Method for playing a game to teach players how to control their interpersonal behavior

Abstract

A method of playing a board game designed to teach players how to control their interpersonal behavior to achieve goals. The method includes providing first and second play areas, each having a respective plurality of spaces connected to form a respective path, wherein the two paths are noncontiguous from each other. Within each path, spaces associated with a first behavior category are interspersed with spaces associated with a second behavior category. The proportion of first category spaces to second category spaces is substantially higher in the second play area than in the first. The method further includes associating the first and second behavior categories with themes of connecting and disconnecting behaviors, respectively, providing a token for each player, and moving the token along the first path. Upon the occurrence of a particular event during play, the token is removed to the second path for further movement.

1 . A method for playing a board game designed to teach players how to control their interpersonal behavior to achieve one or more goals, the method comprising: 
 providing a first play area having a first plurality of spaces connected together to form a first path along which tokens may be moved, the first path including spaces associated with a first behavior category interspersed with spaces associated with a second behavior category;    providing a second play area having a second plurality of spaces connected together to form a second path along which tokens may be moved, the second path including spaces associated with the first behavior category interspersed with spaces associated with the second behavior category;    associating the first behavior category with a theme of connecting behaviors;    associating the second behavior category with a theme of disconnecting behaviors;    providing a token for representing a particular player;    moving the token from space to space along the first path in the first play area;    upon the occurrence of a particular event during play, removing the token from the first play area and placing the token on a space in the second path in the second play area, the particular event being achievable regardless of which space in the first path the token is on when the particular event occurs; and    thereafter, moving the token from space to space along the second path in the second play area;    wherein the proportion of spaces corresponding to the first behavior category to spaces corresponding to the second behavior category is substantially higher in the second play area than in the first play area.    
   
   
       2 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 1 , wherein the theme of proper behavior patterns comprises a theme of connecting behaviors, and wherein the theme of improper behavior patterns comprises a theme of disconnecting behaviors.  
   
   
       3 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 initially, moving each token within the first play area; and    achieving a preliminary goal in order to move at least one token from the first play area to the second play area.    
   
   
       4 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 3 , wherein achieving the preliminary goal includes accumulating a predetermined number of points in the first play area.  
   
   
       5 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 4 , further comprising the step of accumulating a predetermined number of points in the second play area in order to win the game.  
   
   
       6 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 3 , wherein providing a playing board includes providing a playing board such that the first plurality of spaces includes at least some spaces corresponding to proper behaviors and at least some of the spaces corresponding to improper behaviors, and further such that the second plurality of spaces includes at least some spaces corresponding to proper behaviors and at least some of the spaces corresponding to improper behaviors, and still further such that the proportion of spaces corresponding to proper behaviors to spaces corresponding to improper behaviors is substantially higher in the second play area than in the first play area.  
   
   
       7 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of providing a first set of textual messages whose content corresponds in theme to improper behaviors and a second set of textual messages whose content corresponds in theme to proper behaviors, the first and second sets of textual messages being used to control play when tokens land on spaces corresponding to improper behaviors and spaces corresponding to proper behaviors, respectively.  
   
   
       8 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of supervising, by a moderator trained in the study of interpersonal relationships, the steps of playing the game.  
   
   
       9 . A method for playing a board game designed to teach players how to control their interpersonal behavior to achieve one or more goals, the method comprising: 
 providing a playing board having at least one play area, wherein the at least one play area includes a plurality of spaces connected together to form a path along which tokens may be moved, a first portion of the plurality of spaces of the at least one play area being associated with a first behavior category and a second portion of the plurality of spaces of the at least one play area being associated with a second behavior category, and wherein spaces of the first portion are interspersed along the path with spaces of the second portion;    associating the first behavior category with a theme of connecting behaviors;    defining the connecting behaviors as being interpersonal behaviors that tend to enhance or facilitate the creation of healthy interpersonal relationships;    associating the second behavior category with a theme of disconnecting behaviors;    defining the disconnecting behaviors as being interpersonal behaviors that tend to damage or inhibit the establishment or maintenance of healthy interpersonal relationships;    providing a token for representing a particular player; and    moving the token in at least one play area from one space to another space.    
   
   
       10 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 when a player's token lands upon a space with the first behavior category, providing an example of a connecting behavior; and    when a player's token lands upon a space associated with the second behavior category, providing an example of a disconnecting behavior.    
   
   
       11 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 10 , wherein the respective examples of connecting and disconnecting behaviors are provided on cards drawn by the respective player from a collection of cards associated with the respective theme.  
   
   
       12 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 10 , wherein the respective examples of connecting and disconnecting behaviors are provided by the player whose token landed on the respective space.  
   
   
       13 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 12 , further comprising, when the player provides an example of a connecting behavior, awarding the player a number of points, the number of points being determined by another person based on the example provided by the player.  
   
   
       14 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 10 , further comprising, when an example of a connecting behavior is provided, awarding the respective player a number of points.  
   
   
       15 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 14 , further comprising the step of determining the winner of the game is determined based upon the accumulation of points by the players.  
   
   
       16 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 14 , wherein the number of points awarded the player is predetermined.  
   
   
       17 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 10 , wherein each example of a connecting behavior that is provided must be of a particular type of connecting behavior, the particular type being selected from a set of connecting behavior types according to the rules of the game.  
   
   
       18 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 17 , wherein each example of a disconnecting behavior that is provided must be of a particular type of disconnecting behavior, the particular type being selected from a set of disconnecting behavior types according to the rules of the game.  
   
   
       19 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of providing a set of cards associated with the theme of connecting behaviors, each card marked with an indicium corresponding to a particular type of connecting behavior.  
   
   
       20 . The method for playing the board game of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of supervising, by a moderator trained in the study of interpersonal relationships, the steps of playing the game.