STRUCTURING SOCIAL PLAY: OLDER-ADULT MULTIPLAYER GAME AND TASK DESIGN IN VIRTUAL REALITY
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This thesis examines how multiplayer digital games and social virtual reality (VR) experiences can support social interaction and healthy aging. The first study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of 68 articles using multiplayer video games with adults aged 60 and above. Synthesizing work across exergames, cognitive games, and socially focused platforms, the review finds moderate positive effects on physical outcomes and social well-being, with consistently promising trends for cognition. The second study is an empirical mixed-methods experiment in Social VR (Spatial.io) with 36 participants who completed both goal-oriented and free-exploration tasks to compare impacts on social presence, engagement, and social closeness.