UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #743 | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

Submission information

Submission Number: 743

Submission ID: 14341

Submission UUID: 3c4babdc-d8fe-4147-993b-b85ec784a641

Submission URI: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal

Submission Update: /urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?token=3Bn8PaJ3kmquheE3ypBnYXSYgeByg9m-cQ413L3CNbU

Created: Mon, 08/12/2024 - 09:39 AM

Completed: Mon, 08/12/2024 - 10:13 AM

Changed: Wed, 10/09/2024 - 11:49 AM

Remote IP address: 144.174.212.136

Submitted by: Anonymous

Language: English

Is draft: No

Webform: UROP Project Proposal Portal

Submitted to: UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal

Research Mentor Information

Primary Research Mentor Name H Francois Dengah

Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns He/Him/His

When potential research assistants are reaching out via email, what is your preferred honorific? Dr.

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) francois.dengah@fsu.edu

Position Title Faculty

FSU College (if applicable) Arts and Sciences

FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Anthropology

Headshot (optional) PXL_20220519_151926781~6.jpg

Additional Research Mentor(s)

Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above) {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable) {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns {Empty}

Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific? {Empty}

Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) {Empty}

Overall Project Details

Title of the Project The Healing Potential of Avatars in Table-Top Gaming

Project Keywords gaming, health, anthropology, stress, healing

Are you currently looking for research assistants? No

Number of Research Assistants Needed 1

Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Preference for anthropology, psychology majors.
Sociology, social work are also desirable.
However, all majors will be considered.

Project Location: On FSU Main Campus

If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? {Empty}

Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): In-person

Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 5+

Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)

Overall Research Project Description I have been studying the therapeutic potential of online gaming (e.g., World of Warcraft, FF14, Guild Wars) for over 10 years. I am expanding this study to look at the health benefits of face-to-face (co-operative) gaming found in many table top games. Specifically, I am examining the therapeutic potential of creating and "embodying" avatars/characters, such as those found in Dungeons and Dragons, Vampire: The Masquerade, and other tabletop roleplaying games.

We will examine the personality traits of both the player and the character, the "relationship" between player and character, and measuring the psychological well-being of individuals as they engage with their characters over time (e..g., pre-post gaming session, longitudinal health measurements.)

RAs will conduct participant-observation will tabletop groups by both observing and playing with them. Interviews will be conducted with members to elicit their experiences with their avatars. Psychological surveys will also be given to evaluate the healing potential of different types and relationships with characters.

Research Tasks Ethnography
Participant-observation
Interviews
Data collection and analysis
Presentations and Publications

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Required: Interest in Gaming, Health, Psychology, and/or Culture
Required: Dependable, Hard-working
Recommended: Previous anthropological or psychological courses
Recommended: Ethnographic skills (but these will also be taught to RAs)

Mentoring Philosophy I believe the best way to teach ethnographic and anthropological skills is to involve students on ACTUAL research projects. For the past 10 years, I have run the Collaborative Anthropological Research Laboratory (CARL) that specifically involved undergraduate students on my own studies. Students have studied the role of religion in shaping both health and distress. Other projects included the the addictive or healing potential of videogames. Student-collaborators (or junior colleagues) then presented their findings at national conferences, and even published their results in peer-reviewed journals.

The philosophy of CARL is that we learn how to do research, but also learn the life-skills necessary for succeeding in academia and beyond. More a club than a class, CARL members help each other develop resumes and CVs, college and job applications, and other types of professional development. Former CARL students have gone on to be university professors, Air Force officers, FBI agents, public health officials, and more.

Students who join CARL at FSU will be joining a larger group or social network of CARL students, who can help in succeeding beyond undergraduate years, in a variety of fields.

Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable): https://osf.io/ztv5s/wiki/home/?view_only=8ebd15debf7e4e258bd778257e5480e3

Please add any additional information here (if applicable): A link of my publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Oq7qSQ0AAAAJ&hl=en

All gaming-centered publications include student collaborators and authors.

Are you interested in participating in the UROP Research Mentor Roundtable? No

Roundtable times and Zoom links {Empty}

UROP Program Elements

Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes

UROP Performance Evaluation Yes

Materials Grant Yes

UROP Poster Presentation Yes

{Empty}

Year 2024

update url https://cre.fsu.edu/urop-research-mentor-project-submission-portal?element_parents=elements/research_mentor_information/headshot_optional_&ajax_form=1&_wrapper_format=drupal_ajax&token=3Bn8PaJ3kmquheE3ypBnYXSYgeByg9m-cQ413L3CNbU