For my post, I'll be using Cognitive Evalutation Theory to analyze Siffrin's motivation in the game In Stars and Time. What is Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET)? CET is a sub-theory of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which is a broader framework that studies intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and how people have certain psychological needs for wellness and growth. CET specifically focuses on what elements are needed for peoples' intrinsic motivation. This theory uses SDT's framework in its analysis, including the main three human needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. When these three needs are met, a person could experience intrinsic motivation, or motivation to do an action for that action's sake. Each of the needs can be broken down as such. Competence refers to a person's belief they have skills and can use those skills towards a desired result (i.e. a student knows that unit's content well and can apply that knowledge to get the grade they want on a test). Autonomy refers to a person's feeling of choice or input (you'll feel considerably less motivated to do something if you feel you're being forced to do it). Relatedness refers to having interpersonal relationships (a group project with friends is a lot more tolerable than one with strangers or people you actively dislike).
Throughout the course of the game, we see Siffrin slowly decline as their situation becomes seemingly more helpless, with each repetitive loop bringing them closer to a mental breakdown. At the start, we meet Siffrin at his healthiest and most secure. Granted at this point we were also still learning the game's characters and had not yet been clued in on Siffrin's deeper-seeded insecurities and self-esteem issues. Whilst traveling with the party during their off-screen adventure, culminating with their return to Dormont to face The King, a close-knit dynamic has been established among the party members. The vibes are calm and friendly, with members lightly teasing and joking with each other, referring to inside jokes - like Isabeau continually trying to guess Odile's study of research and reason for being in Vaugarde and coming up with ridiculous ideas- and overall seem very comfortable with one another.
![]() |
Siffrin can't remember |
However, this intrinsic motivation slowly changes over time, in contrast with the never-changing nature of the loops. As Siffrin continues to loop again and again and again, he has moments where he...cannot remember his family's names. It's a terrifying and stressful moment, but it represents a moment of his motivations in the game slowly shifting from intrinsically motivated love for his friends, to an extrinsic force (the game, the player, the circumstances) forcing Siffrin to continue to try to escape. To cope, Siffrin slowly begins to view the repeating day like a stage play, with the "characters" having their clear and unchanging roles and lines, to the point that deviations from that "script" would throw him off at many points. There's even a game mechanic that lets you - as the player - skip over repeated dialogue, explained as Siffrin "zoning out" because he knows what they'll say, and he can just say what he needs to when he's "on cue."
![]() |
Friend Picnic! |
Now Siffrin could go through the motions, do all these nice things for his friends again, he did it the first time after all. And they'd get those so useful abilities that could help them in the House! But now, their motivation to help their friends is anything but intrinsic. They get something out of it now, and they at times feel so distant from the people they dearly love. Their relatedness to their friends slowly withers away as with their motivation after each new loop; slowly losing their mind. Each successive failure makes Siffrin descent more into self-criticism and negativity, unable to give themself any credit for their achievements and growingly frustrated with their seeming lack of progress in escaping the loops. Siffrin begins losing any sense of autonomy or control over the situation, unknowing that he's the only one with that control; maybe just unwilling to face it.
It reaches a breaking point after so many loops when he tries to force their friends through their "friendquests" to get their special abilities, but their disconnection from the group and impatience causes Siffrin to lash out at all of his friends, in turn getting slapped (by Mirabelle), screamed at in turn for being mean (Bonnie), and otherwise told off and distanced from (Odile and Isabeau). When Siffrin goes to the clocktower to sleep with the party like normal...they're all discussing the day's events, hurt by Siffrin's actions, but especially concerned. All Siffrin hears is that they want to abandon them and fight The King without them. Angry, more than a little manic, and much much much stronger than just about anything in the House after so many loops, Siffrin stomps off to fight The King himself.
![]() |
Siffrin eavesdropping on the party |
No comments:
Post a Comment