To what extent do pinball experiences facilitate emotional self-disclosure in male children

Abstract

There has been a recent sharp decline in young people’s mental health, and an increase in emotional problems among the youth. Good social relationships are crucial to cope with the challenges in life. And emotional self-disclosure (SD) is essential for establishing social relationships. Novel insights indicate pinball as a context supportive for mental health. It does so by facilitating sense of relatedness, promoting activity-based communication, and providing a low-threshold platform for SD. The present research aims to further investigate the potential that pinball provides for SD in children.

Children (N = 62) were paired in dyads and participated in a audio-recorded “on-off" playing session, where they alternated between playing on the pinball machine and discussing questions (as a crutch for SD) with the dyad partner. The verbal interactions during the conversation rounds were transcribed and subsequently rated on the degree to which the dyad members disclosed personal information, thoughts, and feelings. Other measures that were taken include personality, mood, and cognitive load.

The study did not yield sufficient evidence to statistically confirm the hypotheses stated for this study. However, some findings approached significance and revealed trends aligned with existing literature on self-disclosure. Taken together, positive patterns, such as increased comfort with the dyad partner and improved mood, emerged. However, they could not be directly attributed to self-disclosure. These findings suggest that pinball co-play may foster social and emotional benefits in children, even if self-disclosure was not the predictor.

Future research should explore the longitudinal impact of such interventions, particularly their potential contributions to emotional well-being over time. This study has provided valuable initial insights into the role of a pinball co-play setting in supporting social connection and communication in children.