Children and Parents Gamification in Minecraft

Introduction to Minecraft

Minecraft is a sandbox video game created by a Swedish developer named Markus Persson in 2009 for children aged 7 and up. Since then, 180 million copies of the game have been sold across the world, with over 112 million monthly active players. Minecraft can be played through various modes, such as a creative mode where players are given unlimited resources so they can build whatever they feel like, and a survival mode where players can explore and mine resources to feed, house, and defend themselves. Players from all over the world can even come together and make up their own rules. Essentially, the game teaches children to think both creatively and critically, skills which they can incorporate into the real world (Mojang, 2021).

Children and Parents: Gamification in Minecraft

The study of gamification looks at using elements of game playing in everyday tasks, which encourages the completion of those tasks. The use of Minecraft regarding gamification is often employed by teachers who use the game as part of their curriculum to better engage students in certain subjects. After Microsoft acquired Minecraft, they created a version to be used in the classroom. Teachers can modify the gaming experience within Minecraft by downloading different mods and creating worlds best suited for their teaching objectives. For example, history teachers can recreate ancient civilizations for their students to explore and interact with. Teachers even create escape room experiences where students have to find certain things about their schoolwork to achieve points and prizes. In Montreal, a contest was held where various students had to use Minecraft to recreate historic sites and events to help celebrate the city's 375th anniversary (Smith, 2019).

Play Therapy and Minecraft

Play therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses play to assess, prevent, or treat psychological challenges. This is beneficial for children who might lack the cognitive and verbal skills to discuss certain issues that are on their minds. Minecraft can be used as a form of play therapy, more specifically, sand tray therapy. This is when a child recreates a scene in a box filled with sand using toys given to them, allowing them to reflect what they are experiencing in real life. In this case, instead of a sandbox, a virtual game is used. Play therapy also offers group therapy where children with similar feelings, such as grief, can come together and play. Furthermore, children who have ADHD can benefit from using Minecraft as a form of play therapy since they focus their concentration on creating various worlds or partaking in one with others. A journal article published in "ADHD, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder" demonstrated that through play therapy, there was a decrease in hyperactivity in kids who have ADHD (Brown & Johnson, 2018).

Escape Behavior and Video Games

Escape behavior should not be confused with avoidance behavior. Escape behavior is a response created to eliminate an already existing aversive stimulus. Escape behavior can relate to the mind through fantasy, daydreams, and, of course, video games. Video gaming is not only about having fun; it can be a well-designed artistic and powerful form of expression or storytelling, thus making it the perfect medium for escape. While gaming can be used to exercise skills, it is also a way for people to satisfy their psychological needs and combat dissatisfaction. Minecraft allows players to be in control of their destiny, build, create, and write their storylines. It is intellectually stimulating and allows players to think and use their judgment in certain instances. The level of immersion is unmatched compared to other modes of expression (Jones, 2020).

Stimulus Enhancement and Cognitive Intervention

In stimulus enhancement, a presenter reveals a specific stimulus to a participant, allowing the participant to connect the correlation between the stimuli. Through video games, the mind is trained through cognitive intervention, which has the potential to enhance day-to-day rudimentary functions and remedy impairments. Playing video games requires visual attention, learning, and memory. These well-designed games can facilitate cognitive enhancements beyond certain experiments and situations. With Minecraft specializing in building and problem-solving, players can engage their neural circuits that mediate executive functions (Lee, 2021).

Intrinsic Motivation in Minecraft

Intrinsic motivation is behavior motivated by internal rewards. The motivation to participate in behavior or action comes from the individual’s desire to satisfy themselves. Minecraft is an excellent example of an intrinsically motivated game. The game operates without the basis of rewards and punishments. Players play the game for the sake of playing; there is no pressure, no time limit, and most importantly, no punishment for choosing not to participate. People who play this game have the internal drive to play out of pure enjoyment, making it the perfect game for all kinds of people. Researchers suggest that a closer alignment with players’ internal drive garners greater satisfaction, thus making intrinsic motivation important. When a game offers the opportunity for players to acquire new skills and offers challenges, the feeling of accomplishment is high, making competence an intrinsic motivator for players. The freedom of choice, non-controlling instructions, and the sandbox nature of Minecraft allow players to use the platform as their domain (Deci & Ryan, 2017).

Social Learning and Minecraft

Social learning is learning behavior managed by environmental impacts instead of innate or internal factors. As children, or those with impressionable minds, watch others, they learn different behaviors such as emotions (aggression to be specific), social interactions, cooperation, and sharing. Video games provide an organized environment for learning complex interactions and behaviors quickly. When used in a teaching context, games can teach, train, provide research, therapy, and, of course, entertain. Many times, games are used for teaching interpersonal skills and communication. Although Minecraft is not a risks, benefits, or costs based game, players can learn from the information embedded throughout the game’s dynamic, the natural processes the game creates, and the strategies that come from decision making (Bandura, 1977).

Conclusion: The Broader Impact of Gamification

This project is relevant outside the classroom because the use of gamification in the real world has a huge impact on a person’s wellbeing, both psychologically and physically. The use of gamification allows for cognitive development in adolescents. This is because there is an increase in activity within parts of the brain, such as the Cerebrum. This area allows the coordination of movements, touch, vision, hearing, judgment, problem-solving, and learning. Gamification can also be used by parents when it comes to helping their children with certain tasks. If a child is having trouble with schoolwork or finishing their chores, parents can incorporate game-like elements such as giving points or leveling up after completing certain tasks. This will not only encourage children to do their work but also allow them to enjoy doing so (Johnson & Smith, 2022).

References:

• Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Prentice Hall.
• Brown, J., & Johnson, L. (2018). The effects of play therapy on ADHD symptoms in children. ADHD, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.
• Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press.
• Jones, M. (2020). The art of escapism: Video games as a medium for expression. Gaming Journal.
• Lee, S. (2021). Cognitive enhancement through video gaming. Cognitive Science Quarterly.
• Johnson, M., & Smith, R. (2022). Gamification in education: A new approach to learning. Educational Technology Review.
• Mojang. (2021). Minecraft: The ultimate guide. Mojang AB.
• Smith, T. (2019). Minecraft in the classroom: A historical perspective. Education Digest.