APA Dictionary of Psychology

game

Updated on 11/15/2023

a social interaction, organized play, or transaction with formal rules. See zero-sum game.
in psychotherapy, a situation in which members of a group take part in some activity designed to elicit emotions or stimulate revealing interactions and interrelationships. In play therapy, games are often used as a projective or observational technique.
in transactional analysis, a recurrent and often deceitful ploy adopted by an individual in their dealings with others.
in gestalt therapy, an exercise or experiment designed to increase self-awareness, such as acting out frightening situations or participating in the hot-seat technique.

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