LONGITUDINAL NETWORK DYNAMICS AMONG PLAYERS OF A RECREATIONAL COMPETITIVE BOARDGAME

Games are frequently played with and/or against other people. In some instances, socializing during gameplay may be more important than the game itself, which only serves as a pretext for social interaction (Woods, 2012). Other players can substantially influence gameplay experiences and outcomes, in terms not only of game performance (Bowman, Weber, Tamborini, & Sherry, 2013), but also learning and strategy acquisition (Weintrop & Wilensky, 2013), social-psychological experiences (Backus, Cubel, Guid, Sanchez-Pages, & Mañas, 2016), and social relationships (Pace, Bardzell, & Bardzell, 2010). Nevertheless, despite some understanding of underlying motivations for playing games in general (Sherry, Lucas, Greenberg, & Lachlan, 2006), little is known about how individuals seek out and select others to play games with and against. Because opponent selection is an antecedent to the experience and consequents of gameplay, understanding this process is critical for understanding and predicting gaming effects—including learning and other meaningful outcomes.