Graduation Date
2024
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Project Type
Qualitative Study
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
Program
Art Therapy
Program Director
Richard Carolan, PhD, ATR-BC
First Reader
Erin Partridge, PhD, ATR-BC
Second Reader
Sarah Kremer, PhD, LPCC, ATR-BC
Abstract
This study was a qualitative exploration of friendships facilitated through the internet and online video games. The goal was to investigate how online friendships compare to in-person friendships in terms of quality. Three English-speaking participants who played an online video game and had an online friendship provided unique case studies describing the differences between an online and in-person friendship. The Bird Nest Drawing art assessment by Kaiser (1996; 2016) revealed themes of attachment security which helped explain the variations in the friendships. The findings of this study opened the topic of online friendships for further exploration in the field of art therapy, both in research and in a therapy setting.