A Qualitative Exploration of the Perceived Social Benefits of Playing Tabletop Role-Playing Games

This qualitative study examines the perceived social benefits that young adults associate with playing tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs). Conducted by Orr, King, and McGonnell of Mount Saint Vincent University and Dalhousie University, the research explores whether players themselves perceive TRPGs as supporting their social competence. The work is geographically anchored in Nova Scotia and focuses on a small group of six young adult players recruited through self-selection, a design that yields rich descriptive accounts rather than population-level estimates.

Through semi-structured interviews, the researchers identified four recurring themes: Content Focus, Social Focus, Identity Focus, and Creativity Focus. Each participant reported perceived improvements in social skills, such as becoming less shy and strengthening friendships. Participants described the games as appealing for both social and personal reasons, including engagement with fantasy content, opportunities for identity exploration, and the creative freedom the format affords. Standardized SDQ social competence scores were typical for most participants, with one showing borderline or abnormal results on two scales.

The authors are careful to frame these findings as preliminary and anecdotal. The non-clinical sample, researcher bias considerations, and absence of a direct comparison to other forms of imaginative play mean the study cannot establish a causal link between TRPG participation and social competence. Nonetheless, the themes align with prior case and survey research, suggesting that TRPGs merit further investigation as a context for perceived social development among young adults.