#101 Jane McGonigal: The Psychology of Gaming
Jane McGonigal, a PhD Game Designer, discusses how video games can foster real-world skills, aid recovery from conditions like concussions, and boost self-esteem in children. She and Shane explore gaming's role in decision-making, post-traumatic growth, and provide practical advice on managing screen time and leveraging games for personal development.
Deep Dive Analysis
16 Topic Outline
Introduction to Jane McGonigal and Video Game Benefits
Personal Story: Traumatic Brain Injury and SuperBetter Creation
Concussion Recovery Process and Psychological Impact
SuperBetter's Mechanism for Healing and Optimism
Systemic Benefits of Playing Video Games
Parental Guidance for Kids' Video Game Play
Differences Between Single-Player and Multiplayer Game Benefits
Developing Future Work Skills Through Gaming
Debunking the Myth of Video Game Violence
Warning Signs of Problematic Gaming Behavior
Fostering Resilience and Self-Efficacy in Children
Video Games as Tools for Future Forecasting
Preparing for Unthinkable Futures: Internet Shutdowns
Emotional Impact on Filtering Misinformation
Improving Decision-Making Through Gaming Self-Reflection
Critique of Exploitative Gamification
6 Key Concepts
SuperBetter
A game created by Jane McGonigal for her own traumatic brain injury recovery, which helps over a million people by tricking the brain into believing good things can happen through small, positive actions, thereby firing up dopamine pathways and fostering optimism.
Post-Concussion Syndrome
A condition where concussion symptoms persist beyond the typical recovery timeline (e.g., 90 days), often accompanied by severe anxiety, depression, and social isolation, exacerbated by the brain's protective mechanism to shut down motivation.
Growth Mindset (via games)
The confidence built through playing challenging games that one can learn new things, adapt to frustrating systems, and develop new skills, even starting from a low proficiency, fostering resilience.
Unschooling
An educational philosophy where children learn by following their own curiosity and interests rather than being subjected to a standardized curriculum, aiming to build inner drive and self-motivation.
Future Forecasting (via games)
The ability, often developed by gamers, to anticipate second, third, and fourth-order consequences of future events by mentally simulating various alternative timelines and scenarios, useful for ethical technology development.
Gamification (critical view)
The use of game mechanics to motivate people to do things they might not authentically want to do, such as working harder or buying more, often seen as exploitative by manipulating engagement against a person's best interests.
10 Questions Answered
Video games, like SuperBetter, help TBI sufferers by tricking the brain into firing dopamine pathways through small, achievable actions, counteracting the brain's protective depression and fostering optimism and engagement with the healing process.
Playing any challenging video game helps individuals get better at learning new things, adapting to frustrating systems, and building confidence in their ability to improve skills, fostering a resilient growth mindset.
Parents should engage in conversations with their kids about what they're playing, asking what skills it requires, what they've gotten better at, and their hardest accomplishments, to help transfer game benefits to real life.
Studies suggest that negative impacts of gaming are not observed at less than 21 hours per week, so keeping gameplay under this threshold is generally considered safe for well-being.
No, extensive research has systematically disproven any direct link between playing violent video games and increased violence in adulthood; in fact, violent crime has decreased as video game play has skyrocketed.
By simulating future scenarios (like pandemics or internet shutdowns) through games, individuals can pre-experience the friction, anxiety, and decision-making involved, making them more adaptable and less frozen when such events occur in reality.
By consciously reflecting on why we choose to play a particular game and what benefits it brings, we can develop greater clarity in understanding the motivations and benefits behind all the choices we make in life.
Key warning signs include playing over 21 hours per week and an increasing intensity of gameplay directly correlating with an increase in real-life problems, suggesting an escapist pattern.
Yes, a counterintuitive study showed that playing video games before doing homework and studying, and then studying before sleep, helps the brain focus on the academic material rather than the game during sleep for better retention.
Yes, playing a visually engaging game like Tetris right before bed can hijack the brain's attention and visual centers, making it less likely for individuals to experience negative thoughts, nightmares, or flashbacks while trying to sleep.
23 Actionable Insights
1. Play Challenging Games
Engage with any challenging game you enjoy to build confidence in your ability to learn, teach yourself, and develop new skills, even if you start out poorly. This fosters a resilient growth mindset applicable to real-life challenges.
2. Reflect on Gaming Skills
To transfer game benefits to real life, regularly reflect on and discuss what skills you’ve improved, what personality traits it requires, and the hardest things you’ve accomplished in games, and how you achieved them. Consider keeping a game journal for self-reflection.
3. Small Actions for Hope
Engage in incredibly small, positive actions daily, such as taking three steps or sending a thank-you text, to force your brain to activate dopamine pathways. This helps generate feelings of happiness, success, and hope, especially during difficult times.
4. Overcompensate Brain’s Depression
After a concussion, actively seek ways to believe in a positive future, as your brain’s protective mechanisms can induce depression by shutting down motivation pathways. You must overcompensate for this biological response to stay engaged and optimistic.
5. Gradually Increase Activity Post-Concussion
Avoid prolonged bed rest during concussion recovery; instead, gradually increase activity up to a threshold that is 10% below what triggers your symptoms. Consistently pushing this limit helps with recovery, as lying in bed all day is not beneficial.
6. Reduce Inflammation for Concussion
Incorporate anti-inflammatory practices like increasing turmeric in your diet, eating walnuts or fatty fish, and practicing meditation to help alleviate physical concussion symptoms. A lot of the headaches and brain fog come from inflammation.
7. Maintain Optimism in Recovery
For prolonged challenges like post-concussion syndrome, actively seek and use tools that help you stay optimistic and prevent falling into a negative cycle of depression and anxiety. This is crucial as the longer the recovery, the more important it is to maintain hope.
8. Concussion Recovery: Brain Rest
If you experience a concussion, prioritize brain rest during the first three days to a week, as this is a critical period for initial recovery. Avoid further injury during this time.
9. Balance Gaming, Real-Life Problems
If gaming increases as real-life problems intensify, actively shift attention to addressing those real-world issues (e.g., school, relationships, health) for a few hours, then return to gaming. This prevents a downward spiral where games become the only source of progress or connection.
10. Foster Self-Directed Learning
Encourage children to follow their authentic curiosities and passions, allowing them time and attention to teach themselves and build intrinsic motivation. This approach fosters resilience and helps them develop skills much faster than forced learning.
11. Game for Future Work Skills
To prepare for the future of work, which will increasingly involve virtual collaboration and complex problem-solving akin to games like Fortnite, play challenging video games to develop relevant skills. This can be a valuable way to get ready for evolving job markets.
12. Multiplayer Games for Social Support
Consistently playing the same multiplayer game with the same people can foster a sense of social support in everyday life. This makes you more likely to connect with others for help or companionship, creating a valuable safety net.
13. Game Before Bed for Trauma
If experiencing flashbacks or rumination from a traumatic event, play an attention-focusing game like Tetris right before bed to hijack your brain’s attention and visual centers. This can make it less likely to lie in bed with negative thoughts, nightmares, or uncontrollable flashbacks.
14. Game Before Study for Retention
For better retention of study material, have kids play video games first, then do homework, and then study before going to sleep. This ensures their brain focuses on academic material rather than game challenges during rest.
15. Imagine Futures for Plausibility
To make unthinkable or unimaginable future scenarios seem more plausible, vividly imagine and tell stories about yourself within those worlds. This mental exercise makes them feel more real, helping your brain accept possibilities and adapt faster when they occur.
16. Plan for Internet Shutdowns
Pre-think and make plans for what you would do if the internet and mobile phones were shut down by the government. This is a plausible future scenario for various reasons, including misinformation control, and being prepared can prevent being frozen by disruption.
17. Use Emotion to Rethink Beliefs
To interrupt ingrained patterns of thinking and open your mind to information counter to current beliefs, engage with strong emotions like anger, anxiety, or envy when considering new scenarios or facts. Strong emotions can jolt the brain into rethinking its strategies.
18. Articulate Gaming ‘Why’
Regularly ask yourself why you are playing a particular game and why you chose to play it at that moment, articulating the ‘why’ behind your choice. This practice helps develop greater clarity in all your life decisions and self-knowledge.
19. Prioritize Peer Group Games
Allow children to play games popular within their peer group, as the social confidence and cultural currency gained from shared experiences often outweigh parental discomfort with minor content concerns. Being part of that culture is important for young kids.
20. Discuss Game Content & Values
Engage in conversations with your children about game content, including potentially problematic elements, and share your personal preferences or values (e.g., not enjoying in-game violence). This fosters their reflection and critical thinking about their choices.
21. Limit Gaming to 21 Hours
To prevent potential negative impacts on physical or mental health, ensure gaming time does not exceed 21 hours per week. Studies have not found negative impacts below this threshold, making it a safe guideline.
22. Set Hard Gaming Time Limits
When incorporating gaming into a routine, establish strict time limits, such as 90 minutes, before switching to other tasks like schoolwork. This helps manage screen time effectively and ensures balance.
23. Learn/Grow Before Bed
Unless dealing with trauma or rumination, engage in learning, reading, or other personal growth activities before bed. This helps your brain retain that information more effectively, as it will be the most salient problem your brain focuses on during sleep.
8 Key Quotes
Any game that you love... we know that there is a transferable benefit, which is you get better at learning new things, at dealing with systems that are frustrating and having to adapt.
Jane McGonigal
The confidence that you can build and I can learn anything. I can teach myself, I can get better, I can develop new skills, even if I'm terrible at this the first time I tried it.
Jane McGonigal
Concussions make you incredibly depressed because your brain is trying to stop you from getting injured again. And so it kind of shuts down all the pathways that tell your brain it's worth getting out of bed.
Jane McGonigal
SuperBetter is all about showing you the power you have, the smallest things you can do to feel happy, to feel successful, to feel important to others, to feel hope.
Jane McGonigal
People who can talk about what they've gotten better at, what real skills... they tend to bring those skills to their work, to their learning, to their relationships, to their hobbies.
Jane McGonigal
The future is already here. It's just not evenly distributed.
William Gibson (quoted by Jane McGonigal)
We need to stop traumatizing them with this completely arbitrary system of consequences for just for who, I mean, who cares? It's just, it's so ridiculous.
Jane McGonigal
We should not make games to try to manipulate people into doing things that they don't want to do.
Jane McGonigal
6 Protocols
Concussion Recovery Process (Anticipated Timelines)
Jane McGonigal- Rest during the first 3 days to a week.
- If not better in a week, anticipate recovery in a month.
- If not better in a month, anticipate recovery in three months.
- If not better by 90 days, anticipate recovery in a year, with a risk of permanent symptoms.
SuperBetter Initial Actions for Recovery
Jane McGonigal- Stand up and take three steps to get blood flowing and disrupt inflammation.
- Send a text message to someone to thank them for support or tell them something you appreciate, to remember your power and agency.
Parental Conversation Protocol for Kids' Gaming
Jane McGonigal- Ask: 'What does it take to be good at this game? What skills and temperament does it require?'
- Ask: 'What have you gotten better at since you started playing this game?'
- Ask: 'What's the hardest thing you've accomplished in this game, and how did you do it?'
Improving Learning Retention Protocol
Jane McGonigal- Play video games.
- Do homework/study.
- Study before going to sleep.
Dealing with Traumatic Flashbacks/Rumination Before Bed Protocol
Jane McGonigal- Play a very visual, attention-focusing game (like Tetris) right before bed to hijack the brain's attention centers.
Making Unthinkable Futures More Plausible Protocol
Jane McGonigal- Describe a potential future world (e.g., neurosensing social networks).
- Ask people to imagine themselves in that world vividly: What does it feel like? What color is it? Who's with you? Who do you subscribe to feel?
- Encourage them to create a vivid story about their experience in that world.
- Repeat this imagination process over time to help the brain accept the possibility.