Role-Playing Game Professional Topics

Table of Contents List of RPG Professional Topics

This page is just a list. Topics will be added to this list over time. Over additional time links will be added to details on each topic.

Note that all of these topics are covered in one form or another in the following books:

The Collected Works of W.A. Hawkes-Robinson Volumes

The Collected Works of RPG Research Volumes

The Role-Playing Game Professional Handbook of Practice

The Role-Playing Game Professional Certification Study Guide Volumes.

The Role-Playing Game Professional Workbook Volumes.

RPG Therapy: The RPG Professionals (RPGP) Therapeutic Application of Role-Playing Gaming in Theory and Practice Over 45+ Years of Research and Evidence-in-Practice. Volume I. 5th Edition

Preface:

This page summarizes some of the thousands of research questions that RPG Research's founder, Hawke Robinson ("The Grandfather of Therapeutic Gaming"), and others at RPG Research have explored related to role-playing games over the past 40+ years.

The list covers a wide range of topics and is updated periodically. Over time, links to more in-depth discussions, research, papers, panels, podcasts, interviews, reports, presentations, etc. will be added under each topic.

For an even more expansive list, see the RPG Research Knowledgebase Archives with more than 10,000 content items on these topics!

Also see the list of topics included in the early public drafts of the RPG Handbook of Practice.


Here is another attempt at formatting the full list of topics into a single column format with numerical topics and indented subtopics:

Understood. I'll revise the list to explicitly include variations of role-playing game terminology in each line to emphasize their association with role-playing games in the context of research. Here's the updated list:

1. **Fundamentals**
   1.1. Role-playing game basics for non-gamers
   1.2. Most common myths about role-playing games and role-playing gamers
   1.3. Role-playing game formats
       1.3.1. Tabletop role-playing game formats (TRPG)
       1.3.2. Live-action role-playing game formats (LRPG)
       1.3.3. Electronic role-playing game formats (ERPG)
       1.3.4. Hybrid role-playing game formats (HRPG)
   1.4. Pros and cons of each role-playing game format
   1.5. Role-playing game settings
       1.5.1. Non-professional recreational role-playing gaming
       1.5.2. Non-professional entertainment role-playing gaming
       1.5.3. Non-professional personal development through role-playing gaming
       1.5.4. Professional recreational role-playing gaming
       1.5.5. Professional entertainment role-playing gaming
       1.5.6. Professional development through role-playing gaming
       1.5.7. Professional personal development through role-playing gaming
       1.5.8. Professional educational role-playing gaming
       1.5.9. Professional healthcare role-playing gaming

2. **Accessibility**
   2.1. Role-playing game accessibility
   2.2. Role-playing game barriers to entry for new players and game masters
   2.3. Role-playing game CARBE Scale: Complexity, Accessibility, Readability, Bleed, Engagement

3. **Standards & Training**
   3.1. Role-playing game professional standards
   3.2. Role-playing game professional safety standards
   3.3. Role-playing game professional standards bodies
   3.4. Role-playing game professional training
   3.5. Role-playing game professional workshops
   3.6. Role-playing game professional certifications
   3.7. Role-playing game professional diplomas
   3.8. Role-playing game professional accredited programs
   3.9. Role-playing game professional Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

4. **Group Dynamics**
   4.1. Role-playing game small group formation, communication, and dynamics: forming, storming, norming, performing, reforming, and adjourning

5. **Optimizing Experience**
   5.1. Variables for optimizing the role-playing game experience
   5.2. Role-playing games and Bleed theory
   5.3. Role-playing games and Flow theory
   5.4. Role-playing games and Interaction patterns
   5.5. Role-playing games and DKIW theory: Data, Knowledge, Information, and Wisdom
   5.6. Role-playing games, DKIW, and learning through exploration
   5.7. Role-playing games and cognitive neuropsychology of learning
   5.8. Role-playing games and neurotechnology
   5.9. Brain-Computer Interface Role-Playing Game (BCI RPG)
   5.10. Role-playing games and the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM)
   5.11. Role-playing game activity analysis
   5.12. Role-playing game task analysis
   5.13. Role-playing game observed immersion scale (RPG OIS)
   5.14. Role-playing game OIS and correlation with EEG data

6. **Applications**
   6.1. Role-playing games and at-risk populations
   6.2. Role-playing games and higher-risk populations
   6.3. Role-playing games and incarcerated populations
   6.4. Role-playing games and different generational cohorts
   6.5. Role-playing games for developmental ages:
       6.5.1. Role-playing games for very young children between ages 2 to 5 years
       6.5.2. Role-playing games for young children between ages 5 to 10 years
       6.5.3. Role-playing games for "tween" children between ages 10 to 13 years
       6.5.4. Role-playing games for adolescent teens between ages 13 to 17 years
       6.5.5. Role-playing games for young adults between ages 18 to 25 years
       6.5.6. Role-playing games for adults between ages 25 to 50 years
       6.5.7. Role-playing games for mature adults between ages 50 to 65 years
       6.5.8. Role-playing games for senior adults ages 65+
   6.6. Role-playing games for populations with:
       6.6.1. ADHD
       6.6.2. Autism Spectrum
       6.6.3. Brain injuries
       6.6.4. Physical disabilities
       6.6.5. Severe disabilities
       6.6.6. Recreational Therapy (RT) / Therapeutic Recreation (TR) through role-playing games
       6.6.7. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) through role-playing games
       6.6.8. Anxiety related disorders and role-playing games
       6.6.9. Specific phobias and role-playing games
       6.6.10. Apraxia and role-playing games
   6.7. Tabletop role-playing game (TRPG) as a Modality for Therapeutic / Educational Intervention
   6.8. Using Live-Action role-playing game Adapted Activities
   6.9. Role-playing games and Back Disorders and Back Pain
   6.10. Brain Injury Recovery Using role-playing games
   6.11. Role-playing games for Brain Injury - Applicable Therapeutic Recreation Interventions
   6.12. Burns and role-playing games
   6.13. Cancer and role-playing games
   6.14. Cardiac conditions and role-playing games
   6.15. COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and role-playing games
   6.16. Alzheimer's Disease and role-playing games
   6.17. Dementia and role-playing games
   6.18. Diabetes Mellitus and role-playing games
   6.19. Eating Disorders and role-playing games
   6.20. Fibromyalgia and role-playing games
   6.21. Guillain-Barré Syndrome and role-playing games
   6.22. Joint Replacement and role-playing games
   6.23. Mood Disorders and role-playing games:
       6.23.1. Bi-polar and role-playing games
       6.23.2. Depression and role-playing games
       6.23.3. Dysthymia and role-playing games
       6.23.4. Suicidal ideations

 and role-playing games
   6.24. Multiple Sclerosis and role-playing games
   6.25. Obesity and role-playing games
   6.26. Osteoporosis and role-playing games
   6.27. Parkinson's Disease and role-playing games
   6.28. Personality Disorders and role-playing games
   6.29. Psychotic Disorders and role-playing games
   6.30. Rheumatoid Arthritis and role-playing games
   6.31. Sexual & Gender-Identity Disorders and role-playing games
   6.32. Spinal Cord Injury and role-playing games
   6.33. Sickle Cell Anemia and role-playing games
   6.34. Sleep disorders and role-playing games
   6.35. Somatoform & Dissociative Disorders and role-playing games
   6.36. Substance-Related Disorders and role-playing games
   6.37. Various body functions as per ICF, ICD, DSM and role-playing games

7. **Motivation & Interests**
   7.1. Role-playing game and intrinsic motivation
   7.2. External and Internal Locus of Control in role-playing gaming
   7.3. Genre assessment and motivations in role-playing gaming
   7.4. Game system complexity preferences in role-playing gaming
   7.5. Game setting preferences in role-playing gaming
   7.6. Environmental stimuli and controls in role-playing gaming
   7.7. Player styles, stereotypes, archetypes in role-playing gaming
   7.8. Game Master styles, stereotypes, archetypes in role-playing gaming

8. **Topics**
   8.1. Abuse and role-playing games
   8.2. Accessibility in role-playing games
   8.3. Addiction and role-playing games
   8.4. ADHD and role-playing games
   8.5. Autism Spectrum and role-playing games
   8.6. Aging and role-playing games
   8.7. Agoraphobia and role-playing games
   8.8. Alzheimer's and role-playing games
   8.9. Anger and role-playing games
   8.10. Anxiety and role-playing games
   8.11. Archetypes in role-playing games
   8.12. Behavior in role-playing games
   8.13. Bias in role-playing games
   8.14. Bipolar Disorder and role-playing games
   8.15. Bullying and role-playing games
   8.16. Children and role-playing games
   8.17. Cognitive aspects of role-playing games
   8.18. Compassion in role-playing games
   8.19. Competence in role-playing games
   8.20. Confidence and role-playing games
   8.21. Deaf / Hard of Hearing and role-playing games
   8.22. Death & Dying and role-playing games
   8.23. Dementia and role-playing games
   8.24. Depression and role-playing games
   8.25. Design of role-playing games
   8.26. Disability and role-playing games
   8.27. Disasters and role-playing games
   8.28. Education through role-playing games
   8.29. Emotional Health and role-playing games
   8.30. Empathy in role-playing games
   8.31. Environment and role-playing games
   8.32. Ethics in role-playing games
   8.33. Flow in role-playing games
   8.34. Friendship and role-playing games
   8.35. Gender Identity and role-playing games
   8.36. Health / Health Disparities and role-playing games
   8.37. Human Rights and role-playing games
   8.38. Immersion in role-playing games
   8.39. Immigration and role-playing games
   8.40. Intelligence and role-playing games
   8.41. Law and role-playing games
   8.42. Learning & Memory in role-playing games
   8.43. Locus of Control in role-playing gaming
   8.44. Marriage / Divorce and role-playing games
   8.45. Meaning in role-playing games
   8.46. Mental Health and role-playing games
   8.47. Military and role-playing games
   8.48. Money and role-playing games
   8.49. Obesity and role-playing games
   8.50. Pain and role-playing games
   8.51. Parenting and role-playing games
   8.52. Personality and role-playing games
   8.53. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and role-playing games
   8.54. Predators and role-playing games
   8.55. Race / Culture and role-playing games
   8.56. Safety in role-playing games
   8.57. Self identity and role-playing games
   8.58. Sex and role-playing games
   8.59. Shyness and role-playing games
   8.60. Social Phobia and role-playing games
   8.61. Stress and role-playing games
   8.62. Suicide and role-playing games
   8.63. Teens and role-playing games
   8.64. Testing in role-playing games
   8.65. Therapy through role-playing games
   8.66. Toddlers and role-playing games
   8.67. Training in role-playing games
   8.68. Trauma and role-playing games
   8.69. Violence and role-playing games
   8.70. Visual Impairment / Blindness and role-playing games

And many more (see knowledgebase archives for 10,000+ additional topics)

Total Number of Main and Sub-Topics: 137