Objectives. This study explored meanings that older adults attribute to games they regularly play.Method. Twenty informants, aged 62-89, were asked open-ended questions about why they engaged in playing games. Recurrent themes of meaning were identified.Results. Five recurrent themes of meaning were addressed by a majority of subjects: mental and physical fitness, continuity, competition, temporal structure, and belonging.Conclusion. Game-play carries meanings with significant resonance for older adults.
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Hoppes et al. (2001) studied this question.
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