Using Think-Aloud Protocol in Looking at the Framing of One's Character with a Case Study on Terraria

Abstract

How does a player interpret what occurs in a　digital game? Fine explains that a player makes　 interpretations based on three levels of consciousness: as a character in a virtual game world, as a player who is playing the game, and as a person who is living in the real world. This study attempts to examine what happens in Terraria based on Fine's three-layered model and discuss the implications of Fine's model in digital games. The think-aloud method and interviews were used to look at how players interpret what is happening during the gameplay and to discuss the relationship between in-game characters and players from different aspects, such as role-playing and self-playing, empathy, and prosocial behaviors.