What is it about?

This paper explores “Boundaries”, a unity game that was developed to provide randomized situational cases in identifying personal relationship boundaries. Ten users with developmental disabilities evaluated the game to provide run-time game responses and qualitative survey feedback. The results suggest that the game was a successful medium for engaging users on the topic of personal boundaries. Significant differences in both gameplay activity were found between users eliciting low, medium, and high-risk behaviors. This paper concludes with discussion and considerations on interactive behavioral serious games for adults with disabilities.

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Why is it important?

This study aims to explore the gamification of behavioral learning to identify personal boundaries and at-risk behaviors with real-time feedback for adults with disabilities. Studies show that adults with developmental disabilities are often at risk of being targets of abuse. With little supporting resources available for both adults and their caretakers on identifying relationship boundaries, victimization rates are consistently and alarmingly high.

Perspectives

It is unfortunate that adults with developmental disabilities are at a significantly higher risk of having their personal boundaries invaded. While the problem can be solved by reforming the assailant, we believe that the lack of support and education materials for people with developmental disabilities should be mediated. The same is true with caretaker awareness. We hope that Boundaries may become a stepping stone in this direction, and that new applications will come about to help increase awareness of this issue. Subsequently, there are far more scenarios to evaluate ahead, and more work to be done in creating a universal and accessible game to both learn about and identify interpersonal behavior.

Aviv Elor
University of California, Santa Cruz

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Boundaries: A Serious Game on Relationships for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, August 2020, Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE),
DOI: 10.1109/segah49190.2020.9201810.
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