[Psychologist and gamer Jamie Madigan looks at the psychological underpinnings of one of BioWare's trademark RPG elements, defining 'psychological reactance' and pointing out how it's used in titles like Mass Effect.] Earlier this year I was playing through BioWare’s Dragon Age: Origins and found myself on the twin points of one of the company’s signature dilemmas: with which of the non-player characters should I pursue a romantic interest? Should I woo the crabby but sexy …

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The Psychology Of Games: Psychological Reactance and BioWare Games