Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings
IntroductionExisting research indicates that life review is a crucial means of enhancing intergenerational communication. However, how to effectively facilitate this process through gamification in family settings remains unclear. This study explores how metaphorical life games can promote communica...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1532603/full |
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| author | Ming-xi Sun Zhi-feng Zhao Huan Liu |
| author_facet | Ming-xi Sun Zhi-feng Zhao Huan Liu |
| author_sort | Ming-xi Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionExisting research indicates that life review is a crucial means of enhancing intergenerational communication. However, how to effectively facilitate this process through gamification in family settings remains unclear. This study explores how metaphorical life games can promote communication between older adults and adolescents during life review activities, highlighting the relationship between dialogue themes and game design elements that encourage meaningful interaction.MethodsWe played a commercial game by recruiting 24 pairs of family members to play together. Younger partners asked older participants about their relevant memories during the game. The experimental data were analyzed inductively based on thematic analysis.Results and discussionThis study identified the effectiveness of life review through metaphorical games in facilitating communication in intergenerational family relationships by three core mechanisms: communication climate creation, symmetrical intergenerational interaction, and metaphorical expression elaboration. Intergenerational family engagement in metaphorical life games can effectively improve mutual communion and provide game design inspiration for digital games that support intergenerational life review. These findings offer new insights into life metaphor game design strategies and the mechanisms that enhance intergenerational communication. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bed3916a12dc47c693115d6fc13ef451 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-bed3916a12dc47c693115d6fc13ef4512025-08-20T02:24:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-05-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15326031532603Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settingsMing-xi SunZhi-feng ZhaoHuan LiuIntroductionExisting research indicates that life review is a crucial means of enhancing intergenerational communication. However, how to effectively facilitate this process through gamification in family settings remains unclear. This study explores how metaphorical life games can promote communication between older adults and adolescents during life review activities, highlighting the relationship between dialogue themes and game design elements that encourage meaningful interaction.MethodsWe played a commercial game by recruiting 24 pairs of family members to play together. Younger partners asked older participants about their relevant memories during the game. The experimental data were analyzed inductively based on thematic analysis.Results and discussionThis study identified the effectiveness of life review through metaphorical games in facilitating communication in intergenerational family relationships by three core mechanisms: communication climate creation, symmetrical intergenerational interaction, and metaphorical expression elaboration. Intergenerational family engagement in metaphorical life games can effectively improve mutual communion and provide game design inspiration for digital games that support intergenerational life review. These findings offer new insights into life metaphor game design strategies and the mechanisms that enhance intergenerational communication.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1532603/fullthematic analysisfamily generationslife reviewintergenerational communicationmetaphorical play |
| spellingShingle | Ming-xi Sun Zhi-feng Zhao Huan Liu Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings Frontiers in Public Health thematic analysis family generations life review intergenerational communication metaphorical play |
| title | Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings |
| title_full | Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings |
| title_fullStr | Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings |
| title_short | Fostering intergenerational communication through games: an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings |
| title_sort | fostering intergenerational communication through games an exploratory study on metaphorical life games in family settings |
| topic | thematic analysis family generations life review intergenerational communication metaphorical play |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1532603/full |
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