, Little Hope, Elden Ring, Sea of Thieves, Final Fantasy XIV Online, Nier: Automata, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Valorant,  Minecraft, Stardew Valley, League of Legends, Street Fighter 5, Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, Final Fantasy VII, Farmville, Evony

We use so many life skills to conquer the many problems we face each day. Some of these skills are actually taught to us by video games. Each time we practice a new skill, we potentially level up in our abilities to handle new situations more effectively. This episode, The Gaming Persona welcomes in a new cohost to join the weekly discussion - Gene Wong! Now as a three person panel, the TGP hosts seek to expand the catalog of games and bring in new motivation perspectives to the ever expanding discussion of who we become when we play games.

The Persona games are a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei JRPG series, and this game centers on the Phantom Thieves. The games focus on the journey of these high school students as they use their personas, creatures born from their minds, to explore the depths of their psyches. Along the way, they must face their demons and prevent impending doom. While the tone of these games can be dark, they also contain plenty of humor and lighthearted moments. They create a perfect blend of anime storytelling with psychology approaching mythological styles of conflict.

 In this episode, Dr. Gameology brings back his friend from many games, Gene, to explore the impacts and insights to be found from playing this beloved franchise. They explore the societal lessons, psychological themes, and the personal impact these games have had on their journey through their college years and life challenges.

Ninjas prefer difficult challenges, but they also desire fast-paced decision making and competition. For them, video games are regarded as a testing ground for their abilities and intellect. In-game progression isn’t as important to ninjas as it is to most other player types. It is all about skill-based mastery, not in-game advancement. They're quick and nimble, and they like games that let them put their reflexes to the test. Games such as Street Fighter and League of Legends are perfect for the ninja player type. This episode of The Gaming Persona features Dr. Gameology and Jenny reviewing what it was like playing Street Fighter V head-to-head for their new Patreon bonuses. They run down what it takes to be a serious contender and make a mark on a worldwide game community. Tune in!

The Quarry has been released this month! This decision-based video game with multiple endings features teenagers in a spooky campground trying to survive until the end of the night. Our guest host for the week, Gene Wong, joins Dr. Gameology to review some of their most memorable gaming memories with stories we play using our choices on the screen. Since Gene and Dr. Kaufmann have an extensive background in playing games together, they review how these games have given them goals to fulfill and leaderboards to climb. Player types continue to be a constant force on the show as well, as we explore Gene's Bard/Acrobat tendencies. Research on how game choices are structured gets covered to identify the many different ways player choice and multiple endings shape some of the most exciting narratives in the past two decades of video game storytelling.

Female gamers often report experiencing harassment during their times of playing video games online. For this episode, the Gaming Persona welcomes Dr. Michelle Fynan and her expertise on sex therapy issues to explore insights from recent research findings on why people watch streamers, and why it feels acceptable to behave poorly on the internet.

There is a new game in town, and this year, it has become one of the most popular games released so far. Elden Ring is a Souls Style game published by From Software that gives the players a vast open world, the opportunity to build characters of various classes, weapon choices, and stat selection, and an intense difficulty curve to master en route to becoming Elden Lord. In this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny welcome their friend Wes also known as Baron von Dank, from the Alea Iacta Est Guild (AIE) to talk about how to have a healthy gaming persona in The Lands Between while recounting some of their memories of playing Final Fantasy XIV and Elden Ring. They dive deep into psychology, discussing the importance of having good mental health while existing in this space, as well as the challenges they faced and the strengths they gained from playing the game that shone through in others. Plus, they explore with us the characters and the storyline of Elden Ring, sharing their discoveries and insights on the gaming world as a whole. 

Cooperative gaming experiences for couples are extremely rare. One game that focuses on this experience is the local coop game, It Takes Two.

It Takes Two was the winner of the Video Game Awards 2021 Game of the Year. The game features a married couple who are sucked into an imaginative and dangerous version of their own home life to battle the fears of their daughter who has just learned about her parents are getting a divorce.

Every challenge in this game requires both players to work together, while also providing a narrative discussion on healthy marriages and repairing damaged relationships.

Join Dr. Gameology and Jenny as they talk to, none other than the wife of Dr. Gameology, Julia Kaufmann. She comes on the show to discuss what it is like playing this game with her own husband. She also gives us an in-person opportunity to review the Gardener Player type and other scientific studies on how games interface with marriages between players and non-players.

Did you know that mobile games can help boost mental health? Dr. Gameology and Jenny review some of the mobile games they are currently playing. They give special mention Pokemon Go, Candy Crush, and other games that had a tremendous impact on mobile gaming. It’s interesting to dive into the psychological insights of the mobile gaming experience. Examples include the experiences of boredom, apathy, anxiety, and satisfying fulfillment in the way we connect with these games. Tune in to learn more!

In this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny review the concept of archetypes and apply them to characters from various video games. This Jungian concept has been applied to all forms of literature and media with characterizations of different heroic traits and personal aspirations. We start first with the psychological concept, and then move into video game centric perspectives on the research of gaming experiences. This conversation helps players notice deeper connections between themselves and the heroes they enjoy carrying through the conflict of their favorite gaming stories. We can always apply these ideas to the way we seek to handle our challenges in our lives when we become inspired by the paths to success we can witness in video games.

For this episode, Dr. Gameology and Jenny review the variables being measured by a different motivation scale used by psychologists to understand gaming motivations. Metaphorical connections are shared relating to how we play Elden Ring from a place of confidence or from a place of fear. A special mention goes out to the moment Doc recites the lyrics to Triple H's entrance theme and what it has meant to him as a wrestling fan and as a therapist all of these years.

Finally, the episode reviews the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for Video Game Disorder and connects this with a specific study that indicated being male and having school behavior issues are two significant risk factors in their analysis for fulfilling all three criteria for this mental health disorder. In true Gaming Persona fashion, Doc and Jenny continue to share life experiences on where these ideas work as well as in which situations they may not be accomplishing their overall goals of maintaining a health-centered world.

In this episode, we review the Satisfaction with Life Scale and how we display our answers to the questions through the way we play (or think about) different kinds of video games.

Dr. Gameology and Jenny talk about 4 different kinds of happiness chemicals and how each of them actually fit into the reward experience of playing video games.

The Gaming Persona is joined by  Elizabeth Sanchez Arvizu from psychologyforgeeks.com and @SuperPwrToolkit to explore her gaming motivation profile, how social media posts have become a form of self care, and the role of fandoms in positive mental health in people's lives.

To find more of Elizabeth's work, visit:
https://www.psychologyforgeeks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/superpwrtoolkit
https://twitter.com/Superpwrtoolkit

Dr. Gameology and Jenny reflect on their Ordinary World and share more concepts on Social Capital, delving into the mental health lessons we can absorb when playing healing classes such as the White Mage in Final Fantasy XIV Online.

Dr. Gameology & Jenny review several research publications to construct a conversation on how structural game characteristics determine how a player is going to play the game itself.  Perhaps deep engagement in video games is more a manifestation of the player's drive for social capital, fulfilling the goals inherent in their personality, or other completely reasonable things. Continue the Journey friends!

Dr. Gameology and Jenny review their gaming session of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and the tips they came away with for successful mental health planning from this game. Favorite characters, impact of the franchise on each of them from childhood until now, and the ability to course correct and learn from past errors all get time in the discussion to shine.

The Gaming Persona welcomes 2 friends from Guardians Mental Health onto the show! 

This episode we explore the implications of Para-Social Relationships, the needs of streamers related to the mental health of themselves and their viewers, how to survive being a Blueberry, and how cool Destiny is!!

Dr. Gameology and Jenny shared a overview of their Ordinary World's and are getting ready for a panel on character creation and the Ideal Self at Central Florida Comic-Con. Together, they explore the 4 styles of avatar connection and form a personal hypothesis of which ones they subscribe to in their MMO gaming.

Dr. Gameology and Jenny drift into the holiday season with a discussion of how hard Mario Kart can be on our goals to develop GRIT. If you want a mental health shortcut, the 7 Gaming Persona tips for positive mental health and grit from Mario Kart are provided in the Ascent segment. Have a great holiday everyone, and thanks for listening!

Continue the Journey!!!

Dr. Gameology and Jenny review their Ordinary Worlds, Disney weddings, and PAX Unplugged. We also take the time to complete the Five Factor Inventory and apply our results to the way we see life and play Final Fantasy XIV. Maybe Jenny will Tank and track down those Aether Currents now that we have data? Who knows? 

Thanks for listening, and Continue the Journey!

The Gaming Persona welcomes another INFJ to the show; our good friend for the past 20 years - Jessica!!! We review the experience of playing Final Fantasy XIV Online for the past year as a friend group, joining a guild, choosing our classes for leveling, and anticipating what comes next in the new iteration of the game.

The Endwalker expansion fully released on 12/8/2021.