On the Development Process of ReApp, an Emotion Regulation Training Mobile Game, in the Context of Gamification and the Creation of Games for Wellbeing

ReApp is a mobile, multiplayer game aimed at training people in emotional regulation, specifically in cognitive reappraisal (CR). The game was produced as part of an interdisciplinary research between a group of researchers from the Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology at IDC Prof. Eran Halperin, Lihi Harel, and researchers from the Game Design Program at Shenkar College for Engineering and Design Dr. Vered Pnueli, Benjamin Cook, Adi Galili and Mor Mendelevi. The process of CR involves the reinterpretation of situations in a manner that changes our emotional responses to them. In this process an individual learns how to control her emotions and express less negative and more positive emotions. CR is an antecedent focused strategy for emotion regulation as it concerns the things we do before our emotion response tendencies have become fully activated and influence our behavior. By contrast to other emotion regulation technics, such as Suppression for instance, CR trains people to reappraise situations first and following this to control their emotional response. Suppression, on the contrary, is a response – focused strategy. People who suppress reappraise their emotional response. CR is widely valued as a more productive process for emotion regulation that benefits from less side-effect, such as memory loss. This paper focuses on the process of developing a game that will serve as a training tool for people who are interested in practicing CR. It describes the challenges we faced in our attempt to implement a psychological model into a fun driven environment, whilst keeping the game effective in its psychological goal. ReApp is still a work in progress. Future research raises questions related to the use of usergenerated-content to increase players' scope of training and sense of playfulness, and the employment of AI to have a better monetization on players progression in CR. Author