TRPG Motivation Scale Development

    Tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs) have evolved into various forms since their emergence. Once considered a niche hobby, TRPGs have become increasingly mainstream, with a growing economic impact (Tabletop Games Market…, 2025) and ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity and cultural sensitivity within both game content and player communities (Trammell & Garcia, 2024). Research has also identified educational, therapeutic, and social benefits associated with TRPG participation (Deterding & Zagal, 2018). Despite growing scholarly interest in these meaningful outcomes, research on TRPGs from a media psychology perspective remains limited. 
   One important gap is the absence of a validated motivational scale designed for TRPG play. Existing motivational measures have been developed for related digital genres such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) and computer role-playing games (CRPGs) (Tychsen et al., 2008; Yee, 2006), but TRPGs involve unique forms of social interaction, collaborative storytelling, identity exploration, and creative expression that may not be adequately captured by these instruments. Without a measure of player motivation, researchers are limited in their ability to examine why individuals engage with TRPGs and how those motivations relate to the outcomes associated with play.​​​

    This project seeks to develop a TRPG Motivation Scale for media psychologists and game researchers.