Levels and Points of Agency

Abstract

Psychology theory – and here most notably Bandura (2001, 2006) – differentiates between three levels of agency; the individual (personal) agency, agency that relies on the expertise of others (proxy), and agency that occurs when following a shared goal, combining efforts (collective). Personal, proxy and collective agency have been adopted by game studies to cover the different social situations and constellations in which agency occurs (Carr et al. 2004, Schott 2008). This established categorical system will be adopted and refined in consideration to media agency. As the literature review indicated, agency as a reception experience is triggered on diverse levels and by multiple factors that need to be identified and classified systematically. Once the general levels and possibilities of agency have been carved out, the singular media – games, films and television formats – will be tested towards concrete points of agency.