Four Lenses for Designing Morally Engaging Games

Historically the focus of moral decision-making in games has been narrow, mostly confined to challenges of moral judgement (deciding right and wrong). In this paper, we look to moral psychology to get a broader view of the skills involved in ethical behaviour and how they may be employed in games. Following the Four Component Model of Rest and colleagues, we identify four “lenses” – perspectives for considering moral gameplay in terms of focus, sensitivity, judgement and action – and describe the design problems raised by each. To conclude, we analyse two recent games, The Walking Dead and Papers, Please, and show how the lenses give us insight into important design differences between them

Focus, Sensitivity, Judgement, Action: Four Lenses for Designing Morally Engaging Games

Historically the focus of moral decision-making in games has been narrow, mostly confined to challenges of moral judgement (deciding right and wrong). In this paper, we look to moral psychology to get a broader view of the skills involved in ethical behaviour and how these skills can be employed in games. Following the Four Component Model of Rest and colleagues, we identify four “lenses” – perspectives for considering moral gameplay in terms of focus, sensitivity, judgement and action – and describe the design problems raised by each. To conclude, we analyse two recent games, The Walking Dead and Papers, Please, and show how the lenses give us insight into important design differences between these games

Papers, Please and the systemic approach to engaging ethical expertise in videogames

Papers, Please, by Lucas Pope (2013), explores the story of a customs inspector in the fictional political regime of Arstotzka. In this paper we explore the stories, systems and moral themes of Papers, Please in order to illustrate the systemic approach to designing videogames for moral engagement. Next, drawing on the Four Component model of ethical expertise from moral psychology, we contrast this systemic approach with the more common scripted approach. We conclude by demonstrating the different strengths and weaknesses that these two approaches have when it comes to designing videogames that engage the different aspects of a player’s moral expertise

Morality Play: A Model for Developing Games of Moral Expertise

According to cognitive psychologists, moral decision-making is a dual-process phenomenon involving two types of cognitive processes: explicit reasoning and implicit intuition. Moral development involves training and integrating both types of cognitive processes through a mix of instruction, practice, and reflection. Serious games are an ideal platform for this kind of moral training, as they provide safe spaces for exploring difficult moral problems and practicing the skills necessary to resolve them. In this article, we present Morality Play, a model for the design of serious games for ethical expertise development based on the Integrative Ethical Education framework from moral psychology and the Lens of the Toy model for serious game design

Planning for a future of asset-based welfare? New Labour, financialized economic agency and the housing market

This article focuses on core aspects of the political economy of New Labour and surveys the strategic priorities to which it is likely the planning process will have to adapt. As with other policy areas, the effects of enhanced Treasury micro-management of the Government's reform agenda has begun to impact upon the field of planning. The prime example in this respect is the Treasury's preference for replacing state provision of welfare-enhancing services with the move towards an individualized system of asset-based welfare. The article begins with an analysis of this shift, showing how it is dependent on creating financialized economic agents who think instinctively as active saver-investors in their quest to accumulate assets to fund future consumption of welfare. In contemporary Britain the housing market dominates the accumulation of assets amongst everyday saver-investors. The article concludes by analysing the possible tension that will be introduced into the planning process because of New Labour's twin goals: (1) to defend the current value of asset wealth even as the mortgage lending market has stalled and confidence in the stability of house prices has temporarily evaporated; and (2) to restrict exclusion from private ownership in the housing market so that broadening access can be used to propel a universal move towards an individualized system of asset-based welfare. The fallout from the world credit crunch, which began in autumn 2007 and remains ongoing at the time of writing in January 2009, looks likely to exacerbate what was always a tension-prone combination of objectives

The promotion of ethical egoism through morality mechanics in mass effect, fable III & fallout new vegas: a role-playing video game exploration

The aim of this study is to determine whether or not ethical egoism is promoted during gameplay of three role-playing video games namely Mass Effect, Fable III and Fallout New Vegas. The rapid expansion of the video gaming industry as well as game studies as an academic field have made it necessary to understand what effects video games may have on society. This study shows that gamers come into contact with various ethico-moral dilemmas during gameplay and act in an egoistic manner in order to complete video games. Firstly, an explanation of game and gameplay are provided as well as an outline of two game studies methodologies, namely narratology and ludology. These two methodologies are then combined into a hybrid approach which is used to analyse the video games from both a narrative and gameplay point of view which allows for a more comprehensive analysis of each respective game. Thereafter, a discussion of B.F. Skinner's behaviourism is given in order to better understand gamer behaviour. Skinner's concepts of positive reinforcement, schedules of reinforcement and operant conditioning are then linked to video games to show behaviourism's influences on game design. Ethical egoism, as theorised by Thomas Hobbes and Jesse Kalin, provides the ethico-moral theory necessary for the analysis of the morality mechanic in each game. Ethico-moral dilemmas identified within each game are discussed with regards to the hybrid approach which details both narrative and gameplay consequences of in-game ethico-moral decision making. The study concludes that gamers are ethical egoists when engaged in gameplay, due to their desire to complete the video game. However, during gameplay, gamers are exposed to altruism which is often promoted through the narrative and the nature of in-game objectives. Suggestions for further studies are also given for example a more detailed analysis of gamer behaviour, a qualitative study of in-game ethico-moral actions as well as a study of games that are non-violent in nature

Protecting the Privilege of Burning Sugarcane at Harvest

The South African sugar industry burns 90% of the crop at harvest while 10% is harvested green. The trend to burn cane at harvest has increased over the past twenty years, despite growing pressure from the public and environmental legislation. This paper explores the influence that public pressure and legislation are having on the practise of burning and examines the actions that the industry has implemented in order to protect the privilege of burning sugarcane at harvest. A communication model and case studies are used to illustrate the interaction between the sugar industry, government and public role players over cane burning. Communication has proved to be a key management tool that has had to be dynamic and on going in order to engage the various role players effectively. It is presumed that the advantages of burning outweigh those of trashing and it is for the nuisance rather than the health factor that the public want cane burning banned on farms adjacent to residential or tourist areas. The government, however, regards agricultural burning as a contributory factor to high air pollution levels during the winter months and expects these levels to be reduced. Will the public be able to force change to the current practice of burning cane at harvest in the South African sugar industry or will the steps taken by the industry provide adequate protection? Although favourable outcomes have been achieved, cane burning remains under pressure from the public and government.cane burning, communication, environment, legislation, Farm Management,

Ethical decision making

The self-centeredness of modern organizations leads to environmental destruction and human deprivation. The principle of responsibility developed by Hans Jonas requires caring for the beings affected by our decisions and actions. Ethical decision-making creates a synthesis of reverence for ethical norms, rationality in goal achievement, and respect for the stakeholders. The maximin rule selects the "least worst alternative" in the multidimensional decision space of deontological, goal-achievement and stakeholder values. The ethical decision-maker can be characterized as having the ability to take multiple perspectives and make appropriate balance across diverse value dimensions. Modern organizations should develop a critical sensitivity to and empathy toward human and non-human beings with which they share a common environment