Identities at Play

This research ethnographically studies the psychology of live action role-players who play fictional character identities in embodied play spaces. Forty two email interviews were carried out and analyzed using thematic and template analysis. This study explores key themes of the relationship between player-character identity, experiences of immersion and emotions ‘bleeding’ in and out of play. The findings challenge the previous discrete models of player-character relationships with a new self-archetype spectrum model and suggest links between play style, frequency and depth of immersion, taboo play and bleed. Applications for these findings include experimental design, therapeutic role-play and artistic expression.