Life Review Using a Life Metaphoric Game to Promote Intergenerational Communication

Abstract

This study explores whether a life metaphoric game can effectively facilitate communication between senior participants and young adult partners during a life review activity. Life review provides older adults with opportunities to organize their past experiences, rediscover the meaning of life, and prepare for their future life and eventual death. We held workshops in which 33 senior participants (ages 51-85) co-played a commercial game, titled "Long Journey of Life," paired with young adult partners (ages 19-23). The young partners asked senior participants about their associated memories during the life review activity. Through inductive thematic analysis, we found seven communication themes during the life review activity: reminiscence, future and death preparation, life advice, appreciation and evaluation, small talks involving self-disclosure, interpretation of metaphors, and explanation of game control methods. We investigated the relationships between communication themes and game design elements that promote conversation. In addition, we identified how participants' responses to the game differ depending on the player's characteristics and generation. Game design suggestions for an effective intergenerational life review using digital games were offered.CCS Concepts: • Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in collaborative and social computing.

Exploring the Opportunities of AR for Enriching Storytelling with Family Photos between Grandparents and Grandchildren

“…Interactions between GPs and GCs. Storytelling between parents and children is a collaboration process requiring the participation of both storytellers and story listeners [41], and collaborative work between them can be conducive to their relationship [67]. Extending this literature to storytelling between GPs and GCs, our findings found that there were opportunities in the intergenerational storytelling process for GPs and GCs to collaborate.…”

“…Furthermore, another way to enable collaboration between GPs and GCs in the intergenerational storytelling process is to gamify it. Previous work suggested that collaborative games could facilitate intergenerational communication [41,68] between parents and children [22], grandparents and grandchildren [44]. Specifically, collaborative games could promote symmetrical interactions and create a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for intergenerational storytelling [41].…”

“…Previous work suggested that collaborative games could facilitate intergenerational communication [41,68] between parents and children [22], grandparents and grandchildren [44]. Specifically, collaborative games could promote symmetrical interactions and create a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for intergenerational storytelling [41]. The study of intergenerational learning (IGL) also stressed that social interactions should not be a one-way process but should benefit both generations [62].…”

“…Reminiscence activities have been proved to be an effective way to improve intergenerational communication and relationships between grandparents and grandchildren [19,32,39,41]. Grandparents share their personal experiences with their grandchildren as a means to preserving cultural connections [47] and fostering closer…”