Enabling Critical Self-Reflection through Roleplay with Chimeria: Grayscale

Abstract

The human-computer interaction (HCI) field includes a long-standing community interested in designing systems to enable user reflection. In this work, we present our findings on how interactive narratives and roleplaying can effectively support reflection. To pursue this line of inquiry, we conducted an exploratory, cross-sectional study evaluating an interactive narrative we created, Chimeria:Grayscale. To address issues present in prior HCI studies on the topic of reflection, we grounded our system design methodology and evaluations in theories drawn from clinical psychology and education. The results of our study indicate that Chimeria:Grayscale, the interactive narrative we created by operationalizing our system design methodology, enabled our study participants to critically self-reflect.