tl;dr link to video: https://youtu.be/LEIIqTTi04Y
Kym Buchanan wrote an article published by Pop Matters
titled, “Dungeons and Dragons is Cross-Training for the Mind”. There is a link
in the description below. In George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice
series, Tyrion Lannister said, “A mind needs books like a sword needs a
whetstone, if it is to keep its edge. That is why I read so much.”
How can you train your mind to be ready for a variety of
mental challenge? General James Mattis, also known as “Mad Dog Mattis”, said, “Be
polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.” That
warrior spirit can be embodied in table top role playing games. Many people
deride players whose characters follow the mantra of “Be polite, be
professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet” giving them the
pejorative of “murder hobos”.
Table top role playing games can prepare people’s minds by
giving them puzzles to solve and threats to counter. Players need to think,
communicate, and collaborate. These skills stimulate the mind.
Kym Buchanan’s article says the readiness to respond to a
new challenge is called “transfer”. The article defines the steps for transfer
as recognizing essential clues about a problem, correctly classifying the
problem, accurately recalling a promising strategy appropriate to that class of
problems, and effectively applying that strategy. This brings to mind two very
different approaches to “transfer”. I learned the first approach in math and
physics classes. In order to prove a theorem, you had to understand the
problem, determine what proof technique is appropriate for the theorem, then
applying that technique. A second, and very different approach is taught in the
military during basic training. Combat situations require almost instantaneous
responses. For example, if your weapons jams, you need to be able to
field-strip the weapon, clear any jam, and reassemble the weapon even in the
dark. Another example is to know how to apply first aid quickly to yourself and
others. I have heard that people who work in emergency rooms need to follow the
same kind of instantaneous response when someone comes in with a serious
injury. Table top role playing games teaches players to quickly respond to
different challenges.
The DM or GM can throw a variety of challenges at the
players. The DM/GM can change the challenge to meet the changing situation and
abilities of the characters. For example, the DM/GM can increase the number of
monsters the players face if the players find a powerful weapon.
The DM/GM can add ethical questions to challenge the
players. For example, the party kills a horrible creature. As they loot the
creature’s lair, they find the young children of the creature. The party needs
to decide what they do. Should they kill the children of the horrible creature,
or should they make them pets, or should they just abandon the children, or
should they capture them and try to sell them, or should they just eat them?
Each approach has advantages and disadvantages.
Tabletop role playing games, like Dungeons and Dragons, can
be a tool to provide stimulating situations to the minds of the players,
sharpen their imagination, and teaching new approaches to problems.
Although I disagree with some of the points by Kym Buchanan,
his article is well worth reading.
Pop Matters wrote an article titled, “Dungeons and Dragons
is Cross-Training for the Mind”. http://www.popmatters.com/feature/dungeons-dragons-is-cross-training-for-the-mind/
