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International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

HCII 2021: HCI in Games: Serious and Immersive Games pp 3–19Cite as

Mindful Gaming: User Experiences with Headspace and Walden, a Game

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12790))

Abstract

Headspace is a gamified app designed to teach mindfulness, and Walden is an experimental game that moves beyond traditional game mechanics in order to encourage mindful play. Through semi-structured interviews and contextual inquiry think-aloud sessions, this phenomenological case study compares user experiences with these two pieces of software. Findings include descriptions of how participants experienced mindfulness as contemplative self-reflection, as a long-term process, as a byproduct of play, and as a tension between exploration and completing objectives. These findings are analyzed in relation to extant theories of game design and mindfulness, especially Brian Upton’s theory of ludic semiotics [1]. The resulting insights have informed the first and third authors’ development of two new pieces of software: a mindfulness practice module that is a component of a new version of Walden designed for use in schools, and a study aid called Lofi Hip Hop Worlds to Study In. This outcome highlights the relevance of qualitative user experience research for the iterative, playcentric design [2] of educational technologies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90008, USA

    Matthew Hamilton & Tracy Fullerton

  2. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA

    Betsy DiSalvo

Authors
  1. Matthew Hamilton
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  2. Betsy DiSalvo
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  3. Tracy Fullerton
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew Hamilton .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Xiaowen Fang

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Hamilton, M., DiSalvo, B., Fullerton, T. (2021). Mindful Gaming: User Experiences with Headspace and Walden, a Game. In: Fang, X. (eds) HCI in Games: Serious and Immersive Games. HCII 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12790. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77414-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77414-1_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-77413-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-77414-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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