Jeu de rôle et fiction interactive : l’interactivité au service de la subjectivation

Context

Tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG) have shown their relevance in play and narrative therapy. However, they have been little studied in the psychodynamic field although their characteristics make them a particularly interesting mediation in adolescents’ psychotherapy.

Objectives

The aim of this article is to specify the characteristics of role-playing games, and to define how they revive symbolization and the identity construction process.

Method

We will rely on the notions of interactivity and intercreativity to define the characteristics of TTRPG, and their interactions with some of the fundamental therapeutic processes. We will draw on a psychoanalytical approach as well as a ludological and narratological one to define this mediation.

Results

Interactivity and intercreativity directly influence the processes of immersion in game and fiction. They also influence identification with the character embodied by the player. The interaction between these different ingredients supports processes of psychic transformation.

Conclusion

Interactivity is a fundamental element in the emergence of agentivity. It is therefore a particularly interesting ingredient in adolescent therapy. Moreover, recourse to other theoretical fields appears necessary when envisioning a TTRPG psychotherapeutic mediation.