Crafting closeness: Building connection through collaborative creativity in Minecraft

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dc.contributor.authorBerger, Phaedra
dc.contributor.supervisorMandryk, Regan
dc.contributor.supervisorSomanath, Sowmya
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-23T17:28:49Z
dc.date.available2026-06-23T17:28:49Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Computer Science
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science MSc
dc.description.abstractWe investigate how designing to support collaborative creativity can foster social connection in interactive systems. Although creativity and social connection are conceptually linked, engaging in digital creative activity has not been examined as a mechanism for explicitly fostering social connection. We conducted a mixed-methods survey study of people who play Minecraft with others, combining measures of creativity, social connection, and features of digital collaboration with open-ended responses. Quantitative analysis revealed that both creative self-perception and the creativity support of the tool influenced the building of social capital through creative collaboration. Furthermore, creativity support was more influential in informing bonding ties than bridging ties. Qualitative thematic analysis identified three phases of the creative process (problem-finding, brainstorming, and implementation) and four experiential factors (unity, agency, playfulness, and achievement) that shaped experiences of social connection and disconnection. We contribute a set of general design implications for leveraging collaborative creativity to support social connection in digital systems.
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduate
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/24008
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Web
dc.subjectcreativity
dc.subjectcollaborative creativity
dc.subjectvideo games
dc.subjectMinecraft
dc.subjectsocial connection
dc.subjectsocial computing
dc.subjecthuman-computer interaction
dc.subjectmixed methods
dc.titleCrafting closeness: Building connection through collaborative creativity in Minecraft
dc.typeThesis

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