Why Black Female Character Design Matters

Decades of psychological research show that characters are not neutral. They shape how people see themselves—and what they believe they are capable of.

In gaming and media, female characters have historically been portrayed as secondary, overly sexualized, or lacking competence. These portrayals don’t stay on the screen. Research shows they influence self-belief, confidence, persistence, and identity in the real world—especially for girls and women navigating learning spaces.

More recent character design models and research demonstrate something important: when characters are portrayed as both competent and human, audiences respond differently. Viewers are more likely to identify with them, feel capable, and persist through challenge 

The same principles apply to literacy. When learners only see struggle reflected back at them, difficulty feels like failure. But when characters model growth, strategy, and persistence without being reduced to stereotypes students begin to reinterpret their own experiences.

Dr. Phoebe Phoneme was intentionally designed to avoid outdated tropes. She is skilled, thoughtful, and grounded. Her power comes from linguistic knowledge—not perfection, and from process rather than appearance, aligning with research showing that competence-based representations support agency and identity development while resisting objectification. 

This is not just storytelling. It is an evidence-informed approach to helping learners see themselves as capable—before systems ever label them otherwise. 

Sincerely, 

Shawn Anthony Robinson PhD

Purchase here

Reference

Kelly, D., & Thomas, B. (2026). The strong female protagonist: Stereotype activation in character design and its psychological impact. In F. Alvarez Igarzábal, C. Comeau, E. Guardiola, C. Johann, & K. Tillmanns (Eds.), Video games and mental health: Perspectives of psychology and game design (pp. 115–132). Publisher.