Analyzing our Culture, Beliefs, and Values through our Gaming Avatars
A presentation by Jordan Kocon MA (He/el) and Yuxuan Zhao M.Ed. (She|They)
About this Event
Choices and character building in video games can extend to real-life experience, including the process of building an avatar, as well as the behaviors, decisions, and social interactions (see Childressa & Braswellb, 2006; Wood & Szymanski, 2020). For example, building an avatar intentionally with certain appearance traits can serve as a great starting point for players to reflect on their needs in real-life experiences (e.g., building a funny-looking avatar may reflect a player's social needs). In this session, we hope to open possibilities for practitioners to use avatars and character-building in video games to help clients explore their cultural identities, beliefs, and values.
1. How to build an avatar with intentionality.
2. How clinicians can speak to clients' values, beliefs, and culture through exploring clients’ avatar builds.
3. Helping clients explore values, beliefs, and culture by analyzing their in-game avatar’s behavior/actions.
About The Presenters
Doctoral Candidate- Counseling Psychology, New Mexico State University
As a candidate in Counseling Psychology at NMSU, I pioneer integrating geek culture into culturally responsive and evidenced-based therapeutic practices. Creator of CRIT Games Lab, he leverages geek culture for creative interventions.