Computer Game-Based Learning: Perceptions and Experiences of Senior Chinese Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Feihong; Lockee, Barbara B.; Burton, John K.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate senior Chinese adults' potential acceptance of computer game-based learning (CGBL) by probing their perceptions of computer game play and their perceived impacts of game play on their learning of computer skills and life satisfaction. A total of 60 senior adults from a local senior adult learning center…

Computer Games as Instructional Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, George W.; Harvey, John G.

1984-01-01

Defines games, instructional games, and computer instructional games; discusses several unique capabilities that facilitate game playing and may make computer games more attractive to students than noncomputer alternatives; and examines the potential disadvantages of using instructional computer games on a regular basis. (MBR)

"Games Are Made for Fun": Lessons on the Effects of Concept Maps in the Classroom Use of Computer Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charsky, Dennis; Ressler, William

2011-01-01

Does using a computer game improve students' motivation to learn classroom material? The current study examined students' motivation to learn history concepts while playing a commercial, off-the-shelf computer game, Civilization III. The study examined the effect of using conceptual scaffolds to accompany game play. Students from three ninth-grade…

Excessive computer game playing: evidence for addiction and aggression?

PubMed

Grüsser, S M; Thalemann, R; Griffiths, M D

2007-04-01

Computer games have become an ever-increasing part of many adolescents' day-to-day lives. Coupled with this phenomenon, reports of excessive gaming (computer game playing) denominated as "computer/video game addiction" have been discussed in the popular press as well as in recent scientific research. The aim of the present study was the investigation of the addictive potential of gaming as well as the relationship between excessive gaming and aggressive attitudes and behavior. A sample comprising of 7069 gamers answered two questionnaires online. Data revealed that 11.9% of participants (840 gamers) fulfilled diagnostic criteria of addiction concerning their gaming behavior, while there is only weak evidence for the assumption that aggressive behavior is interrelated with excessive gaming in general. Results of this study contribute to the assumption that also playing games without monetary reward meets criteria of addiction. Hence, an addictive potential of gaming should be taken into consideration regarding prevention and intervention.

Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers.

PubMed

Griffiths, M D; Davies, Mark N O; Chappell, Darren

2004-02-01

Despite the growing popularity of online game playing, there have been no surveys comparing adolescent and adult players. Therefore, an online questionnaire survey was used to examine various factors of online computer game players (n = 540) who played the most popular online game Everquest. The survey examined basic demographic information, playing frequency (i.e. amount of time spent playing the game a week), playing history (i.e. how long they had been playing the game, who they played the game with, whether they had ever gender swapped their game character, the favourite and least favourite aspects of playing the game, and what they sacrifice (if anything) to play the game. Results showed that adolescent gamers were significantly more likely to be male, significantly less likely to gender swap their characters, and significantly more likely to sacrifice their education or work. In relation to favourite aspects of game play, the biggest difference between the groups was that significantly more adolescents than adults claimed their favourite aspect of playing was violence. Results also showed that in general, the younger the player, the longer they spent each week playing.

Demographic factors and playing variables in online computer gaming.

PubMed

Griffiths, Mark D; Davies, Mark N O; Chappell, Darren

2004-08-01

Despite the growing popularity of online game playing, there has been no primary survey of its players. Therefore, an online questionnaire survey was used to examine basic demographic factors of online computer game players who played the popular online game Everquest (i.e., gender, age, marital status, nationality, education level, occupation). The survey also examined playing frequency (i.e., amount of time spent playing the game a week), playing history (i.e., how long they had been playing the game, who they played the game with, whether they had ever gender swapped their game character), the favorite and least favorite aspects of playing the game, and what they sacrifice (if anything) to play the game. Results showed that 81% of online game players were male, and that the mean age of players was 27.9 years of age. For many players, the social aspects of the game were the most important factor in playing. A small minority of players appear to play excessively (over 80 h a week), and results suggest that a small minority sacrifice important activities in order to play (e.g., sleep, time with family and/or partner, work, or schooling).

Games at work: the recreational use of computer games during working hours.

PubMed

Reinecke, Leonard

2009-08-01

The present study investigated the recreational use of video and computer games in the workplace. In an online survey, 833 employed users of online casual games reported on their use of computer games during working hours. The data indicate that playing computer games in the workplace elicits substantial levels of recovery experience. Recovery experience associated with gameplay was the strongest predictor for the use of games in the workplace. Furthermore, individuals with higher levels of work-related fatigue reported stronger recovery experience during gameplay and showed a higher tendency to play games during working hours than did persons with lower levels of work strain. Additionally, the social situation at work was found to have a significant influence on the use of games. Persons receiving less social support from colleagues and supervisors played games at work more frequently than did individuals with higher levels of social support. Furthermore, job control was positively related to the use of games at work. In sum, the results of the present study illustrate that computer games have a significant recovery potential. Implications of these findings for research on personal computer use during work and for games research in general are discussed.

Factors correlated with violent video game use by adolescent boys and girls.

PubMed

Olson, Cheryl K; Kutner, Lawrence A; Warner, Dorothy E; Almerigi, Jason B; Baer, Lee; Nicholi, Armand M; Beresin, Eugene V

2007-07-01

To compare the video and computer game play patterns of young adolescent boys and girls, including factors correlated with playing violent games. Data collected in November/December, 2004 from children in grades 7 and 8 at two demographically diverse schools in Pennsylvania and South Carolina, using a detailed written self-reported survey. Of 1254 participants (53% female, 47% male), only 80 reported playing no electronic games in the previous 6 months. Of 1126 children who listed frequently played game titles, almost half (48.8%) played at least one violent (mature-rated) game regularly (67.9% of boys and 29.2% of girls). One third of boys and 10.7% of girls play games nearly every day; only 1 in 20 plays often or always with a parent. Playing M-rated games is positively correlated (p < .001) with being male, frequent game play, playing with strangers over the Internet, having a game system and computer in one's bedroom, and using games to manage anger. Most young adolescent boys and many girls routinely play M-rated games. Implications for identifying atypical and potentially harmful patterns of electronic game use are discussed, as well as the need for greater media literacy among parents.

Current Issues in the Use of Virtual Simulations for Dismounted Soldier Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

technology and the experience of Soldiers playing video games has tremendous appeal. Are Soldiers as familiar with these games as we assume, and how well do...IMTS evaluation described earlier reported a mean of 9.5 hours (median 6.5 hours) per week playing computer or video games . A sample of 27 Infantry...playing computer or video games . However, 7% and 22% of the Soldiers in these samples, respectively, did not play video games . Beal and Christ

Playing Computer Games Versus Better Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Din, Feng S.; Caleo, Josephine

This study investigated whether kindergarten students who played Sony Play Station (Lightspan) computer games learned better than peers who did not play such games. Participants were 47 African-American kindergartners from two classes of an urban school in the Northeast. A pretest and posttest with control group design was used in the study. The…

GAMMON: An Approach to the Concept of Strategy in Game-Playing Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bushey, William Edward

In order to investigate the use of strategies in a game-playing computer program, "Gammon," a computer program that plays Backgammon, was developed. It focuses on the play of a given strategy, as well as the process of strategy selection, and examines the concept of strategy as an integrating and driving force in the play of a game. A…

The Effects of Fifa 2015 Computer Games on Changes in Cognitive, Hormonal and Brain Waves Functions of Young Men Volunteers

PubMed Central

Aliyari, Hamed; Kazemi, Masoomeh; Tekieh, Elaheh; Salehi, Maryam; Sahraei, Hedayat; Daliri, Mohammad Reza; Agaei, Hassan; Minaei-Bidgoli, Behrouz; Lashgari, Reza; Srahian, Nahid; Hadipour, Mohammad Mehdi; Salehi, Mostafa; Ranjbar Aghdam, Asghar

2015-01-01

Introduction: Computer games have attracted remarkable attentions in general publics with different cultures and their effects are subject of research by cognitive neuroscientists. In the present study, possible effects of the game Fifa 2015 on cognitive performance, hormonal levels, and electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were evaluated in young male volunteers. Methods: Thirty two subjects aged 20 years on average participated mutually in playing computer game Fifa 2015. Identification information and general knowledge about the game were collected. Saliva samples from the contestants were obtained before and after the competition. Perceptive and cognitive performance including the general cognitive health, response delay, attention maintenance, and mental fatigue were measured using PASAT test. EEG were recorded during the play using EEG device and analyzed later using QEEG. Simultaneously, the players’ behavior were recorded using a video camera. Saliva cortisol levels were assessed by ELISA kit. Data were analyzed by SPSS program. Results: The impact of playing computer games on cortisol concentration of saliva before and after the game showed that the amount of saliva plasma after playing the game has dropped significantly. Also the impact of playing computer games on mental health, before and after the game indicated that the number of correct answers has not changed significantly. This indicates that sustained attention has increased in participants after the game in comparison with before that. Also it is shown that mental fatigue measured by PASAT test, did not changed significantly after the game in comparison to before that. The impact of game on changes in brain waves showed that the subjects in high activity state during playing the game had higher power of the EEG signals in most of the channels in lower frequency bands in compared to normal state. Discussion: The present study showed that computer games can positively affect the stress system and the perceptual-cognitive system. Even though this impact was not significant in most cases, the changes in cognitive and hormonal test and also in brain waves were visible. Hence, due to the importance of this matter, it is necessary to create control systems in selecting the types of games for playing. PMID:26904177

The Effects of Fifa 2015 Computer Games on Changes in Cognitive, Hormonal and Brain Waves Functions of Young Men Volunteers.

PubMed

Aliyari, Hamed; Kazemi, Masoomeh; Tekieh, Elaheh; Salehi, Maryam; Sahraei, Hedayat; Daliri, Mohammad Reza; Agaei, Hassan; Minaei-Bidgoli, Behrouz; Lashgari, Reza; Srahian, Nahid; Hadipour, Mohammad Mehdi; Salehi, Mostafa; Ranjbar Aghdam, Asghar

2015-07-01

Computer games have attracted remarkable attentions in general publics with different cultures and their effects are subject of research by cognitive neuroscientists. In the present study, possible effects of the game Fifa 2015 on cognitive performance, hormonal levels, and electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were evaluated in young male volunteers. Thirty two subjects aged 20 years on average participated mutually in playing computer game Fifa 2015. Identification information and general knowledge about the game were collected. Saliva samples from the contestants were obtained before and after the competition. Perceptive and cognitive performance including the general cognitive health, response delay, attention maintenance, and mental fatigue were measured using PASAT test. EEG were recorded during the play using EEG device and analyzed later using QEEG. Simultaneously, the players' behavior were recorded using a video camera. Saliva cortisol levels were assessed by ELISA kit. Data were analyzed by SPSS program. The impact of playing computer games on cortisol concentration of saliva before and after the game showed that the amount of saliva plasma after playing the game has dropped significantly. Also the impact of playing computer games on mental health, before and after the game indicated that the number of correct answers has not changed significantly. This indicates that sustained attention has increased in participants after the game in comparison with before that. Also it is shown that mental fatigue measured by PASAT test, did not changed significantly after the game in comparison to before that. The impact of game on changes in brain waves showed that the subjects in high activity state during playing the game had higher power of the EEG signals in most of the channels in lower frequency bands in compared to normal state. The present study showed that computer games can positively affect the stress system and the perceptual-cognitive system. Even though this impact was not significant in most cases, the changes in cognitive and hormonal test and also in brain waves were visible. Hence, due to the importance of this matter, it is necessary to create control systems in selecting the types of games for playing.

The Relationship of Computer Games and Reported Anger in Young People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirok, Mukaddes; Ozdamli, Fezile; Hursen, Cigdem; Ozcinar, Zehra; Kutguner, Muge; Uzunboylu, Huseyin

2012-01-01

Playing computer games is a routine activity for most young people today. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of time spent playing computer games, the violence of the game, and self-reported anger of students in North Cyprus. Four hundred participants between the ages of 15-18 completed the State-Trait Anger and the Anger…

Dynamic Human-Computer Collaboration in Real-time Unmanned Vehicle Scheduling

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

Rarely play games Play games once a month Weekly gamer A few times a week gamer Daily gamer Types of games played: 9. Rate...Algorithm, Alchemy , or Apostasy?," International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, vol. 52, pp. 203-216, 2000. [52] J.-M. Hoc, "From Human

Short-term effects of playing computer games on attention.

PubMed

Tahiroglu, Aysegul Yolga; Celik, Gonca Gul; Avci, Ayse; Seydaoglu, Gulsah; Uzel, Mehtap; Altunbas, Handan

2010-05-01

The main aim of the present study is to investigate the short-term cognitive effects of computer games in children with different psychiatric disorders and normal controls. One hundred one children are recruited for the study (aged between 9 and 12 years). All participants played a motor-racing game on the computer for 1 hour. The TBAG form of the Stroop task was administered to all participants twice, before playing and immediately after playing the game. Participants with improved posttest scores, compared to their pretest scores, used the computer on average 0.67 +/- 1.1 hr/day, while the average administered was measured at 1.6 +/- 1.4 hr/day and 1.3 +/- 0.9 hr/day computer use for participants with worse or unaltered scores, respectively. According to the regression model, male gender, younger ages, duration of daily computer use, and ADHD inattention type were found to be independent risk factors for worsened posttest scores. Time spent playing computer games can exert a short-term effect on attention as measured by the Stroop test.

Video and Computer Games in the '90s: Children's Time Commitment and Game Preference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchman, Debra D.; Funk, Jeanne B.

1996-01-01

Examined electronic game-playing habits of 900 children. Found that time commitment to game-playing decreased from fourth to eighth grade. Boys played more than girls. Preference for general entertainment games increased across grades while educational games preference decreased. Violent game popularity remained consistent; fantasy violence was…

Home Media and Children’s Achievement and Behavior

PubMed Central

Hofferth, Sandra L.

2010-01-01

This study provides a national picture of the time American 6–12 year olds spent playing video games, using the computer, and watching television at home in 1997 and 2003 and the association of early use with their achievement and behavior as adolescents. Girls benefited from computers more than boys and Black children’s achievement benefited more from greater computer use than did that of White children. Greater computer use in middle childhood was associated with increased achievement for White and Black girls and Black boys, but not White boys. Greater computer play was also associated with a lower risk of becoming socially isolated among girls. Computer use does not crowd out positive learning-related activities, whereas video game playing does. Consequently, increased video game play had both positive and negative associations with the achievement of girls but not boys. For boys, increased video game play was linked to increased aggressive behavior problems. PMID:20840243

Gender Differences in Preschool Children's Recall of Competitive and Noncompetitive Computer Mathematics Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Fang-Yi Flora; Hendrix, Katherine Grace

2009-01-01

This study investigated whether competitive and noncompetitive educational mathematics computer games influence four- to seven-year-old boys' and girls' recall of game-playing experience. A qualitative analysis was performed to investigate what preschool children may have learned through their selective recall of game-playing experience. A…

Games for Training: Leveraging Commercial Off the Shelf Multiplayer Gaming Software for Infantry Squad Collective Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

squad training, team training, dismounted training, video games , computer games, multiplayer games. 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF...Multiplayer - mode of play for computer and video games in which multiple people can play the same game at the same time (Wikipedia, 2005) D...that “improvements in 3-D image generation on the PC and the speed of the internet” have increased the military’s interest in the use of video games as

Affect and the computer game player: the effect of gender, personality, and game reinforcement structure on affective responses to computer game-play.

PubMed

Chumbley, Justin; Griffiths, Mark

2006-06-01

Previous research on computer games has tended to concentrate on their more negative effects (e.g., addiction, increased aggression). This study departs from the traditional clinical and social learning explanations for these behavioral phenomena and examines the effect of personality, in-game reinforcement characteristics, gender, and skill on the emotional state of the game-player. Results demonstrated that in-game reinforcement characteristics and skill significantly effect a number of affective measures (most notably excitement and frustration). The implications of the impact of game-play on affect are discussed with reference to the concepts of "addiction" and "aggression."

Middle school children's game playing preferences: Case studies of children's experiences playing and critiquing science-related educational games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, Dolly Rebecca Doran

The playing of computer games is one of the most popular non-school activities of children, particularly boys, and is often the entry point to greater facility with and use of other computer applications. Children are learning skills as they play, but what they learn often does not generalize beyond application to that and other similar games. Nevertheless, games have the potential to develop in students the knowledge and skills described by national and state educational standards. This study focuses upon middle-school aged children, and how they react to and respond to computer games designed for entertainment and educational purposes, within the context of science learning. Through qualitative, case study methodology, the game play, evaluation, and modification experiences of four diverse middle-school-aged students in summer camps are analyzed. The inquiry focused on determining the attributes of computer games that appeal to middle school students, the aspects of science that appeal to middle school children, and ultimately, how science games might be designed to appeal to middle school children. Qualitative data analysis led to the development of a method for describing players' activity modes during game play, rather than the conventional methods that describe game characteristics. These activity modes are used to describe the game design preferences of the participants. Recommendations are also made in the areas of functional, aesthetic, and character design and for the design of educational games. Middle school students may find the topical areas of forensics, medicine, and the environment to be of most interest; designing games in and across these topic areas has the potential for encouraging voluntary science-related play. Finally, when including children in game evaluation and game design activities, results suggest the value of providing multiple types of activities in order to encourage the full participation of all children.

Virtual Playgrounds? Assessing the Playfulness of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Kerrie Lewis

2010-01-01

Millions of children and adults devote much of their leisure time to playing massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Most observers commonly categorize computer games as a play activity, but this article asks whether MMORPGs contain activities that might not be play. The author examines the phenomenon of online gaming and…

Teaching Using Computer Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Lee Dee; Shell, Duane; Khandaker, Nobel; Soh, Leen-Kiat

2011-01-01

Computer games have long been used for teaching. Current reviews lack categorization and analysis using learning models which would help instructors assess the usefulness of computer games. We divide the use of games into two classes: game playing and game development. We discuss the Input-Process-Outcome (IPO) model for the learning process when…

The influence of violent and nonviolent computer games on implicit measures of aggressiveness.

PubMed

Bluemke, Matthias; Friedrich, Monika; Zumbach, Joerg

2010-01-01

We examined the causal relationship between playing violent video games and increases in aggressiveness by using implicit measures of aggressiveness, which have become important for accurately predicting impulsive behavioral tendencies. Ninety-six adults were randomly assigned to play one of three versions of a computer game that differed only with regard to game content (violent, peaceful, or abstract game), or to work on a reading task. In the games the environmental context, mouse gestures, and physiological arousal-as indicated by heart rate and skin conductance-were kept constant. In the violent game soldiers had to be shot, in the peaceful game sunflowers had to be watered, and the abstract game simply required clicking colored triangles. Five minutes of play did not alter trait aggressiveness, yet an Implicit Association Test detected a change in implicit aggressive self-concept. Playing a violent game produced a significant increase in implicit aggressive self-concept relative to playing a peaceful game. The well-controlled study closes a gap in the research on the causality of the link between violence exposure in computer games and aggressiveness with specific regard to implicit measures. We discuss the significance of importing recent social-cognitive theory into aggression research and stress the need for further development of aggression-related implicit measures.

Short-Term Effects of Playing Computer Games on Attention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tahiroglu, Aysegul Yolga; Celik, Gonca Gul; Avci, Ayse; Seydaoglu, Gulsah; Uzel, Mehtap; Altunbas, Handan

2010-01-01

Objective: The main aim of the present study is to investigate the short-term cognitive effects of computer games in children with different psychiatric disorders and normal controls. Method: One hundred one children are recruited for the study (aged between 9 and 12 years). All participants played a motor-racing game on the computer for 1 hour.…

Comparing Active Game-Playing Scores and Academic Performances of Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kert, Serhat Bahadir; Köskeroglu Büyükimdat, Meryem; Uzun, Ahmet; Çayiroglu, Beytullah

2017-01-01

In the educational sciences, many discussions on the use of computer games occur. Most of the scientists believe that traditional computer games are time-consuming software and that game-playing activities negatively affect students' academic performance. In this study, the accuracy of this general opinion was examined by focusing on the real…

Computer Game Theories for Designing Motivating Educational Software: A Survey Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ang, Chee Siang; Rao, G. S. V. Radha Krishna

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate computer game theories for educational software. We propose a framework for designing engaging educational games based on contemporary game studies which includes ludology and narratology. Ludology focuses on the study of computer games as play and game activities, while narratology revolves around the…

The relationship between computer games and quality of life in adolescents.

PubMed

Dolatabadi, Nayereh Kasiri; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Mostafavi, Firooze; Hassanzade, Akbar; Moradi, Azam

2013-01-01

Term of doing computer games among teenagers is growing rapidly. This popular phenomenon can cause physical and psychosocial issues in them. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between computer games and quality of life domains in adolescents aging 12-15 years. In a cross-sectional study using the 2-stage stratified cluster sampling method, 444 male and female students in Borkhar were selected. The data collection tool consisted of 1) World Health Organization Quality Of Life - BREF questionnaire and 2) personal information questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Pearson correlation, Spearman correlation, chi-square, independent t-tests and analysis of covariance. The total mean score of quality of life in students was 67.11±13.34. The results showed a significant relationship between the age of starting to play games and the overall quality of life score and its fourdomains (range r=-0.13 to -0.18). The mean of overall quality of life score in computer game users was 68.27±13.03 while it was 64.81±13.69 among those who did not play computer games and the difference was significant (P=0.01). There were significant differences in environmental and mental health domains between the two groups (P<0.05). However, there was no significant relationship between BMI with the time spent and the type of computer games. Playing computer games for a short time under parental supervision can have positive effects on quality of life in adolescents. However, spending long hours for playing computer games may have negative long-term effects.

Developing 21st Century Skills through Gameplay: To What Extent Are Young People Who Play the Online Computer Game Minecraft Acquiring and Developing Media Literacy and the Four Cs Skills?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Mia Lynn

2015-01-01

Two questions drove this case study. 1) To what extent does playing the online computer game Minecraft at home in a multiplayer environment impact a player's media literacy skills of analysis, evaluation, and access? 2) To what extent does playing the online computer game Minecraft at home in a multiplayer environment impact a player's 21st…

Virtual plagues and real-world pandemics: reflecting on the potential for online computer role-playing games to inform real world epidemic research.

PubMed

Oultram, Stuart

2013-12-01

In the wake of the Corrupted Blood incident, which afflicted the massively multiplayer online computer role-playing game World of Warcraft in 2005, it has been suggested that both, the incident itself and massively multiplayer online computer role-playing games in general, can be utilised to inform and assist real-world epidemic and public health research. In this paper, I engage critically with these claims.

Educational Adventure Games.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Fred D.

An adventure game is a role-playing game that usually, but not always, has some fantasy aspect. The role-playing aspect is the key element because players become personally involved when they assume a role, and defeat becomes personal and less acceptable than in other types of games. Computer-based role-playing games are extremely popular because…

Use of information and communication technology and prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents.

PubMed

Kautiainen, S; Koivusilta, L; Lintonen, T; Virtanen, S M; Rimpelä, A

2005-08-01

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased among children and adolescents, as well as among adults, and television viewing has been suggested as one cause. Playing digital games (video, computer and console games), or using computer may be other sedentary behaviors related to the development of overweight and obesity. To study the relationships of times spent on viewing television, playing digital games and using computer to overweight among Finnish adolescents. Mailed cross-sectional survey. Nationally representative samples of 14-, 16-, and 18-y-old (N=6515, response rate 70%) in 2001. Overweight and obesity were assessed by body mass index (BMI). The respondents reported times spent daily on viewing television, playing digital games (video, computer and console games) and using computer (for e-mail, writing and surfing). Data on timing of biological maturation, intensity of weekly physical activity and family's socio economic status were taken into account in the statistical analyses. Increased times spent on viewing television and using computer were associated with increased prevalence of overweight (obesity inclusive) among girls: compared to girls viewing television <1 h daily, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for being overweight was 1.4 when spending 1-3 h, and 2.0 when spending > or =4 h daily on viewing television. In girls using computer > or =1 h daily, the OR for being overweight was 1.5 compared to girls using computer <1 h daily. The results were similar in boys, although not statistically significant. Time spent on playing digital games was not associated with overweight. Overweight was associated with using information and communication technology (ICT), but only with certain forms of ICT. Increased use of ICT may be one factor explaining the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity at the population level, at least in girls. Playing digital games was not related to overweight, perhaps by virtue of game playing being less sedentary or related to a different lifestyle than viewing television and using computer.

[Excessive computer usage in adolescents--results of a psychometric evaluation].

PubMed

Grüsser, Sabine M; Thalemann, Ralf; Albrecht, Ulrike; Thalemann, Carolin N

2005-03-01

Excessive computer and video game playing among children is being critically discussed from a pedagogic and public health point of view. To date, no reliable data for this phenomenon in Germany exists. In the present study, the excessive usage of computer and video games is seen as a rewarding behavior which can, due to learning mechanisms, become a prominent and inadequate strategy for children to cope with negative emotions like frustration, uneasiness and fears. In the survey, 323 children ranging in age from 11 to 14 years were asked about their video game playing behavior. Criteria for excessive computer and video game playing were developed in accordance with the criteria for dependency and pathological gambling (DSM-IV, ICD-10). Data show that 9.3% (N = 30) of the children fulfill all criteria for excessive computer and video game playing. Furthermore, these children differ from their class mates with respect to watching television, communication patterns, the ability to concentrate in school lectures and the preferred strategies coping with negative emotions. In accordance with findings in studies about substance-related addiction, data suggest that excessive computer and video game players use their excessive rewarding behavior specifically as an inadequate stress coping strategy.

Understanding Computational Thinking before Programming: Developing Guidelines for the Design of Games to Learn Introductory Programming through Game-Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazimoglu, Cagin; Kiernan, Mary; Bacon, Liz; MacKinnon, Lachlan

2011-01-01

This paper outlines an innovative game-based approach to learning introductory programming that is grounded in the development of computational thinking at an abstract conceptual level, but also provides a direct contextual relationship between game-play and learning traditional introductory programming. The paper proposes a possible model for,…

Do aggressive people play violent computer games in a more aggressive way? Individual difference and idiosyncratic game-playing experience.

PubMed

Peng, Wei; Liu, Ming; Mou, Yi

2008-04-01

ABSTRACT This study investigates whether individual difference influences idiosyncratic experience of game playing. In particular, we examine the relationship between the game player's physical-aggressive personality and the aggressiveness of the player's game playing in violence-oriented video games. Screen video stream of 40 individual participants' game playing was captured and content analyzed. Participants' physical aggression was measured before the game play. The results suggest that people with more physical-aggressive personality engage in a more aggressive style of playing, after controlling the differences of gender and previous gaming experience. Implications of these findings and direction for future studies are discussed.

Computer Games as Therapy for Persons with Stroke.

PubMed

Lauterbach, Sarah A; Foreman, Matt H; Engsberg, Jack R

2013-02-01

Stroke affects approximately 800,000 individuals each year, with 65% having residual impairments. Studies have demonstrated that mass practice leads to regaining motor function in affected extremities; however, traditional therapy does not include the repetitions needed for this recovery. Videogames have been shown to be good motivators to complete repetitions. Advances in technology and low-cost hardware bring new opportunities to use computer games during stroke therapy. This study examined the use of the Microsoft (Redmond, WA) Kinect™ and Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit (FAAST) software as a therapy tool to play existing free computer games on the Internet. Three participants attended a 1-hour session where they played two games with upper extremity movements as game controls. Video was taken for analysis of movement repetitions, and questions were answered about participant history and their perceptions of the games. Participants remained engaged through both games; regardless of previous computer use all participants successfully played two games. Five minutes of game play averaged 34 repetitions of the affected extremity. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory showed a high level of satisfaction in two of the three participants. The Kinect Sensor with the FAAST software has the potential to be an economical tool to be used alongside traditional therapy to increase the number of repetitions completed in a motivating and engaging way for clients.

Media use as a reason for meal skipping and fast eating in secondary school children.

PubMed

Van den Bulck, J; Eggermont, S

2006-04-01

This study examined self-reported meal skipping and eating faster than usual with the goal of watching television or playing computer games. Respondents reported their media use and indicated how often they skipped a meal to watch a favourite television programme or to play a computer game, and how often they ate faster than usual in order to watch television or play a computer game. Respondents were 2546 adolescents of 13 (first year of secondary school) and 16 years (fourth year of secondary school) of age. About one respondent in 10 skipped at least one meal every week for either television viewing or computer game playing. Weekly meal skipping for television viewing occurs more regularly in boys and first-year students, but particularly in teenagers who view 5 h or more daily (15% of the sample). The category of teenagers who play computer games four times a week or more (25.3% of the sample) is at increased risk of meal skipping; those who play more than four times a week are 10 times more likely weekly to skip a meal. A quarter of the adolescents eat faster at least once a week to be able to watch television or play a computer game. Regardless of gender and school year, teenagers' risk of eating faster progressively increases with their use of the media. Those who watch 4 h or more daily are about seven times more likely to skip a meal for television and those who play computer games at least four times a week are nine times more likely weekly to skip a meal. Unhealthy eating habits can be a side effect of heavy or excessive media use. Teenagers' use of television or game computers during nonworking or out-of-school hours partly displaces the amount of time that needs to be spent at meals. Practitioners and educators may try to encourage or restore a pattern of healthful meal consumption habits by reducing the amount of media use, and by supporting parental rule-making regarding children's eating habits and media use.

An Early Danish Computer Game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jørgensen, Anker Helms

This paper reports on the development of Nimbi, which is an early computer game implemented at the Danish Computer Company Regnecentralen in 1962-63. Nimbi is a variant of the ancient game Nim. The paper traces the primary origins of the development of Nimbi. These include a mathematical analysis from 1901 of Nim that “killed the game” as the outcome could be predicted quite easily; the desire of the Danish inventor Piet Hein to make a game that eluded such analyses; and the desire of Piet Hein to have computers play games against humans. The development of Nimbi was successful in spite of considerable technical obstacles. However, it seems that the game was not used for publicizing the capabilities of computers - at least not widely - as was the case with earlier Nim implementations, such as the British Nim-playing computer Nimrod in 1951.

Video Games and Civic Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perkins-Gough, Deborah

2009-01-01

According to a national telephone survey by the Pew Internet Project, 99 percent of boys and 94 percent of girls ages 12-17 play computer, Web, portable, or console games; and 50 percent play such games daily. The survey report, Teens, Video Games, and Civics, examines the extent and nature of teens' game playing and sheds some light on the…

Effective affective user interface design in games.

PubMed

Johnson, Daniel; Wiles, Janet

It is proposed that games, which are designed to generate positive affect, are most successful when they facilitate flow (Csikszentmihalyi 1992). Flow is a state of concentration, deep enjoyment, and total absorption in an activity. The study of games, and a resulting understanding of flow in games can inform the design of non-leisure software for positive affect. The paper considers the ways in which computer games contravene Nielsen's guidelines for heuristic evaluation (Nielsen and Molich 1990) and how these contraventions impact on flow. The paper also explores the implications for research that stem from the differences between games played on a personal computer and games played on a dedicated console. This research takes important initial steps towards defining how flow in computer games can inform affective design.

The relationship between computer games and quality of life in adolescents

PubMed Central

Dolatabadi, Nayereh Kasiri; Eslami, Ahmad Ali; Mostafavi, Firooze; Hassanzade, Akbar; Moradi, Azam

2013-01-01

Background: Term of doing computer games among teenagers is growing rapidly. This popular phenomenon can cause physical and psychosocial issues in them. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between computer games and quality of life domains in adolescents aging 12-15 years. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study using the 2-stage stratified cluster sampling method, 444 male and female students in Borkhar were selected. The data collection tool consisted of 1) World Health Organization Quality Of Life – BREF questionnaire and 2) personal information questionnaire. The data were analyzed by Pearson correlation, Spearman correlation, chi-square, independent t-tests and analysis of covariance. Findings: The total mean score of quality of life in students was 67.11±13.34. The results showed a significant relationship between the age of starting to play games and the overall quality of life score and its fourdomains (range r=–0.13 to –0.18). The mean of overall quality of life score in computer game users was 68.27±13.03 while it was 64.81±13.69 among those who did not play computer games and the difference was significant (P=0.01). There were significant differences in environmental and mental health domains between the two groups (P<0.05). However, there was no significant relationship between BMI with the time spent and the type of computer games. Conclusion: Playing computer games for a short time under parental supervision can have positive effects on quality of life in adolescents. However, spending long hours for playing computer games may have negative long-term effects. PMID:24083270

Video Games, Gender, Diversity, and Learning as Cultural Practice: Implications for Equitable Learning and Computing Participation through Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richard, Gabriela T.

2017-01-01

Games, play, and learning have a long and embedded history that outdates digital games by many years. However, video games, computing, and technology have significant and historically documented diversity issues, which privilege whites and males as content producers, computing and gaming experts, and STEM learners and employees. Many aspects of…

Video Game Play in British and Japanese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colwell, John; Kato, Makiko

2005-01-01

Results from research into negative correlates of computer/video game play in the United Kingdom and in Japan are presented, with new analyses across cultures. Patterns of play are similar, although Japanese adolescents have been playing for longer, they play fewer aggressive games, and there is greater perceived concern by Japanese parents.…

The Playful and Reflective Game Designer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Majgaard, Gunver

2014-01-01

A group of first-semester engineering students participated in a game design course. The aim of the course was to learn how to design computer games and programming skills by creating their own games, thereby applying their game-playing experiences to gain knowledge about game design. The aim was for students to develop a more critically…

Effects of video game playing on cerebral blood flow in young adults: a SPECT study.

PubMed

Chou, Yuan-Hwa; Yang, Bang-Hung; Hsu, Ju-Wei; Wang, Shyh-Jen; Lin, Chun-Lung; Huang, Kai-Lin; Chien Chang, Alice; Lee, Shin-Min

2013-04-30

To study the impact of video game playing on the human brain, the effects of two video games playing on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in young adults were determined. Thirty healthy subjects comprising 18 males and 12 females who were familiar with video game playing were recruited. Each subject underwent three sessions of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with a bolus injection of 20 mCi (99m)Tc ECD IV to measure their CBF. The first measurement was performed as baseline, the second and third measurements were performed after playing two different video games for 30 min, respectively. Statistic parametric mapping (SPM2) with Matlab 6.5 implemented on a personal computer was used for image analysis. CBF was significantly decreased in the prefrontal cortex and significantly increased in the temporal and occipital cortices after both video games playing. Furthermore, decreased CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which was significantly correlated with the number of killed characters was found after the violent game playing. The major finding of hypo-perfusion in prefrontal regions after video game playing is consistent with a previous study showing reduced or abnormal prefrontal cortex functions after video game playing. The second finding of decreased CBF in the ACC after playing the violent video game provides support for a previous hypothesis that the ACC might play a role in regulating violent behavior. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Facilitating Preschoolers' Scientific Knowledge Construction via Computer Games Regarding Light and Shadow: The Effect of the Prediction-Observation-Explanation (POE) Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Chung-Yuan; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Liang, Jyh-Chong

2011-10-01

Educational researchers have suggested that computer games have a profound influence on students' motivation, knowledge construction, and learning performance, but little empirical research has targeted preschoolers. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of implementing a computer game that integrates the prediction-observation-explanation (POE) strategy (White and Gunstone in Probing understanding. Routledge, New York, 1992) on facilitating preschoolers' acquisition of scientific concepts regarding light and shadow. The children's alternative conceptions were explored as well. Fifty participants were randomly assigned into either an experimental group that played a computer game integrating the POE model or a control group that played a non-POE computer game. By assessing the students' conceptual understanding through interviews, this study revealed that the students in the experimental group significantly outperformed their counterparts in the concepts regarding "shadow formation in daylight" and "shadow orientation." However, children in both groups, after playing the games, still expressed some alternative conceptions such as "Shadows always appear behind a person" and "Shadows should be on the same side as the sun."

Game playing.

PubMed

Rosin, Christopher D

2014-03-01

Game playing has been a core domain of artificial intelligence research since the beginnings of the field. Game playing provides clearly defined arenas within which computational approaches can be readily compared to human expertise through head-to-head competition and other benchmarks. Game playing research has identified several simple core algorithms that provide successful foundations, with development focused on the challenges of defeating human experts in specific games. Key developments include minimax search in chess, machine learning from self-play in backgammon, and Monte Carlo tree search in Go. These approaches have generalized successfully to additional games. While computers have surpassed human expertise in a wide variety of games, open challenges remain and research focuses on identifying and developing new successful algorithmic foundations. WIREs Cogn Sci 2014, 5:193-205. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1278 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Computer Games Are Fun? On Professional Games and Players' Motivations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eglesz, Denes; Fekete, Istvan; Kiss, Orhidea Edith; Izso, Lajos

2005-01-01

As computer games are becoming more widespread, there is a tendency for young people to spend a growing amount of time playing games. The first part of this paper will deal with various types of computer games and their characteristic features. In the second part we show the results of our recent surveys. We examined the motivations of young…

Television viewing, computer game play and book reading during meals are predictors of meal skipping in a cross-sectional sample of 12-, 14- and 16-year-olds.

PubMed

Custers, Kathleen; Van den Bulck, Jan

2010-04-01

To examine whether television viewing, computer game playing or book reading during meals predicts meal skipping with the aim of watching television, playing computer games or reading books (media meal skipping). A cross-sectional study was conducted using a standardized self-administered questionnaire. Analyses were controlled for age, gender and BMI. Data were obtained from a random sample of adolescents in Flanders, Belgium. Seven hundred and ten participants aged 12, 14 and 16 years. Of the participants, 11.8 % skipped meals to watch television, 10.5 % skipped meals to play computer games and 8.2 % skipped meals to read books. Compared with those who did not use these media during meals, the risk of skipping meals in order to watch television was significantly higher for those children who watched television during meals (2.9 times higher in those who watched television during at least one meal a day). The risk of skipping meals for computer game playing was 9.5 times higher in those who played computer games weekly or more while eating, and the risk of meal skipping in order to read books was 22.9 times higher in those who read books during meals less than weekly. The more meals the respondents ate with the entire family, the less likely they were to skip meals to watch television. The use of media during meals predicts meal skipping for using that same medium. Family meals appear to be inversely related to meal skipping for television viewing.

[Game addiction].

PubMed

Mori, Akio; Iwadate, Masako; Minakawa, Nahoko T; Kawashima, Satoshi

2015-09-01

The purpose of this article is to analyze the South Korea and China of computer game research, and the current state of research in Japan. Excessive game actions were analyzed by PET-MRI, MRI, fMRI, NIRS, EEG. These results showed that the prefrontal cortical activity decreased during game play. Also, game addiction causes damage to the prefrontal cortex. The NIRS-EEG and simultaneous recording, during game play correspond well with the decrease of β band and oxygen-hemoglobin. The α band did not change with game play. However, oxygen-hemoglobin decreased during game play. South Korea, game addiction measures have been analyzed since 2002, but in Japan the research is recent.

Form One Students' Engagement with Computer Games and Its Effect on Their Academic Achievement in a Malaysian Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eow, Yee Leng; Wan Ali, Wan Zah bte; Mahmud, Rosnaini bt.; Baki, Roselan

2009-01-01

The main purpose of the study was to address the association between computer games and students' academic achievement. The exceptional growth in numbers of children playing computer games, the uneasiness and incomplete understanding foundation when starting the discussion on computer games have stimulated this study to be conducted. From a survey…

User Input Devices’ Impact on Virtual Desktop Trainers

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

effectiveness?” 3 Background • Literature Review – Evolution of game controllers – Use of Game controllers outside of video games – Personnel...computers verses console video games • Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2TM) • Sony PlayStation 3 game controller • Natural Point TrackIR 5 4 Methodology • Phases...gamers” averaged 4.6 years of experience playing video games at 2.1 hours per week – The “Gamers” averaged 10.4 years of experience playing PC Games

Challenging Notions of Gendered Game Play: Teenagers Playing the Sims

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beavis, Catherine; Charles, Claire

2005-01-01

This paper challenges notions of gendered game playing practice implicit in much research into young women's involvement with the computer gaming culture. It draws on a study of Australian teenagers playing "The Sims Deluxe" as part of an English curriculum unit and insights from feminist media studies to explore relationships between…

Developing Competencies by Playing Digital Sports-Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kretschmann, Rolf

2010-01-01

The idea of digital game-based learning (DGBL) is that students (or players) learn something by playing a computer or video game and that an educator can employ digital games to assist and boost both formal and informal learning. There is game software that is not specifically produced for educational use but which is nonetheless regularly…

Computer Game Play as an Imaginary Stage for Reading: Implicit Spatial Effects of Computer Games Embedded in Hard Copy Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Glenn Gordon

2012-01-01

This study compared books with embedded computer games (via pentop computers with microdot paper and audio feedback) with regular books with maps, in terms of fifth graders' comprehension and retention of spatial details from stories. One group read a story in hard copy with embedded computer games, the other group read it in regular book format…

Exotropia

MedlinePlus

... too much television or playing too many video games make exotropia worse? Or can video games help? Normal visual activities have no effect on ... time their children spend watching TV, playing video games, and sitting at their computers. What is sensory ...

Computers and Play in Early Childhood: Affordances and Limitations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verenikina, Irina; Herrington, Jan; Peterson, Rob; Mantei, Jessica

2010-01-01

The widespread proliferation of computer games for children as young as six months of age, merits a reexamination of their manner of use and a review of their facility to provide opportunities for developmental play. This article describes a research study conducted to explore the use of computer games by young children, specifically to…

All Play and No Work: Computer Games Are Invading the Classroom--And Not a Moment Too Soon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKenty, Bill

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses how computer games can be used successfully in classrooms. The author also relates how one of his struggling students has become excited about learning when he introduced computer games as part of his lessons. The author also cites the factors that make computer games better in inspiring students over…

An Application of Games-Based Learning within Software Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Thomas M.; Stansfield, Mark; Hainey, Thomas

2007-01-01

For some time now, computer games have played an important role in both children and adults' leisure activities. While there has been much written on the negative aspects of computer games, it has also been recognised that they have potential advantages and benefits. There is no doubt that computer games are highly engaging and incorporate…

Reconceptualizing Pedagogical Usability of and Teachers' Roles in Computer Game-Based Learning in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tzuo, Pei-Wen; Ling, Jennifer Isabelle Ong Pei; Yang, Chien-Hui; Chen, Vivian Hsueh-Hua

2012-01-01

At present, methods for the optimal use of two approaches to computer game-based learning in school to enhance students' learning, namely, computer game play and game design, are obscure because past research has been devoted more to designing rather than evaluating the implementation of these approaches in school. In addition, most studies…

Interactive Story Authoring: A Viable Form of Creative Expression for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carbonaro, M.; Cutumisu, M.; Duff, H.; Gillis, S.; Onuczko, C.; Siegel, J.; Schaeffer, J.; Schumacher, A.; Szafron, D.; Waugh, K.

2008-01-01

The unprecedented growth in numbers of children playing computer games has stimulated discussion and research regarding what, if any, educational value these games have for teaching and learning. The research on this topic has primarily focused on children as players of computer games rather than builders/constructors of computer games. Recently,…

Children's Narrative Development through Computer Game Authoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Judy; Good, Judith

2005-01-01

Playing computer games is an extremely popular leisure activity for children. In fact, the computer games market in the UK is now double that of the video rental market, and substantially larger than cinema box office sales, and under people under the age of 18 make up 38% of these game players. Based on the popularity and strong motivational…

The Influence of an Educational Computer Game on Children's Cultural Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hsiang-Ping; Lien, Chi-Jui; Annetta, Len; Lu, Yu-Ling

2010-01-01

This study develops an educational computer game, FORmosaHope (FH), to explore the influences that an educational computer game might have on children's cultural identities. FH is a role-playing game, in which children can actively explore a mini-world to learn about science, technology, and society. One hundred and thirty sixth-graders, about…

Are the effects of Unreal violent video games pronounced when playing with a virtual reality system?

PubMed

Arriaga, Patrícia; Esteves, Francisco; Carneiro, Paula; Monteiro, Maria Benedicta

2008-01-01

This study was conducted to analyze the short-term effects of violent electronic games, played with or without a virtual reality (VR) device, on the instigation of aggressive behavior. Physiological arousal (heart rate (HR)), priming of aggressive thoughts, and state hostility were also measured to test their possible mediation on the relationship between playing the violent game (VG) and aggression. The participants--148 undergraduate students--were randomly assigned to four treatment conditions: two groups played a violent computer game (Unreal Tournament), and the other two a non-violent game (Motocross Madness), half with a VR device and the remaining participants on the computer screen. In order to assess the game effects the following instruments were used: a BIOPAC System MP100 to measure HR, an Emotional Stroop task to analyze the priming of aggressive and fear thoughts, a self-report State Hostility Scale to measure hostility, and a competitive reaction-time task to assess aggressive behavior. The main results indicated that the violent computer game had effects on state hostility and aggression. Although no significant mediation effect could be detected, regression analyses showed an indirect effect of state hostility between playing a VG and aggression. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

What "World of Warcraft" Is Teaching Us about Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ackerman, Lyn Kajiwara

2017-01-01

Video games are a growing multi-billion dollar industry. Pew Internet & American Life Project (2008) reported that 97 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 years play computer, web, portable, or console games. Of the various genres that were reported, 36 percent of teens played role playing games and 21 percent played massively multiplayer online…

Participant perceptions of use of CyWee Z as adjunct to rehabilitation of upper-limb function following stroke.

PubMed

Hale, Leigh A; Satherley, Jessica A; McMillan, Nicole J; Milosavljevic, Stephan; Hijmans, Juha M; King, Marcus J

2012-01-01

This article reports on the perceptions of 14 adults with chronic stroke who participated in a pilot study to determine the utility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of using an adapted CyWee Z handheld game controller to play a variety of computer games aimed at improving upper-limb function. Four qualitative in-depth interviews and two focus groups explored participant perceptions. Data were thematically analyzed with the general inductive approach. Participants enjoyed playing the computer games with the technology. The perceived benefits included improved upper-limb function, concentration, and balance; however, six participants reported shoulder and/or arm pain or discomfort, which presented while they were engaged in play but appeared to ease during rest. Participants suggested changes to the games and provided opinions on the use of computer games in rehabilitation. Using an adapted CyWee Z controller and computer games in upper-limb rehabilitation for people with chronic stroke is an acceptable and potentially beneficial adjunct to rehabilitation. The development of shoulder pain was a negative side effect for some participants and requires further investigation.

The Play Theory and Computer Games Using in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerkushenko, Svetlana; Gerkushenko, Georgy

2014-01-01

The article describes the role of play in child's development and identifies the characteristics of mature play in preschool age. The paper gives an overview of the computer games for preschool children used in Russian kindergartens. The research conducted with 50 Russian kindergarten teachers provides the analysis of the most important factors of…

Excessive Use of Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Games: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Zaheer; Griffiths, Mark D.

2009-01-01

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are one of the most interesting innovations in the area of online computer gaming. This pilot study set out to examine the psychological and social effects of online gaming using an online questionnaire with particular reference to excessive and "dependent" online gaming. A self-selecting…

IMPROVING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF EVERYDAY CHEMICAL EXPOSURES THROUGH A 3-D ONLINE COMPUTER-SIMULATED EDUCATIONAL GAME

EPA Science Inventory

The game we have developed is named Virtual P3 Game, where P3 is interpreted as “play, participation, and protection”, which implies that the game is designed and played in a virtual world and the goal of the game is to promote public participation in the environme...

User Experience in Digital Games: Differences between Laboratory and Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takatalo, Jari; Hakkinen, Jukka; Kaistinen, Jyrki; Nyman, Gote

2011-01-01

Playing entertainment computer, video, and portable games, namely, digital games, is receiving more and more attention in academic research. Games are studied in different situations with numerous methods, but little is known about if and how the playing situation affects the user experience (UX) in games. In addition, it is hard to understand and…

Young children's video/computer game use: relations with school performance and behavior.

PubMed

Hastings, Erin C; Karas, Tamara L; Winsler, Adam; Way, Erin; Madigan, Amy; Tyler, Shannon

2009-10-01

This study examined the amount and content of children's video game playing in relation with behavioral and academic outcomes. Relationships among playing context, child gender, and parental monitoring were explored. Data were obtained through parent report of child's game play, behavior, and school performance. Results revealed that time spent playing games was related positively to aggression and negatively to school competence. Violent content was correlated positively and educational content negatively with attention problems. Educational games were related to good academic achievement. Results suggest violent games, and a large amount of game play, are related to troublesome behavioral and academic outcomes, but educational games may be related to positive outcomes. Neither gender nor parental monitoring emerged as significant moderators of these effects.

Correlates of video games playing among adolescents in an Islamic country

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background No study has ever explored the prevalence and correlates of video game playing among children in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study describes patterns and correlates of excessive video game use in a random sample of middle-school students in Iran. Specifically, we examine the relationship between video game playing and psychological well-being, aggressive behaviors, and adolescents' perceived threat of video-computer game playing. Methods This cross-sectional study was performed with a random sample of 444 adolescents recruited from eight middle schools. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire covered socio-demographics, video gaming behaviors, mental health status, self-reported aggressive behaviors, and perceived side effects of video game playing. Results Overall, participants spent an average of 6.3 hours per week playing video games. Moreover, 47% of participants reported that they had played one or more intensely violent games. Non-gamers reported suffering poorer mental health compared to excessive gamers. Both non-gamers and excessive gamers overall reported suffering poorer mental health compared to low or moderate players. Participants who initiated gaming at younger ages were more likely to score poorer in mental health measures. Participants' self-reported aggressive behaviors were associated with length of gaming. Boys, but not girls, who reported playing video games excessively showed more aggressive behaviors. A multiple binary logistic regression shows that when controlling for other variables, older students, those who perceived less serious side effects of video gaming, and those who have personal computers, were more likely to report that they had played video games excessively. Conclusion Our data show a curvilinear relationship between video game playing and mental health outcomes, with "moderate" gamers faring best and "excessive" gamers showing mild increases in problematic behaviors. Interestingly, "non-gamers" clearly show the worst outcomes. Therefore, both children and parents of non-game players should be updated about the positive impact of moderate video gaming. Educational interventions should also be designed to educate adolescents and their parents of the possible harmful impact of excessive video game playing on their health and psychosocial functioning. PMID:20507610

Correlates of video games playing among adolescents in an Islamic country.

PubMed

Allahverdipour, Hamid; Bazargan, Mohsen; Farhadinasab, Abdollah; Moeini, Babak

2010-05-27

No study has ever explored the prevalence and correlates of video game playing among children in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study describes patterns and correlates of excessive video game use in a random sample of middle-school students in Iran. Specifically, we examine the relationship between video game playing and psychological well-being, aggressive behaviors, and adolescents' perceived threat of video-computer game playing. This cross-sectional study was performed with a random sample of 444 adolescents recruited from eight middle schools. A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire covered socio-demographics, video gaming behaviors, mental health status, self-reported aggressive behaviors, and perceived side effects of video game playing. Overall, participants spent an average of 6.3 hours per week playing video games. Moreover, 47% of participants reported that they had played one or more intensely violent games. Non-gamers reported suffering poorer mental health compared to excessive gamers. Both non-gamers and excessive gamers overall reported suffering poorer mental health compared to low or moderate players. Participants who initiated gaming at younger ages were more likely to score poorer in mental health measures. Participants' self-reported aggressive behaviors were associated with length of gaming. Boys, but not girls, who reported playing video games excessively showed more aggressive behaviors. A multiple binary logistic regression shows that when controlling for other variables, older students, those who perceived less serious side effects of video gaming, and those who have personal computers, were more likely to report that they had played video games excessively. Our data show a curvilinear relationship between video game playing and mental health outcomes, with "moderate" gamers faring best and "excessive" gamers showing mild increases in problematic behaviors. Interestingly, "non-gamers" clearly show the worst outcomes. Therefore, both children and parents of non-game players should be updated about the positive impact of moderate video gaming. Educational interventions should also be designed to educate adolescents and their parents of the possible harmful impact of excessive video game playing on their health and psychosocial functioning.

Examining human behavior in video games: The development of a computational model to measure aggression.

PubMed

Lamb, Richard; Annetta, Leonard; Hoston, Douglas; Shapiro, Marina; Matthews, Benjamin

2018-06-01

Video games with violent content have raised considerable concern in popular media and within academia. Recently, there has been considerable attention regarding the claim of the relationship between aggression and video game play. The authors of this study propose the use of a new class of tools developed via computational models to allow examination of the question of whether there is a relationship between violent video games and aggression. The purpose of this study is to computationally model and compare the General Aggression Model with the Diathesis Mode of Aggression related to the play of violent content in video games. A secondary purpose is to provide a method of measuring and examining individual aggression arising from video game play. Total participants examined for this study are N = 1065. This study occurs in three phases. Phase 1 is the development and quantification of the profile combination of traits via latent class profile analysis. Phase 2 is the training of the artificial neural network. Phase 3 is the comparison of each model as a computational model with and without the presence of video game violence. Results suggest that a combination of environmental factors and genetic predispositions trigger aggression related to video games.

Replaying the game: hypnagogic images in normals and amnesics.

PubMed

Stickgold, R; Malia, A; Maguire, D; Roddenberry, D; O'Connor, M

2000-10-13

Participants playing the computer game Tetris reported intrusive, stereotypical, visual images of the game at sleep onset. Three amnesic patients with extensive bilateral medial temporal lobe damage produced similar hypnagogic reports despite being unable to recall playing the game, suggesting that such imagery may arise without important contribution from the declarative memory system. In addition, control participants reported images from previously played versions of the game, demonstrating that remote memories can influence the images from recent waking experience.

Mental Rotation Ability and Computer Game Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gecu, Zeynep; Cagiltay, Kursat

2015-01-01

Computer games, which are currently very popular among students, can affect different cognitive abilities. The purpose of the present study is to examine undergraduate students' experiences and preferences in playing computer games as well as their mental rotation abilities. A total of 163 undergraduate students participated. The results showed a…

Press Play for Learning: A Framework to Guide Serious Computer Game Use in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southgate, Erica; Budd, Janene; Smith, Shamus

2017-01-01

Computer gaming is a global phenomenon and there has been rapid growth in "serious" games for learning. An emergent body of evidence demonstrates how serious games can be used in primary and secondary school classrooms. Despite the popularity of serious games and their pedagogical potential, there are few specialised frameworks to guide…

Play for Performance: Using Computer Games to Improve Motivation and Test-Taking Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennis, Alan R.; Bhagwatwar, Akshay; Minas, Randall K.

2013-01-01

The importance of testing, especially certification and high-stakes testing, has increased substantially over the past decade. Building on the "serious gaming" literature and the psychology "priming" literature, we developed a computer game designed to improve test-taking performance using psychological priming. The game primed…

An Exploration of Cognitive Agility as Quantified by Attention Allocation in a Complex Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

quantified by eye-tracking data collected while subjects played a military-relevant cognitive agility computer game (Make Goal), to determine whether...subjects played a military-relevant cognitive agility computer game (Make Goal), to determine whether certain patterns are associated with effective...Group and Control Group on Eye Tracking and Game Performance .....................36 3. Comparison between High and Low Performers on Eye tracking and

The Use of Board Games in Child Psychotherapy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oren, Ayala

2008-01-01

Playing checkers, football or more recently, computer games, is an important part of the latency child's culture. The ability to play games demands a level of emotional development similar to that needed to cope with the emotional/developmental demands characteristic of latency. A game shared by the therapist and child provides a picture of the…

Young Children’s Video/Computer Game Use: Relations with School Performance and Behavior

PubMed Central

Hastings, Erin C.; Karas, Tamara L.; Winsler, Adam; Way, Erin; Madigan, Amy; Tyler, Shannon

2011-01-01

This study examined the amount and content of children’s video game playing in relation with behavioral and academic outcomes. Relationships among playing context, child gender, and parental monitoring were explored. Data were obtained through parent report of child’s game play, behavior, and school performance. Results revealed that time spent playing games was related positively to aggression and negatively to school competence. Violent content was correlated positively and educational content negatively with attention problems. Educational games were related to good academic achievement. Results suggest violent games, and a large amount of game play, are related to troublesome behavioral and academic outcomes, but educational games may be related to positive outcomes. Neither gender nor parental monitoring emerged as significant moderators of these effects. PMID:19742374

Learning by gaming - evaluation of an online game for children.

PubMed

Lazareck, Lisa J; Farrell, David; Kostkova, Patty; Lecky, Donna M; McNulty, Cliodna A M; Weerasinghe, Dasun

2010-01-01

Playing computer games is widely popular among children and teenagers as an entertainment activity; meanwhile, playing computer games also provides a learning opportunity. For example, the rules of the game have to be learned by the player in order to improve his/her performance. Based on that principle, the City eHealth Research Centre (CeRC) developed a web game for 13-15 year olds, whereby the player becomes an investigator who attends the scene of an incident that involves microbes. There are four missions in total, each involving a mystery that the player needs to solve and learning objectives that need to be taught - such as antibiotic resistance and the importance of hygiene. This paper presents the results from a game evaluation that took place between July of 2009, in four UK schools (Glasgow, Gloucester, London), with 129 students; whereby 98% of the students commented positively about playing the game. Subsequently, CeRC has improved the game and developed an interactive educational games portal (www.edugames4all.com) for different age groups of web game enthusiasts.

Addictive Online Games: Examining the Relationship Between Game Genres and Internet Gaming Disorder.

PubMed

Lemmens, Jeroen S; Hendriks, Stefan J F

2016-04-01

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is the most recent term used to describe problematic or pathological involvement with computer or video games. This study examined whether this disorder is more likely to involve pathological involvement with online (i.e., Internet) games as opposed to offline games. We also explored the addictive potential of nine video game genres by examining the relationship between IGD and 2,720 games played by a sample of 13- to 40-year olds (N = 2,442). Although time spent playing both online and offline games was related to IGD, online games showed much stronger correlations. This tendency is also reflected within various genres. Disordered gamers spent more than four times as much time playing online role-playing games than nondisordered gamers and more than thrice as much time playing online shooters, whereas no significant differences for offline games from these genres were found. Results are discussed within the frame of social interaction and competition provided by online games.

The Individual Versus the Computer: An Examination of Attitude Problems and Their Impact on System Development.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

during a game session with the computer: "Does it record my patterns from the other games so that it knows what I do? I bet it does. I bet it knows...having subjects play computer games , they found them making frequent verbalizations (exclamations and commentary) toward the computer, often laced...with profanity over being beaten by a computer game [Ref. 62]. 3. PRECONCEIVED IDEAS AND PHILOSOPHICAL OBJECTIONS dany people who have never dealt

Gamification and serious games for personalized health.

PubMed

McCallum, Simon

2012-01-01

Computer games are no longer just a trivial activity played by children in arcades. Social networking and casual gaming have broadened the market for, and acceptance of, games. This has coincided with a realization of their power to engage and motivate players. Good computer games are excellent examples of modern educational theory [1]. The military, health providers, governments, and educators, all use computer games. This paper focuses on Games for Health, discussing the range of areas and approaches to developing these games. We extend a taxonomy for Games for Health, describe a case study on games for dementia sufferers, and finally, present some challenges and research opportunities in this area.

Internet use among Turkish adolescents.

PubMed

Tahiroglu, Aysegul Yolga; Celik, Gonca G; Uzel, Mehtap; Ozcan, Neslihan; Avci, Ayse

2008-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate Internet use habits and problematic Internet use (PIU) in Turkish adolescents. Participants were 3,975 undergraduate students, 7.6% of whom used the Internet for more than 12 hours weekly. The Online Cognition Scale (OCS) was used. The most common purpose for using the Internet was playing games, followed by general information search. Female users mostly preferred searching for general information; male users preferred playing games (p < 0.001, gamma = 995.205). The most preferred type of game was violent games. While preference for strategy and fantasy role-play (FRP) games increased with age, preference for other games decreased (p < 0.0001, gamma = 283.767). Participants who used the Internet mostly for general information searches and school-related searches had lower OCS scores (p < 0.0001). The highest OCS scores were related to violent games, followed by FRP, strategy, and sports and motor racing games. Computers and the Internet are useful, important inventions, but like other inventions, if used improperly, they may be harmful. Risk of harm raises concerns about who should use the Internet and computers, and where, when, and why the Internet and computers should be used.

Effects of Playing a Serious Computer Game on Body Mass Index and Nutrition Knowledge in Women.

PubMed

Shiyko, Mariya; Hallinan, Sean; Seif El-Nasr, Magy; Subramanian, Shree; Castaneda-Sceppa, Carmen

2016-06-02

Obesity and weight gain is a critical public health concern. Serious digital games are gaining popularity in the context of health interventions. They use persuasive and fun design features to engage users in health-related behaviors in a non-game context. As a young field, research about effectiveness and acceptability of such games for weight loss is sparse. The goal of this study was to evaluate real-world play patterns of SpaPlay and its impact on body mass index (BMI) and nutritional knowledge. SpaPlay is a computer game designed to help women adopt healthier dietary and exercise behaviors, developed based on Self-Determination theory and the Player Experience of Need Satisfaction (PENS) model. Progress in the game is tied to real-life activities (e.g., eating a healthy snack, taking a flight of stairs). We recruited 47 women to partake in a within-subject 90-day longitudinal study, with assessments taken at baseline, 1-, 2-, and 3- months. Women were on average, 29.8 years old (±7.3), highly educated (80.9% had BA or higher), 39% non-White, baseline BMI 26.98 (±5.6), who reported at least contemplating making changes in their diet and exercise routine based on the Stages of Change Model. We computed 9 indices from game utilization data to evaluate game play. We used general linear models to examine inter-individual differences between levels of play, and multilevel models to assess temporal changes in BMI and nutritional knowledge. Patterns of game play were mixed. Participants who reported being in the preparation or action stages of behavior change exhibited more days of play and more play regularity compared to those who were in the contemplation stage. Additionally, women who reported playing video games 1-2 hours per session demonstrated more sparse game play. Brief activities, such as one-time actions related to physical activity or healthy food, were preferred over activities that require a longer commitment (e.g., taking stairs every day for a week). BMI decreased significantly (P<.001) from baseline to 3-month follow-up, yielding a large effect size of 1.28. Nutritional knowledge increased significantly (P<.001) from first to third month follow-ups, with an effect size of .86. The degree of change in both outcomes was related to game play, baseline readiness to change, and the extent of video game play in general. This work demonstrates initial evidence of success for using a serious game as an intervention for health behavior change in real world settings. Our findings also highlight the need to understand not only game effectiveness but also inter-individual differences. Individualizing content and the intervention medium appears to be necessary for a more personalized and long-lasting impact.

Relationships between electronic game play, obesity, and psychosocial functioning in young men.

PubMed

Wack, Elizabeth; Tantleff-Dunn, Stacey

2009-04-01

Most estimates suggest that American youth are spending a large amount of time playing video and computer games, spurring researchers to examine the impact this media has on various aspects of health and psychosocial functioning. The current study investigated relationships between frequency of electronic game play and obesity, the social/emotional context of electronic game play, and academic performance among 219 college-aged males. Current game players reported a weekly average of 9.73 hours of game play, with almost 10% of current players reporting an average of 35 hours of play per week. Results indicated that frequency of play was not significantly related to body mass index or grade point average. However, there was a significant positive correlation between frequency of play and self-reported frequency of playing when bored, lonely, or stressed. As opposed to the general conception of electronic gaming as detrimental to functioning, the results suggest that gaming among college-aged men may provide a healthy source of socialization, relaxation, and coping.

Chapter 4. Students' Attitudes toward Computer Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russian Education and Society, 2004

2004-01-01

In this chapter, the authors attempt not only to discern aspects that relate to age, place, and the amount of time devoted to playing computer games in adolescence, but also to study content characteristics of their attitudes such as: the developmental dynamic in the change of their genre preferences in computer games, changes in factors that…

A Review of Humor for Computer Games: Play, Laugh and More

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dormann, Claire; Biddle, Robert

2009-01-01

Computer games are now becoming ways to communicate, teach, and influence attitudes and behavior. In this article, we address the role of humor in computer games, especially in support of serious purposes. We begin with a review of the main theories of humor, including superiority, incongruity, and relief. These theories and their…

The Effects of Computer-Simulation Game Training on Participants' Opinions on Leadership Styles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siewiorek, Anna; Gegenfurtner, Andreas; Lainema, Timo; Saarinen, Eeli; Lehtinen, Erno

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to elucidate new information on the possibility of leadership training through business computer-simulation gaming in a virtual working context. In the study, a business-simulation gaming session was organised for graduate students ("n"?=?26). The participants played the simulation game in virtual teams…

Video game playing time and cardiometabolic risk in adolescents: the AFINOS study.

PubMed

Martinez-Gómez, David; Gomez-Martinez, Sonia; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Ortega, Francisco B; Marcos, Ascension; Veiga, Oscar L

2012-09-22

We aimed to examine the association of video games playing time with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers in adolescents. This study comprised 181 adolescents (88 girls), aged 13- to 17 years old. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured by accelerometry, and video game playing time in computer and console was self-reported. Waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (BP) and diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin, and apolipoproteins A-1 and B-100 were measured. Computer games use was not significantly associated with any biomarker (P>0.1) but the time spent using console games was positively associated with diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, triglycerides, and a clustered cardiometabolic risk score. These results were independent of age, sex, pubertal stage, MVPA, and WC. These results support some evidence regarding a plausible unfavorable role of playing (console) video games on cardiometabolic health in adolescence. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Learning Strategies and Learner Attitudes in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Cube World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goh, Shu Li

2016-01-01

The rapid progress of technology has revolutionized learning and in the field of computer assisted language learning, the use of digital games has expanded significantly. One type of game that has been attracting interest is massively multiplayer online role-playing games (henceforth MMORPGs). Recent research has drawn attention to the potential…

25 CFR 502.7 - Electronic, computer or other technologic aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... other technologic aid means any machine or device that: (1) Assists a player or the playing of a game... not limited to, machines or devices that: (1) Broaden the participation levels in a common game; (2) Facilitate communication between and among gaming sites; or (3) Allow a player to play a game with or against...

25 CFR 502.7 - Electronic, computer or other technologic aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... other technologic aid means any machine or device that: (1) Assists a player or the playing of a game... not limited to, machines or devices that: (1) Broaden the participation levels in a common game; (2) Facilitate communication between and among gaming sites; or (3) Allow a player to play a game with or against...

25 CFR 502.7 - Electronic, computer or other technologic aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... other technologic aid means any machine or device that: (1) Assists a player or the playing of a game... not limited to, machines or devices that: (1) Broaden the participation levels in a common game; (2) Facilitate communication between and among gaming sites; or (3) Allow a player to play a game with or against...

25 CFR 502.7 - Electronic, computer or other technologic aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... other technologic aid means any machine or device that: (1) Assists a player or the playing of a game... not limited to, machines or devices that: (1) Broaden the participation levels in a common game; (2) Facilitate communication between and among gaming sites; or (3) Allow a player to play a game with or against...

25 CFR 502.7 - Electronic, computer or other technologic aid.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... other technologic aid means any machine or device that: (1) Assists a player or the playing of a game... not limited to, machines or devices that: (1) Broaden the participation levels in a common game; (2) Facilitate communication between and among gaming sites; or (3) Allow a player to play a game with or against...

Recent Advances in General Game Playing

PubMed Central

Świechowski, Maciej; Park, HyunSoo; Mańdziuk, Jacek; Kim, Kyung-Joong

2015-01-01

The goal of General Game Playing (GGP) has been to develop computer programs that can perform well across various game types. It is natural for human game players to transfer knowledge from games they already know how to play to other similar games. GGP research attempts to design systems that work well across different game types, including unknown new games. In this review, we present a survey of recent advances (2011 to 2014) in GGP for both traditional games and video games. It is notable that research on GGP has been expanding into modern video games. Monte-Carlo Tree Search and its enhancements have been the most influential techniques in GGP for both research domains. Additionally, international competitions have become important events that promote and increase GGP research. Recently, a video GGP competition was launched. In this survey, we review recent progress in the most challenging research areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) related to universal game playing. PMID:26380375

Recent Advances in General Game Playing.

PubMed

Świechowski, Maciej; Park, HyunSoo; Mańdziuk, Jacek; Kim, Kyung-Joong

2015-01-01

The goal of General Game Playing (GGP) has been to develop computer programs that can perform well across various game types. It is natural for human game players to transfer knowledge from games they already know how to play to other similar games. GGP research attempts to design systems that work well across different game types, including unknown new games. In this review, we present a survey of recent advances (2011 to 2014) in GGP for both traditional games and video games. It is notable that research on GGP has been expanding into modern video games. Monte-Carlo Tree Search and its enhancements have been the most influential techniques in GGP for both research domains. Additionally, international competitions have become important events that promote and increase GGP research. Recently, a video GGP competition was launched. In this survey, we review recent progress in the most challenging research areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) related to universal game playing.

Problematic computer game use as expression of Internet addiction and its association with self-rated health in the Lithuanian adolescent population.

PubMed

Ustinavičienė, Ruta; Škėmienė, Lina; Lukšienė, Dalia; Radišauskas, Ričardas; Kalinienė, Gintarė; Vasilavičius, Paulius

2016-01-01

Computers and the Internet have become an integral part of today's life. Problematic gaming is related to adolescent's health. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of Internet addiction among 13-18-year-old schoolchildren and its relation to sex, age, and time spent playing computer games, game type, and subjective health evaluation. A total of 1806 schoolchildren aged 13-18 years were interviewed. The evaluation of Internet addiction was conducted by the Diagnostic Questionnaire according to Young's methodology. The relation between the choice of computer games type, time spent while playing computer games and respondents' Internet addiction were assessed by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. One-tenth (10.6%) of the boys and 7.7% of the girls aged 13-18 years were Internet addicted. Internet addiction was associated with the type of computer game (action or combat vs. logic) among boys (OR=2.42; 95% CI, 1.03-5.67) and with the amount of time spent playing computer games per day during the last month (≥5 vs. <5h) among girls (OR=2.10; 95% CI, 1.19-3.70). The boys who were addicted to the Internet were more likely to rate their health poorer in comparison to their peers who were not addicted to the Internet (OR=2.48; 95% CI, 1.33-4.62). Internet addiction was significantly associated with poorer self-rated health among boys. Copyright © 2016 The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Stretching Capabilities: Children with Disabilities Playing TV and Computer Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasterfors, David

2011-01-01

Intervention studies show that if children with disabilities play motion-controlled TV and computer games for training purposes their motivation increases and their training becomes more intensive, but why this happens has not been explained. This article addresses this question with the help of ethnographic material from a public project in…

The Association Between Video Game Play and Cognitive Function: Does Gaming Platform Matter?

PubMed

Huang, Vivian; Young, Michaelia; Fiocco, Alexandra J

2017-11-01

Despite consumer growth, few studies have evaluated the cognitive effects of gaming using mobile devices. This study examined the association between video game play platform and cognitive performance. Furthermore, the differential effect of video game genre (action versus nonaction) was explored. Sixty undergraduate students completed a video game experience questionnaire, and we divided them into three groups: mobile video game players (MVGPs), console/computer video game players (CVGPs), and nonvideo game players (NVGPs). Participants completed a cognitive battery to assess executive function, and learning and memory. Controlling for sex and ethnicity, analyses showed that frequent video game play is associated with enhanced executive function, but not learning and memory. MVGPs were significantly more accurate on working memory performances than NVGPs. Both MVGPs and CVGPs were similarly associated with enhanced cognitive function, suggesting that platform does not significantly determine the benefits of frequent video game play. Video game platform was found to differentially associate with preference for action video game genre and motivation for gaming. Exploratory analyses show that sex significantly effects frequent video game play, platform and genre preference, and cognitive function. This study represents a novel exploration of the relationship between mobile video game play and cognition and adds support to the cognitive benefits of frequent video game play.

Relationships between Computer and Video Game Play and Creativity among Upper Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamlen, Karla R.

2009-01-01

This study explored relationships between time spent playing video games in a typical week and general creativity, as measured by a common assessment. One hundred eighteen students in 4th and 5th grades answered questions about their video game play and completed the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (Torrance, Orlow, & Safter, 1990). While…

The neural processing of voluntary completed, real and virtual violent and nonviolent computer game scenarios displaying predefined actions in gamers and nongamers.

PubMed

Regenbogen, Christina; Herrmann, Manfred; Fehr, Thorsten

2010-01-01

Studies investigating the effects of violent computer and video game playing have resulted in heterogeneous outcomes. It has been assumed that there is a decreased ability to differentiate between virtuality and reality in people that play these games intensively. FMRI data of a group of young males with (gamers) and without (controls) a history of long-term violent computer game playing experience were obtained during the presentation of computer game and realistic video sequences. In gamers the processing of real violence in contrast to nonviolence produced activation clusters in right inferior frontal, left lingual and superior temporal brain regions. Virtual violence activated a network comprising bilateral inferior frontal, occipital, postcentral, right middle temporal, and left fusiform regions. Control participants showed extended left frontal, insula and superior frontal activations during the processing of real, and posterior activations during the processing of virtual violent scenarios. The data suggest that the ability to differentiate automatically between real and virtual violence has not been diminished by a long-term history of violent video game play, nor have gamers' neural responses to real violence in particular been subject to desensitization processes. However, analyses of individual data indicated that group-related analyses reflect only a small part of actual individual different neural network involvement, suggesting that the consideration of individual learning history is sufficient for the present discussion.

The Effects of Modern Mathematics Computer Games on Mathematics Achievement and Class Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kebritchi, Mansureh; Hirumi, Atsusi; Bai, Haiyan

2010-01-01

This study examined the effects of a computer game on students' mathematics achievement and motivation, and the role of prior mathematics knowledge, computer skill, and English language skill on their achievement and motivation as they played the game. A total of 193 students and 10 teachers participated in this study. The teachers were randomly…

Games Children Play: The Effects of Media Violence on Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellisch, Mimi

2000-01-01

Noting that most children living in Australia have access to a television, video games, and computers and are influenced by the content of their viewing and interactive games, this report examines the impact of media violence on young children. Topics discussed include the recognition of violence on television and video/computer games, reasons for…

Social Learning in MMOG: An Activity Theoretical Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ang, Chee Siang; Zaphiris, Panayiotis

2008-01-01

Purpose: Recently, researchers have begun investigating the learning process that occurs within computer games (learning to play), as opposed to studying games that support explicit learning for educational purposes (playing to learn). With the increasing popularity of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), some research has begun to look…

Beyond self-selection in video game play: an experimental examination of the consequences of massively multiplayer online role-playing game play.

PubMed

Smyth, Joshua M

2007-10-01

There is burgeoning interest in the study of video games. Existing work is limited by the use of correlational designs and is thus unable to make causal inferences or remove self-selection biases from observed results. The recent development of online, socially integrated video games (massively multiplayer online role-playing games [MMORPGs]) has created a new experience for gamers. This randomized, longitudinal study examined the effects of being assigned to play different video game types on game usage, health, well-being, sleep, socializing, and academics. One hundred 18- to 20-year-old participants (73% male; 68% Caucasian) were randomly assigned to play arcade, console, solo computer, or MMORPG games for 1 month. The MMORPG group differed significantly from other groups after 1 month, reporting more hours spent playing, worse health, worse sleep quality, and greater interference in "real-life" socializing and academic work. In contrast, this group also reported greater enjoyment in playing, greater interest in continuing to play, and greater acquisition of new friendships. MMORPGs represent a different gaming experience with different consequences than other types of video games and appear to pose both unique risks and benefits from their use.

Effects of Playing a Serious Computer Game on Body Mass Index and Nutrition Knowledge in Women

PubMed Central

Hallinan, Sean; Seif El-Nasr, Magy; Subramanian, Shree; Castaneda-Sceppa, Carmen

2016-01-01

Background Obesity and weight gain is a critical public health concern. Serious digital games are gaining popularity in the context of health interventions. They use persuasive and fun design features to engage users in health-related behaviors in a non-game context. As a young field, research about effectiveness and acceptability of such games for weight loss is sparse. Objective The goal of this study was to evaluate real-world play patterns of SpaPlay and its impact on body mass index (BMI) and nutritional knowledge. SpaPlay is a computer game designed to help women adopt healthier dietary and exercise behaviors, developed based on Self-Determination theory and the Player Experience of Need Satisfaction (PENS) model. Progress in the game is tied to real-life activities (e.g., eating a healthy snack, taking a flight of stairs). Methods We recruited 47 women to partake in a within-subject 90-day longitudinal study, with assessments taken at baseline, 1-, 2-, and 3- months. Women were on average, 29.8 years old (±7.3), highly educated (80.9% had BA or higher), 39% non-White, baseline BMI 26.98 (±5.6), who reported at least contemplating making changes in their diet and exercise routine based on the Stages of Change Model. We computed 9 indices from game utilization data to evaluate game play. We used general linear models to examine inter-individual differences between levels of play, and multilevel models to assess temporal changes in BMI and nutritional knowledge. Results Patterns of game play were mixed. Participants who reported being in the preparation or action stages of behavior change exhibited more days of play and more play regularity compared to those who were in the contemplation stage. Additionally, women who reported playing video games 1-2 hours per session demonstrated more sparse game play. Brief activities, such as one-time actions related to physical activity or healthy food, were preferred over activities that require a longer commitment (e.g., taking stairs every day for a week). BMI decreased significantly (P<.001) from baseline to 3-month follow-up, yielding a large effect size of 1.28. Nutritional knowledge increased significantly (P<.001) from first to third month follow-ups, with an effect size of .86. The degree of change in both outcomes was related to game play, baseline readiness to change, and the extent of video game play in general. Conclusions This work demonstrates initial evidence of success for using a serious game as an intervention for health behavior change in real world settings. Our findings also highlight the need to understand not only game effectiveness but also inter-individual differences. Individualizing content and the intervention medium appears to be necessary for a more personalized and long-lasting impact. PMID:27255497

Seri Rama: converting a shadow play puppet to Street Fighter.

PubMed

Ghani, D B A

2012-01-01

Shadow puppet plays, a traditional Malaysian theater art, is slowly losing its appeal to adolescents, who prefer computer games. To help reverse this decline, the authors incorporated the traditional Seri Rama character into the Street Fighter video game. Using modeling, texturing, and animation, they developed a 3D Seri Rama prototype. Users can control Seri Rama with a PlayStation game controller.

Impact of Human like Cues on Human Trust in Machines: Brain Imaging and Modeling Studies for Human-Machine Interactions

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-05

research team recorded fMRI or event-related potentials while subjects were playing two cognitive games . At the first experiment, human subjects played a...theory-of-mind bilateral game with two types of computerized agents: with or without humanlike cues. At the second experiment, human subjects played...a unilateral game in which the human subjects played the role of the Coach (or supervisor) while a computer agent played as the Player

Altered reward processing in pathological computer gamers – ERP-results from a semi-natural Gaming-Design

PubMed Central

Duven, Eva C P; Müller, Kai W; Beutel, Manfred E; Wölfling, Klaus

2015-01-01

Introduction Internet Gaming Disorder has been added as a research diagnosis in section III for the DSM-V. Previous findings from neuroscientific research indicate an enhanced motivational attention toward cues related to computer games, similar to findings in substance-related addictions. On the other hand in clinical observational studies tolerance effects are reported by patients with Internet Gaming disorder. In the present study we investigated whether an enhanced motivational attention or tolerance effects are present in patients with Internet Gaming Disorder. Methods A clinical sample from the Outpatient Clinic for Behavioral Addictions in Mainz, Germany was recruited, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. In a semi-natural EEG design participants played a computer game during the recording of event-related potentials to assess reward processing. Results The results indicated an attenuated P300 for patients with Internet Gaming Disorder in response to rewards in comparison to healthy controls, while the latency of N100 was prolonged and the amplitude of N100 was increased. Conclusions Our findings support the hypothesis that tolerance effects are present in patients with Internet Gaming Disorder, when actively playing computer games. In addition, the initial orienting toward the gaming reward is suggested to consume more capacity for patients with Internet Gaming Disorder, which has been similarly reported by other studies with other methodological background in disorders of substance-related addictions. PMID:25722946

Altered reward processing in pathological computer gamers--ERP-results from a semi-natural gaming-design.

PubMed

Duven, Eva C P; Müller, Kai W; Beutel, Manfred E; Wölfling, Klaus

2015-01-01

Internet Gaming Disorder has been added as a research diagnosis in section III for the DSM-V. Previous findings from neuroscientific research indicate an enhanced motivational attention toward cues related to computer games, similar to findings in substance-related addictions. On the other hand in clinical observational studies tolerance effects are reported by patients with Internet Gaming disorder. In the present study we investigated whether an enhanced motivational attention or tolerance effects are present in patients with Internet Gaming Disorder. A clinical sample from the Outpatient Clinic for Behavioral Addictions in Mainz, Germany was recruited, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder. In a semi-natural EEG design participants played a computer game during the recording of event-related potentials to assess reward processing. The results indicated an attenuated P300 for patients with Internet Gaming Disorder in response to rewards in comparison to healthy controls, while the latency of N100 was prolonged and the amplitude of N100 was increased. Our findings support the hypothesis that tolerance effects are present in patients with Internet Gaming Disorder, when actively playing computer games. In addition, the initial orienting toward the gaming reward is suggested to consume more capacity for patients with Internet Gaming Disorder, which has been similarly reported by other studies with other methodological background in disorders of substance-related addictions.

Virtually compliant: Immersive video gaming increases conformity to false computer judgments.

PubMed

Weger, Ulrich W; Loughnan, Stephen; Sharma, Dinkar; Gonidis, Lazaros

2015-08-01

Real-life encounters with face-to-face contact are on the decline in a world in which many routine tasks are delegated to virtual characters-a development that bears both opportunities and risks. Interacting with such virtual-reality beings is particularly common during role-playing videogames, in which we incarnate into the virtual reality of an avatar. Video gaming is known to lead to the training and development of real-life skills and behaviors; hence, in the present study we sought to explore whether role-playing video gaming primes individuals' identification with a computer enough to increase computer-related social conformity. Following immersive video gaming, individuals were indeed more likely to give up their own best judgment and to follow the vote of computers, especially when the stimulus context was ambiguous. Implications for human-computer interactions and for our understanding of the formation of identity and self-concept are discussed.

First Video Game

ScienceCinema

Takacs, Peter

2018-06-21

More than fifty years ago, before either arcades or home video games, visitors waited in line at Brookhaven National Laboratory to play Tennis for Two, an electronic tennis game that is unquestionably a forerunner of the modern video game. Two people played the electronic tennis game with separate controllers that connected to an analog computer and used an oscilloscope for a screen. The game's creator, William Higinbotham, was a physicist who lobbied for nuclear nonproliferation as the first chair of the Federation of American Scientists.

THE PRODUCTION AND EVALUATION OF THREE COMPUTER-BASED ECONOMICS GAMES FOR THE SIXTH GRADE. FINAL REPORT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WING, RICHARD L.; AND OTHERS

THE PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENT WAS TO PRODUCE AND EVALUATE 3 COMPUTER-BASED ECONOMICS GAMES AS A METHOD OF INDIVIDUALIZING INSTRUCTION FOR GRADE 6 STUDENTS. 26 EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS PLAYED 2 ECONOMICS GAMES, WHILE A CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED CONVENTIONAL INSTRUCTION ON SIMILAR MATERIAL. IN THE SUMERIAN GAME, STUDENTS SEATED AT THE TYPEWRITER TERMINALS…

Computer Self-Efficacy, Competitive Anxiety and Flow State: Escaping from Firing Online Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Jon-Chao; Pei-Yu, Chiu; Shih, Hsiao-Feng; Lin, Pei-Shin; Hong, Jon-Chao

2012-01-01

Flow state in game playing affected by computer self-efficacy and game competitive anxiety was studied. In order to examine the effect of those constructs with high competition, this study select "Escaping from firing online game" which require college students to escape from fire and rescue people and eliminate the fire damage along the way of…

Design and evaluation of a computer game to promote a healthy diet for young adults.

PubMed

Peng, Wei

2009-03-01

This article reports the development and evaluation of a computer game (RightWay Café) as a special medium to promote a healthy diet for young adults. Structural features of computer games, such as interactive tailoring, role playing, the element of fun, and narrative, were operationalized in the RightWay Café game to afford behavior rehearsal in a safe and entertaining way. Theories such as the health belief model, social cognitive theory, and theory of reasoned action guided the content design of the game to influence mediators of behavior change, including self-efficacy, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and behavior change intention. A randomized controlled evaluation study with pretest, posttest, and follow-up design demonstrated that this game was effective in teaching nutrition and weight management knowledge and increasing people's self-efficacy and perceived benefits of healthy eating, as well as their intention to be on a healthy diet. Limited long-term effects were also found: participants in the game-playing group had greater self-efficacy than participants in the control group after 1 month. This study validates the computer game-based approach to health promotion for young adults. Limitations and implications are also discussed.

Virtual driving and risk taking: do racing games increase risk-taking cognitions, affect, and behaviors?

PubMed

Fischer, Peter; Kubitzki, Jörg; Guter, Stephanie; Frey, Dieter

2007-03-01

Research has consistently shown that aggressive video console and PC games elicit aggressive cognitions, affect, and behaviors. Despite the increasing popularity of racing (driving) games, nothing is known about the psychological impact of this genre. This study investigated whether playing racing games affects cognitions, affect, and behaviors that can promote risk taking in actual road traffic situations. In Study 1, the authors found that the frequency of playing racing games was positively associated with competitive driving, obtrusive driving, and car accidents; a negative association with cautious driving was observed. To determine cause and effect, in Study 2, the authors manipulated whether participants played 1 of 3 racing games or 1 of 3 neutral games. Participants who played a racing game subsequently reported a higher accessibility of cognitions and affect positively associated with risk taking than did participants who played a neutral game. Finally, on a more behavioral level, in Study 3, the authors found that men who played a racing game subsequently took higher risks in computer-simulated critical road traffic situations than did men who played a neutral game. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. ((c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

An affordable, computerised, table-based exercise system for stroke survivors.

PubMed

King, Marcus; Hale, Leigh; Pekkari, Anna; Persson, Martin; Gregorsson, Malin; Nilsson, Mikaela

2010-07-01

Loss of hand function as a result of upper limb paresis after a stroke leads to reduced independence. Robotic-assisted therapy with virtual reality leads to improvements in motor function, but there is a need to improve the cost-benefit ratio of these therapies. This case series study investigated augmented reality computer games which provided a rewarded, goal-directed task to upper limb rehabilitation via a gravity supported reaching task. A computer game was developed to motivate chronic stroke survivors to undertake gravity supported reaching tasks performed on a table, and a focus group study investigated the application of this device for rehabilitation. From the focus group, a simple device was developed to improve the quality of the exercise and a further focus group study investigated a variety of computer games to determine motivations for undertaking rehabilitation exercises. Of the four participants in the case study, two showed improvement in ability to play the game and in arm function. Participants enjoyed playing a range of computer games and felt that the system provided a worthwhile exercise. Motivation for undertaking exercise with the system included: intellectual stimulation during game play, feedback such as game score, gaining physical benefits from the exercise, the system tolerating varying levels of disability, ability to relate to the game and ability to use the system in social groups. A low-cost device has been developed which increases the exercise of gravity supported reaching movements, provides goal-directed tasks with rewards and motivates the user to undertake extended rehabilitation.

Six Suggestions for Research on Games in Cognitive Science.

PubMed

Chabris, Christopher F

2017-04-01

Games are more varied and occupy more of daily life than ever before. At the same time, the tools available to study game play and players are more powerful than ever, especially massive data sets from online platforms and computational engines that can accurately evaluate human decisions. This essay offers six suggestions for future cognitive science research on games: (1) Don't forget about chess, (2) Look beyond action games and chess, (3) Use (near)-optimal play to understand human play and players, (4) Investigate social phenomena, (5) Raise the standards for studies of games as treatments, (6) Talk to real experts. Copyright © 2017 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Computer games and fine motor skills.

PubMed

Borecki, Lukasz; Tolstych, Katarzyna; Pokorski, Mieczyslaw

2013-01-01

The study seeks to determine the influence of computer games on fine motor skills in young adults, an area of incomplete understanding and verification. We hypothesized that computer gaming could have a positive influence on basic motor skills, such as precision, aiming, speed, dexterity, or tremor. We examined 30 habitual game users (F/M - 3/27; age range 20-25 years) of the highly interactive game Counter Strike, in which players impersonate soldiers on a battlefield, and 30 age- and gender-matched subjects who declared never to play games. Selected tests from the Vienna Test System were used to assess fine motor skills and tremor. The results demonstrate that the game users scored appreciably better than the control subjects in all tests employed. In particular, the players did significantly better in the precision of arm-hand movements, as expressed by a lower time of errors, 1.6 ± 0.6 vs. 2.8 ± 0.6 s, a lower error rate, 13.6 ± 0.3 vs. 20.4 ± 2.2, and a shorter total time of performing a task, 14.6 ± 2.9 vs. 32.1 ± 4.5 s in non-players, respectively; p < 0.001 all. The findings demonstrate a positive influence of computer games on psychomotor functioning. We submit that playing computer games may be a useful training tool to increase fine motor skills and movement coordination.

Effect of Playing Interactive Computer Game on Distress of Insulin Injection Among Type 1 Diabetic Children

PubMed Central

Ebrahimpour, Fatemeh; Sadeghi, Narges; Najafi, Mostafa; Iraj, Bijan; Shahrokhi, Akram

2015-01-01

Background: Diabetic children and their families experience high level stress because of daily insulin injection. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the impact of an interactive computer game on behavioral distress due to insulin injection among diabetic children. Patients and Methods: In this clinical trial, thirty children (3-12 years) with type 1 diabetes who needed daily insulin injection were recruited and allocated randomly into two groups. Children in intervention groups received an interactive computer game and asked to play at home for a week. No special intervention was done for control group. The behavioral distress of groups was assessed before, during and after the intervention by Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress–Revised (OSBD-R). Results: Repeated measure ANOVA test showed no significantly difference of OSBD-R over time for control group (P = 0.08), but this changes is signification in the study group (P = 0.001). Comparison mean score of distress were significantly different between two groups (P = 0.03). Conclusions: According to the findings, playing interactive computer game can decrease behavioral distress induced by insulin injection in type 1 diabetic children. It seems this game can be beneficial to be used alongside other interventions. PMID:26199708

Design of an online EEG based neurofeedback game for enhancing attention and memory.

PubMed

Thomas, Kavitha P; Vinod, A P; Guan, Cuntai

2013-01-01

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is an alternative communication and control channel between brain and computer which finds applications in neuroprosthetics, brain wave controlled computer games etc. This paper proposes an Electroencephalogram (EEG) based neurofeedback computer game that allows the player to control the game with the help of attention based brain signals. The proposed game protocol requires the player to memorize a set of numbers in a matrix, and to correctly fill the matrix using his attention. The attention level of the player is quantified using sample entropy features of EEG. The statistically significant performance improvement of five healthy subjects after playing a number of game sessions demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed game in enhancing their concentration and memory skills.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takacs, Peter

More than fifty years ago, before either arcades or home video games, visitors waited in line at Brookhaven National Laboratory to play Tennis for Two, an electronic tennis game that is unquestionably a forerunner of the modern video game. Two people played the electronic tennis game with separate controllers that connected to an analog computer and used an oscilloscope for a screen. The game's creator, William Higinbotham, was a physicist who lobbied for nuclear nonproliferation as the first chair of the Federation of American Scientists.

Integrating Commercial Off-the-Shelf Video Games into School Curriculums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charsky, Dennis; Mims, Clif

2008-01-01

Games have a long history of being used for instructional purposes. Games can be defined as playful activities, with or without a computer, that have some essential characteristics. Game characteristics can include competition and goals, game rules, challenging activities, choices, and fantasy elements. Games that take advantage of these…

The Effects of Pathological Gaming on Aggressive Behavior

PubMed Central

Valkenburg, Patti M.; Peter, Jochen

2010-01-01

Studies have shown that pathological involvement with computer or video games is related to excessive gaming binges and aggressive behavior. Our aims for this study were to longitudinally examine if pathological gaming leads to increasingly excessive gaming habits, and how pathological gaming may cause an increase in physical aggression. For this purpose, we conducted a two-wave panel study among 851 Dutch adolescents (49% female) of which 540 played games (30% female). Our analyses indicated that higher levels of pathological gaming predicted an increase in time spent playing games 6 months later. Time spent playing violent games specifically, and not just games per se, increased physical aggression. Furthermore, higher levels of pathological gaming, regardless of violent content, predicted an increase in physical aggression among boys. That this effect only applies to boys does not diminish its importance, because adolescent boys are generally the heaviest players of violent games and most susceptible to pathological involvement. PMID:20549320

The effects of pathological gaming on aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Lemmens, Jeroen S; Valkenburg, Patti M; Peter, Jochen

2011-01-01

Studies have shown that pathological involvement with computer or video games is related to excessive gaming binges and aggressive behavior. Our aims for this study were to longitudinally examine if pathological gaming leads to increasingly excessive gaming habits, and how pathological gaming may cause an increase in physical aggression. For this purpose, we conducted a two-wave panel study among 851 Dutch adolescents (49% female) of which 540 played games (30% female). Our analyses indicated that higher levels of pathological gaming predicted an increase in time spent playing games 6 months later. Time spent playing violent games specifically, and not just games per se, increased physical aggression. Furthermore, higher levels of pathological gaming, regardless of violent content, predicted an increase in physical aggression among boys. That this effect only applies to boys does not diminish its importance, because adolescent boys are generally the heaviest players of violent games and most susceptible to pathological involvement.

Know Thy Learner: User Characteristics Underlying Effective Videogame-Based Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orvis, Karin A.; Horn, Daniel B.; Belanich, James

2008-01-01

Some proponents of training games argue that younger adults (Soldiers) are part of the "digital"or "twitch" generation, having grown up uing computers and playing videogames (e.g.,Prensky,2001). The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reports that 69%of American heads of households play computer and/or videogames. "65% of college students reported being regular or occasional game players" (Jones, 2003).

Motor Control and Sequencing of Boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) During Computer Game Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houghton, Stephen; Milner, Nikki; West, John; Douglas, Graham; Lawrence, Vivienne; Whiting, Ken; Tannock, Rosemary; Durkin, Kevin

2004-01-01

The motor control of 49 unmedicated boys clinically diagnosed with ADHD, case-matched with 49 non-ADHD boys, was assessed while playing Crash Bandicoot I, a SonyTM Playstation platform computer video game. In Crash Bandicoot participants control the movements of a small-animated figure through a hazardous jungle environment. Operationally defined…

Simulating the Dynamics of Subsistence Fishing Communities: REEFGAME as a Learning and Data-Gathering Computer-Assisted Role-Play Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cleland, Deborah; Dray, Anne; Perez, Pascal; Cruz-Trinidad, Annabelle; Geronimo, Rollan

2012-01-01

REEFGAME is a computer-assisted role-playing game that explores the interactions among management strategies, livelihood options, and ecological degradation in subsistence fishing communities. The tool has been successfully used in the Philippines and a variety of student workshops. In the field, REEFGAME operated as a two-way learning tool,…

Stereogame: An Interactive Computer Game That Engages Students in Reviewing Stereochemistry Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

da Silva, Jose´ Nunes, Jr.; Lima, Mary Anne Sousa; Moreira, Joao Victor Xerez; Alexandre, Francisco Serra Oliveira; de Almeida, Diego Macedo; de Oliveira, Maria da Conceicao Ferreira; Leite, Antonio Jose´ Melo, Jr.

2017-01-01

This report provides information about an interactive computer game that allows undergraduate students to review individually stereochemistry topics in an engaging way by responding to 230 novel questions distributed at three difficulty levels. Responses from students and instructors who have played the game have been quite positive. Stereogame is…

Home media and children's achievement and behavior.

PubMed

Hofferth, Sandra L

2010-01-01

This study provides a national picture of the time American 6- to 12-year-olds spent playing video games, using the computer, and watching TV at home in 1997 and 2003, and the association of early use with their achievement and behavior as adolescents. Girls benefited from computer use more than boys, and Black children benefited more than White children. Greater computer use in middle childhood was associated with increased achievement for White and Black girls, and for Black but not White boys. Increased video game play was associated with an improved ability to solve applied problems for Black girls but lower verbal achievement for all girls. For boys, increased video game play was linked to increased aggressive behavior problems. © 2010 The Author. Child Development © 2010 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Results from a pilot study of a computer-based role-playing game for young people with psychosis.

PubMed

Olivet, Jeffrey; Haselden, Morgan; Piscitelli, Sarah; Kenney, Rachael; Shulman, Alexander; Medoff, Deborah; Dixon, Lisa

2018-03-15

Recent research on first episode psychosis (FEP) has demonstrated the effectiveness of coordinated specialty care (CSC) models to support young adults and their families, yet few tools exist to promote engagement in care. This study aimed to develop a prototype computer-based role-playing game (RPG) designed for young people who have experienced FEP, and conduct a pilot study to determine feasibility and test whether the game improves consumers' attitudes toward treatment and recovery. Twenty young people with FEP who were receiving services at a CSC program enrolled in the study and played the game for 1 hour. Pre- and post-quantitative assessments measured change in hope, recovery, stigma, empowerment and engagement in treatment. Qualitative interviews explored participants' experience with the game and ideas for further product development. Participants showed significant increase in positive attitudes toward recovery. The qualitative findings further demonstrated the game's positive impact across these domains. Of all game features, participants most highly valued video testimonials of other young adults with FEP telling their stories of hope and recovery. These findings provide modest support for the potential benefits of this type of computer-based RPG, if further developed for individuals experiencing psychosis. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Are Heavy Users of Computer Games and Social Media More Computer Literate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appel, Markus

2012-01-01

Adolescents spend a substantial part of their leisure time with playing games and using social media such as Facebook. The present paper examines the link between adolescents' computer and Internet activities and computer literacy (defined as the ability to work with a computer efficiently). A cross-sectional study with N = 200 adolescents, aged…

Human Pacman: A Mobile Augmented Reality Entertainment System Based on Physical, Social, and Ubiquitous Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheok, Adrian David

This chapter details the Human Pacman system to illuminate entertainment computing which ventures to embed the natural physical world seamlessly with a fantasy virtual playground by capitalizing on infrastructure provided by mobile computing, wireless LAN, and ubiquitous computing. With Human Pacman, we have a physical role-playing computer fantasy together with real human-social and mobile-gaming that emphasizes on collaboration and competition between players in a wide outdoor physical area that allows natural wide-area human-physical movements. Pacmen and Ghosts are now real human players in the real world experiencing mixed computer graphics fantasy-reality provided by using the wearable computers on them. Virtual cookies and actual tangible physical objects are incorporated into the game play to provide novel experiences of seamless transitions between the real and virtual worlds. This is an example of a new form of gaming that anchors on physicality, mobility, social interaction, and ubiquitous computing.

Trends in Video Game Play through Childhood, Adolescence, and Emerging Adulthood

PubMed Central

Ream, Geoffrey L.; Elliott, Luther C.; Dunlap, Eloise

2013-01-01

This study explored the relationship between video gaming and age during childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. It also examined whether “role incompatibility,” the theory that normative levels of substance use decrease through young adulthood as newly acquired adult roles create competing demands, generalizes to video gaming. Emerging adult video gamers (n = 702) recruited from video gaming contexts in New York City completed a computer-assisted personal interview and life-history calendar. All four video gaming indicators—days/week played, school/work day play, nonschool/work day play, and problem play—had significant curvilinear relationships with age. The “shape” of video gaming's relationship with age is, therefore, similar to that of substance use, but video gaming appears to peak earlier in life than substance use, that is, in late adolescence rather than emerging adulthood. Of the four video gaming indicators, role incompatibility only significantly affected school/work day play, the dimension with the clearest potential to interfere with life obligations. PMID:24236277

Simulation games that integrate research, entertainment, and learning around ecosystem services

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Costanza, Robert; Chichakly, Karim; Dale, Virginia

Humans currently spend over 3 billion person-hours per week playing computer games. Most of these games are purely for entertainment, but use of computer games for education has also expanded dramatically. At the same time, experimental games have become a staple of social science research but have depended on relatively small sample sizes and simple, abstract situations, limiting their range and applicability. If only a fraction of the time spent playing computer games could be harnessed for research, it would open up a huge range of new opportunities. We review the use of games in research, education, and entertainment andmore » develop ideas for integrating these three functions around the idea of ecosystem services valuation. This approach to valuation can be seen as a version of choice modeling that allows players to generate their own scenarios taking account of the trade-offs embedded in the game, rather than simply ranking pre-formed scenarios. We outline a prototype game called Lagom Island to test the proposition that gaming can be used to reveal the value of ecosystem services. Ultimately, our prototype provides a potential pathway and functional building blocks for approaching the relatively untapped potential of games in the context of ecosystem services research.« less

Simulation games that integrate research, entertainment, and learning around ecosystem services

DOE PAGES

Costanza, Robert; Chichakly, Karim; Dale, Virginia; ...

2014-11-07

Humans currently spend over 3 billion person-hours per week playing computer games. Most of these games are purely for entertainment, but use of computer games for education has also expanded dramatically. At the same time, experimental games have become a staple of social science research but have depended on relatively small sample sizes and simple, abstract situations, limiting their range and applicability. If only a fraction of the time spent playing computer games could be harnessed for research, it would open up a huge range of new opportunities. We review the use of games in research, education, and entertainment andmore » develop ideas for integrating these three functions around the idea of ecosystem services valuation. This approach to valuation can be seen as a version of choice modeling that allows players to generate their own scenarios taking account of the trade-offs embedded in the game, rather than simply ranking pre-formed scenarios. We outline a prototype game called Lagom Island to test the proposition that gaming can be used to reveal the value of ecosystem services. Ultimately, our prototype provides a potential pathway and functional building blocks for approaching the relatively untapped potential of games in the context of ecosystem services research.« less

The effect of switch control site on computer skills of infants and toddlers.

PubMed

Glickman, L; Deitz, J; Anson, D; Stewart, K

1996-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether switch control site (hand vs. head) affects the age at which children can successfully activate a computer to play a cause-and-effect game. The sample consisted of 72 participants randomly divided into two groups (head switch and hand switch), with stratification for gender and age (9-11 months, 12-14 months, 15-17 months). All participants were typically developing. After a maximum of 5 min of training, each participant was given five opportunities to activate a Jelly Bean switch to play a computer game. Competency was defined as four to five successful switch activations. Most participants in the 9-month to 11-month age group could successfully use a hand switch to activate a computer, and for the 15-month to 17-month age group, 100% of the participants met with success. By contrast, in the head switch condition, approximately one third of the participants in each of the three age ranges were successful in activating the computer to play a cause-and-effect game. The findings from this study provide developmental guidelines for using switches (head vs. hand) to activate computers to play cause-and-effect games and suggest that the clinician may consider introducing basic computer and switch skills to children as young as 9 months of age. However, the clinician is cautioned that the head switch may be more difficult to master than the hand switch and that additional research involving children with motor impairments is needed.

Computer Assisted Instruction: The Game "Le Choc des Multinationales."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramer, Hazel

"Le Choc de Multinationales" is a microcomputer game for students in an upper-level commercial French couse, to be played by two opponents, one of whom may be another student or the computer itself as a direct business competitor. The game's requirements for language use and knowledge of business and economics theory and principles are moderate,…

School Students and Computer Games with Screen Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedorov, A. V.

2005-01-01

In this article, the author states how these days, school students from low-income strata of the population in Russia spend hours sitting in computer rooms and Internet clubs, where, for a relatively small fee, they can play interactive video games. And to determine what games they prefer the author conducted a content analysis of eighty-seven…

Mastering the game of Go with deep neural networks and tree search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silver, David; Huang, Aja; Maddison, Chris J.; Guez, Arthur; Sifre, Laurent; van den Driessche, George; Schrittwieser, Julian; Antonoglou, Ioannis; Panneershelvam, Veda; Lanctot, Marc; Dieleman, Sander; Grewe, Dominik; Nham, John; Kalchbrenner, Nal; Sutskever, Ilya; Lillicrap, Timothy; Leach, Madeleine; Kavukcuoglu, Koray; Graepel, Thore; Hassabis, Demis

2016-01-01

The game of Go has long been viewed as the most challenging of classic games for artificial intelligence owing to its enormous search space and the difficulty of evaluating board positions and moves. Here we introduce a new approach to computer Go that uses ‘value networks’ to evaluate board positions and ‘policy networks’ to select moves. These deep neural networks are trained by a novel combination of supervised learning from human expert games, and reinforcement learning from games of self-play. Without any lookahead search, the neural networks play Go at the level of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo tree search programs that simulate thousands of random games of self-play. We also introduce a new search algorithm that combines Monte Carlo simulation with value and policy networks. Using this search algorithm, our program AlphaGo achieved a 99.8% winning rate against other Go programs, and defeated the human European Go champion by 5 games to 0. This is the first time that a computer program has defeated a human professional player in the full-sized game of Go, a feat previously thought to be at least a decade away.

Mastering the game of Go with deep neural networks and tree search.

PubMed

Silver, David; Huang, Aja; Maddison, Chris J; Guez, Arthur; Sifre, Laurent; van den Driessche, George; Schrittwieser, Julian; Antonoglou, Ioannis; Panneershelvam, Veda; Lanctot, Marc; Dieleman, Sander; Grewe, Dominik; Nham, John; Kalchbrenner, Nal; Sutskever, Ilya; Lillicrap, Timothy; Leach, Madeleine; Kavukcuoglu, Koray; Graepel, Thore; Hassabis, Demis

2016-01-28

The game of Go has long been viewed as the most challenging of classic games for artificial intelligence owing to its enormous search space and the difficulty of evaluating board positions and moves. Here we introduce a new approach to computer Go that uses 'value networks' to evaluate board positions and 'policy networks' to select moves. These deep neural networks are trained by a novel combination of supervised learning from human expert games, and reinforcement learning from games of self-play. Without any lookahead search, the neural networks play Go at the level of state-of-the-art Monte Carlo tree search programs that simulate thousands of random games of self-play. We also introduce a new search algorithm that combines Monte Carlo simulation with value and policy networks. Using this search algorithm, our program AlphaGo achieved a 99.8% winning rate against other Go programs, and defeated the human European Go champion by 5 games to 0. This is the first time that a computer program has defeated a human professional player in the full-sized game of Go, a feat previously thought to be at least a decade away.

The games psychologists play (and the data they provide).

PubMed

Washburn, David A

2003-05-01

Computer games and the technologies marketed to support them provide unique resources for psychological research. In contrast to the sterility, simplicity, and artificiality that characterizes many cognitive tests, game-like tasks can be complex, ecologically valid, and even fun. In the present paper,the history of psychological research with video games is reviewed, and several thematic benefits of this paradigm are identified. These benefits, as well as the possible pitfalls of research with computer game technology and game-like tasks, are illustrated with data from comparative and cognitive investigations.

Computer Cache. Online Recess--Web Games for Play and Fun

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byerly, Greg; Brodie, Carolyn S.

2005-01-01

There are many age-appropriate, free, and easy-to-use online games available on the Web. In this column the authors describe some of their favorites for use with and by elementary students. They have not included games that require children to log on and/or register with their names or play against someone else interactively over the Web. None of…

Computer games and prosocial behaviour.

PubMed

Mengel, Friederike

2014-01-01

We relate different self-reported measures of computer use to individuals' propensity to cooperate in the Prisoner's dilemma. The average cooperation rate is positively related to the self-reported amount participants spend playing computer games. None of the other computer time use variables (including time spent on social media, browsing internet, working etc.) are significantly related to cooperation rates.

Television viewing, computer game playing, and Internet use and self-reported time to bed and time out of bed in secondary-school children.

PubMed

Van den Bulck, Jan

2004-02-01

To investigate the relationship between the presence of a television set, a gaming computer, and/or an Internet connection in the room of adolescents and television viewing, computer game playing, and Internet use on the one hand, and time to bed, time up, time spent in bed, and overall tiredness in first- and fourth-year secondary-school children on the other hand. A random sample of students from 15 schools in Flanders, Belgium, yielded 2546 children who completed a questionnaire with questions about media presence in bedrooms; volume of television viewing, computer game playing, and Internet use; time to bed and time up on average weekdays and average weekend days; and questions regarding the level of tiredness in the morning, at school, after a day at school, and after the weekend. Children with a television set in their rooms went to bed significantly later on weekdays and weekend days and got up significantly later on weekend days. Overall, they spent less time in bed on weekdays. Children with a gaming computer in their rooms went to bed significantly later on weekdays. On weekdays, they spent significantly less time in bed. Children who watched more television went to bed later on weekdays and weekend days and got up later on weekend days. They spent less time in bed on weekdays. They reported higher overall levels of being tired. Children who spent more time playing computer games went to bed later on weekdays and weekend days and got up later on weekend days. On weekdays, they actually got up significantly earlier. They spent less time in bed on weekdays and reported higher levels of tiredness. Children who spent more time using the Internet went to bed significantly later during the week and during the weekend. They got up later on weekend days. They spent less time in bed during the week and reported higher levels of tiredness. Going out was also significantly related to sleeping later and less. Concerns about media use should not be limited to television. Computer game playing and Internet use are related to sleep behavior as well. Leisure activities that are unstructured seem to be negatively related to good sleep patterns. Imposing more structure (eg, end times) might reduce impact.

Collaborative and Competitive Video Games for Teaching Computing in Higher Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Spencer; Chan, Samantha

2017-08-01

This study measures the success of using a collaborative and competitive video game, named Space Race, to teach computing to first year engineering students. Space Race is played by teams of four, each with their own tablet, collaborating to compete against the other teams in the class. The impact of the game on student learning was studied through measurements using 485 students, over one term. Surveys were used to gauge student reception of the game. Pre and post-tests, and in-course examinations were used to quantify student performance. The game was well received with at least 82% of the students that played it recommending it to others. In some cases, game participants outperformed non-participants on course exams. On the final course exam, all of the statistically significant ( p<0.05) comparisons (42% of the relevant questions) showed a performance improvement of game participants on the questions, with a maximum grade improvement of 41%. The findings also suggest that some students retain the knowledge obtained from Space Race for at least 7 weeks. The results of this study provide strong evidence that a collaborative and competitive video game can be an effective tool for teaching computing in post-secondary education.

A Study of the Correlation between Computer Games and Adolescent Behavioral Problems

PubMed Central

Shokouhi-Moqhaddam, Solmaz; Khezri-Moghadam, Noshiravan; Javanmard, Zeinab; Sarmadi-Ansar, Hassan; Aminaee, Mehran; Shokouhi-Moqhaddam, Majid; Zivari-Rahman, Mahmoud

2013-01-01

Background Today, due to developing communicative technologies, computer games and other audio-visual media as social phenomena, are very attractive and have a great effect on children and adolescents. The increasing popularity of these games among children and adolescents results in the public uncertainties about plausible harmful effects of these games. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between computer games and behavioral problems on male guidance school students. Methods This was a descriptive-correlative study on 384 randomly chosen male guidance school students. They were asked to answer the researcher's questionnaire about computer games and Achenbach’s Youth Self-Report (YSR). Findings The Results of this study indicated that there was about 95% direct significant correlation between the amount of playing games among adolescents and anxiety/depression, withdrawn/depression, rule-breaking behaviors, aggression, and social problems. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the amount of computer game usage and physical complaints, thinking problems, and attention problems. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the students’ place of living and their parents’ job, and using computer games. Conclusion Computer games lead to anxiety, depression, withdrawal, rule-breaking behavior, aggression, and social problems in adolescents. PMID:24494157

A Study of the Correlation between Computer Games and Adolescent Behavioral Problems.

PubMed

Shokouhi-Moqhaddam, Solmaz; Khezri-Moghadam, Noshiravan; Javanmard, Zeinab; Sarmadi-Ansar, Hassan; Aminaee, Mehran; Shokouhi-Moqhaddam, Majid; Zivari-Rahman, Mahmoud

2013-01-01

Today, due to developing communicative technologies, computer games and other audio-visual media as social phenomena, are very attractive and have a great effect on children and adolescents. The increasing popularity of these games among children and adolescents results in the public uncertainties about plausible harmful effects of these games. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between computer games and behavioral problems on male guidance school students. This was a descriptive-correlative study on 384 randomly chosen male guidance school students. They were asked to answer the researcher's questionnaire about computer games and Achenbach's Youth Self-Report (YSR). The Results of this study indicated that there was about 95% direct significant correlation between the amount of playing games among adolescents and anxiety/depression, withdrawn/depression, rule-breaking behaviors, aggression, and social problems. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the amount of computer game usage and physical complaints, thinking problems, and attention problems. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the students' place of living and their parents' job, and using computer games. Computer games lead to anxiety, depression, withdrawal, rule-breaking behavior, aggression, and social problems in adolescents.

Impact of singular excessive computer game and television exposure on sleep patterns and memory performance of school-aged children.

PubMed

Dworak, Markus; Schierl, Thomas; Bruns, Thomas; Strüder, Heiko Klaus

2007-11-01

Television and computer game consumption are a powerful influence in the lives of most children. Previous evidence has supported the notion that media exposure could impair a variety of behavioral characteristics. Excessive television viewing and computer game playing have been associated with many psychiatric symptoms, especially emotional and behavioral symptoms, somatic complaints, attention problems such as hyperactivity, and family interaction problems. Nevertheless, there is insufficient knowledge about the relationship between singular excessive media consumption on sleep patterns and linked implications on children. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of singular excessive television and computer game consumption on sleep patterns and memory performance of children. Eleven school-aged children were recruited for this polysomnographic study. Children were exposed to voluntary excessive television and computer game consumption. In the subsequent night, polysomnographic measurements were conducted to measure sleep-architecture and sleep-continuity parameters. In addition, a visual and verbal memory test was conducted before media stimulation and after the subsequent sleeping period to determine visuospatial and verbal memory performance. Only computer game playing resulted in significant reduced amounts of slow-wave sleep as well as significant declines in verbal memory performance. Prolonged sleep-onset latency and more stage 2 sleep were also detected after previous computer game consumption. No effects on rapid eye movement sleep were observed. Television viewing reduced sleep efficiency significantly but did not affect sleep patterns. The results suggest that television and computer game exposure affect children's sleep and deteriorate verbal cognitive performance, which supports the hypothesis of the negative influence of media consumption on children's sleep, learning, and memory.

Cognitive Model of Trust Dynamics Predicts Human Behavior within and between Two Games of Strategic Interaction with Computerized Confederate Agents

PubMed Central

Collins, Michael G.; Juvina, Ion; Gluck, Kevin A.

2016-01-01

When playing games of strategic interaction, such as iterated Prisoner's Dilemma and iterated Chicken Game, people exhibit specific within-game learning (e.g., learning a game's optimal outcome) as well as transfer of learning between games (e.g., a game's optimal outcome occurring at a higher proportion when played after another game). The reciprocal trust players develop during the first game is thought to mediate transfer of learning effects. Recently, a computational cognitive model using a novel trust mechanism has been shown to account for human behavior in both games, including the transfer between games. We present the results of a study in which we evaluate the model's a priori predictions of human learning and transfer in 16 different conditions. The model's predictive validity is compared against five model variants that lacked a trust mechanism. The results suggest that a trust mechanism is necessary to explain human behavior across multiple conditions, even when a human plays against a non-human agent. The addition of a trust mechanism to the other learning mechanisms within the cognitive architecture, such as sequence learning, instance-based learning, and utility learning, leads to better prediction of the empirical data. It is argued that computational cognitive modeling is a useful tool for studying trust development, calibration, and repair. PMID:26903892

Simple Games . . . or Are They?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arn, Susan Kyle

2006-01-01

Students today begin using computers and playing video games as early as two years old. The technology behind these games is more complicated than most people can imagine. In this article, the author presents some simple number games which seem easy at the beginning, but as the games are repeated, mathematical content becomes more of the focus…

Promoting Transfer of Mathematics Skills through the Use of a Computer-Based Instructional Simulation Game and Advisement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Eck, Richard

This study looked at the effect of contextual advisement and competition on transfer of mathematics skills in a computer-based instructional simulation game and simulation in which game participants helped their "aunt and uncle" fix up a house. Competition referred to whether or not the participant was playing against a computer…

Collaborative and Competitive Video Games for Teaching Computing in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Spencer; Chan, Samantha

2017-01-01

This study measures the success of using a collaborative and competitive video game, named Space Race, to teach computing to first year engineering students. Space Race is played by teams of four, each with their own tablet, collaborating to compete against the other teams in the class. The impact of the game on student learning was studied…

Effects of Violent and Non-Violent Computer Game Content on Memory Performance in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maass, Asja; Kollhorster, Kirsten; Riediger, Annemarie; MacDonald, Vanessa; Lohaus, Arnold

2011-01-01

The present study focuses on the short-term effects of electronic entertainment media on memory and learning processes. It compares the effects of violent versus non-violent computer game content in a condition of playing and in another condition of watching the same game. The participants consisted of 83 female and 94 male adolescents with a mean…

Games that Enlist Collective Intelligence to Solve Complex Scientific Problems.

PubMed

Burnett, Stephen; Furlong, Michelle; Melvin, Paul Guy; Singiser, Richard

2016-03-01

There is great value in employing the collective problem-solving power of large groups of people. Technological advances have allowed computer games to be utilized by a diverse population to solve problems. Science games are becoming more popular and cover various areas such as sequence alignments, DNA base-pairing, and protein and RNA folding. While these tools have been developed for the general population, they can also be used effectively in the classroom to teach students about various topics. Many games also employ a social component that entices students to continue playing and thereby to continue learning. The basic functions of game play and the potential of game play as a tool in the classroom are discussed in this article.

Games that Enlist Collective Intelligence to Solve Complex Scientific Problems

PubMed Central

Burnett, Stephen; Furlong, Michelle; Melvin, Paul Guy; Singiser, Richard

2016-01-01

There is great value in employing the collective problem-solving power of large groups of people. Technological advances have allowed computer games to be utilized by a diverse population to solve problems. Science games are becoming more popular and cover various areas such as sequence alignments, DNA base-pairing, and protein and RNA folding. While these tools have been developed for the general population, they can also be used effectively in the classroom to teach students about various topics. Many games also employ a social component that entices students to continue playing and thereby to continue learning. The basic functions of game play and the potential of game play as a tool in the classroom are discussed in this article. PMID:27047610

Pilot trial of spirometer games for airway clearance practice in cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Bingham, Peter M; Lahiri, Thomas; Ashikaga, Taka

2012-08-01

Many children with cystic fibrosis (CF) adhere poorly to airway clearance techniques (ACTs), and would rather play video games that challenge their dexterity and visual tracking skills. We developed gaming technology that encourages forced expiratory maneuvers. Following interviews regarding recreational activities and subjects' practice of ACTs, we conducted a pilot trial of spirometer games in 13 adolescents with CF, to test the hypothesis that games could increase subjects' engagement with forced expiratory breathing maneuvers and improve pulmonary function tests (PFTs). After baseline PFTs, subjects were provided with digital spirometers and computers set up as "game only" or "control" devices. After the first of 2 periods (each > 2 weeks), the computer was set-up for the alternate condition for period 2. The t test and non-parametric correlation analyses examined use, number of expiratory high flow events (HFEs), and change in PFTs, identifying trends at P ≤ .1, significance at P < .05. Interviews disclosed minimal awareness of ACTs among our pediatric CF patients. Subjects used games and control software a similar percentage of days during the game (26%) and control periods (32%). There was a trend toward more minutes with the game versus control setup (P = .07), though HFE count did not differ between the 2 conditions (P = .71). Game play showed no overall effect on FEV(1), though correlation analysis showed a modest relation between minutes of play and change in FEV(1) from baseline (r = 0.50, P = .09). The game period showed a trend to increased vital capacity (P = .05). Spirometer games elicit forced expiratory breath maneuvers in pediatric CF patients. Improvement in PFTs may be due to improved test performance technique, though improved obstructive/restrictive lung function due to game play cannot be excluded. A formal clinical trial of this approach is planned.

From Tabletop RPG to Interactive Storytelling: Definition of a Story Manager for Videogames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delmas, Guylain; Champagnat, Ronan; Augeraud, Michel

Adding narrative in computer game is complicated because it may restrict player interactivity. Our aim is to design a controller that dynamically built a plot, through the game execution, centred on player's actions. Tabletop Role-playing games manage to deal with this goal. This paper presents a study of role-playing games, their organization, and the models commonly used for narrative generation. It then deduces a proposition of components and data structures for interactive storytelling in videogames. A prototype of a social game has been developed as example.

Using Student-Made Games to Learn Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallegos, Irene; Flores, Alfinio

2010-01-01

First-year university students design and play their own games, including board, computer, and other kinds of games, to learn mathematical concepts and practice procedures for their pre-calculus and calculus courses. (Contains 2 tables and 8 figures.)

A multimodal interface device for online board games designed for sight-impaired people.

PubMed

Caporusso, Nicholas; Mkrtchyan, Lusine; Badia, Leonardo

2010-03-01

Online games between remote opponents playing over computer networks are becoming a common activity of everyday life. However, computer interfaces for board games are usually based on the visual channel. For example, they require players to check their moves on a video display and interact by using pointing devices such as a mouse. Hence, they are not suitable for visually impaired people. The present paper discusses a multipurpose system that allows especially blind and deafblind people playing chess or other board games over a network, therefore reducing their disability barrier. We describe and benchmark a prototype of a special interactive haptic device for online gaming providing a dual tactile feedback. The novel interface of this proposed device is able to guarantee not only a better game experience for everyone but also an improved quality of life for sight-impaired people.

Prefrontal neurons represent winning and losing during competitive video shooting games between monkeys.

PubMed

Hosokawa, Takayuki; Watanabe, Masataka

2012-05-30

Humans and animals must work to support their survival and reproductive needs. Because resources are limited in the natural environment, competition is inevitable, and competing successfully is vitally important. However, the neuronal mechanisms of competitive behavior are poorly studied. We examined whether neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) showed response sensitivity related to a competitive game. In this study, monkeys played a video shooting game, either competing with another monkey or the computer, or playing alone without a rival. Monkeys performed more quickly and more accurately in the competitive than in the noncompetitive games, indicating that they were more motivated in the competitive than in the noncompetitive games. LPFC neurons showed differential activity between the competitive and noncompetitive games showing winning- and losing-related activity. Furthermore, activities of prefrontal neurons differed depending on whether the competition was between monkeys or between the monkey and the computer. These results indicate that LPFC neurons may play an important role in monitoring the outcome of competition and enabling animals to adapt their behavior to increase their chances of obtaining a reward in a socially interactive environment.

Getting into the Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenkins, Henry

2005-01-01

Statistics reveal that students spend more time on electronic games than on any other recreational activity and 32% admit to playing them during class. The gaming revolution contains lessons for teachers, and understanding the pedagogical potential of computer and video games and developing curriculum that supports the educational use of…

Studying the Elusive Experience in Pervasive Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stenros, Jaakko; Waern, Annika; Montola, Markus

2012-01-01

Studying pervasive games is inherently difficult and different from studying computer or board games. This article builds upon the experiences of staging and studying several playful pervasive technology prototypes. It discusses the challenges and pitfalls of evaluating pervasive game prototypes and charts methods that have proven useful in…

Computer Tablet Games' Effect on Young Children's Self-Concept

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moawad, Ruba Abdel Matloub

2017-01-01

Playing in general has a positive effect on child development; yet with the advancement of technology, the way children play has changed, and the effects of their play have changed as well. Some studies have shown an overall negative effect of electronic games, while others have reported the opposite. This study aims to investigate the effects of…

Computer-supported games and role plays in teaching water management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoekstra, A. Y.

2012-08-01

There is an increasing demand for an interdisciplinary approach in teaching water management. Computer-supported games and role plays offer the potential of creating an environment in which different disciplines come together and in which students are challenged to develop integrated understanding. Two examples are discussed. The River Basin Game is a common-pool resource game in which participants experience the risk of over-abstractions of water in a river basin and learn how this risk relates to the complexity of the system, the conflict between individual and group optimums and the difficulty in achieving good cooperation. The Globalization of Water Role Play makes participants familiar with the global dimension of water management by letting them experience how national governments can integrate considerations of water scarcity and domestic water productivities into decisions on international trade in commodities like food, cotton and bio-energy. The two examples illustrate that play sessions inspire participants to think about the functioning of systems as a whole and to develop good cooperative courses of action, whereby both uncertainties about the system and the presence of different values and perspectives among participants play a role.

Does Performance in Digital Reading Relate to Computer Game Playing? A Study of Factor Structure and Gender Patterns in 15-Year-Olds' Reading Literacy Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmusson, Maria; Åberg-Bengtsson, Lisbeth

2015-01-01

Data from a Swedish PISA-sample were used (1) to identify a digital reading factor, (2) to investigate gender differences in this factor (if found), and (3) to explore how computer game playing might relate to digital reading performance and gender. The analyses were conducted with structural equation modeling techniques. In addition to an overall…

Computer games to teach hygiene: an evaluation of the e-Bug junior game.

PubMed

Farrell, David; Kostkova, Patty; Weinberg, Julius; Lazareck, Lisa; Weerasinghe, Dasun; Lecky, Donna M; McNulty, Cliodna A M

2011-06-01

Handwashing, respiratory hygiene and antibiotic resistance remain major public health concerns. In order to facilitate an effective outcome when teaching the basic principles of hand and respiratory hygiene, educational interventions should first target school children. As computer games are ubiquitous in most children's lives, e-Bug developed computer games targeted at teaching children handwashing, respiratory hygiene and antibiotic resistance. The games were designed for two target audiences: junior school children (9-12 year olds); and senior school children (13-15 year olds). Between May and August 2009, the finalized junior game underwent an evaluation in three UK schools (in Glasgow, Gloucester and London), involving 62 children in the schools and ∼ 1700 players accessing the junior game online. The e-Bug junior game consists of a number of levels of play, each of which promotes a set of learning outcomes (LOs). These LOs, complementary to those in the e-Bug packs, are expressed through the game mechanics (the rules of the game) rather than through story or dialogue. Although the junior game's evaluation demonstrated a statistically significant change in the knowledge for only a small number of given LOs, because many children had the required knowledge already before playing the game, this is e-Bug's first statistical study on the junior game and the first comprehensive evaluation of its kind. Future work includes a re-examination of the quiz-style questionnaires utilized in this study and an exploration of the potential knowledge change acquired strictly through engagement.

Gaming Frequency and Academic Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ip, Barry; Jacobs, Gabriel; Watkins, Alan

2008-01-01

There are numerous claims that playing computer and video games may be educationally beneficial, but there has been little formal investigation into whether or not the frequency of exposure to such games actually affects academic performance. This paper explores the issue by analysing the relationships between gaming frequency--measured as the…

The play's the thing: a clinical-developmental perspective on video games.

PubMed

Gelfond, Holly S; Salonius-Pasternak, Dorothy E

2005-07-01

In this article, computer and video games are discussed as electronic play. Major perspectives on play and salient developmental issues are presented, along with similarities and differences between electronic play and other types of play. The authors consider possible benefits and risks associated with this type of play, with particular attention paid to cognitive and socioemotional development. Recommendations for clinicians in their work with children, adolescents, and parents are discussed, as are future directions for research.

Performance test for prototype game for children with adhd

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahana, R.; Gaol, F. L.; Wiguna, T.; Hendric, S. W. H. L.; Soewito, B.; Nugroho, E.; Dirgantoro, B. P.; Abdurachman, E.

2018-03-01

The gaming industry has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. In recent years there have been several studies that have used games, especially computer-based ones to improve the executive function of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) especially in working memory improvements. There are still several obstacles in using computer-based games that have been circulating today in Indonesia. The aim of this research is to develop and create a prototype game that can be used to improve working memory of children with ADHD using Bahasa Indonesia. The prototype game application is a race game with matching colors and memory work tasks; developed using Construct2. Players will play as a driver, delivering certain fruits to specific homes with different colors. The game also included visuospatial tasks such as remembering the objects. For performance test, CPU utilization, average FPS and image memory usage has been tested in several browsers. In conclusion, the performance tests results show that the first type of the prototype game is good enough to be played in desktop or laptop.

Learning through social interaction in game technology.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Waern, Annika; Raybourn, Elaine Marie

2005-05-01

The present ITSE journal special issue on 'Learning About Social Interaction through Gaming' is the result of an invitation to the attendees of a one-day workshop on 'Social Learning Through Gaming' co-organized by the guest editors and held at the Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) conference on April 26, 2004 in Vienna, Austria. CHI is one of the premiere conferences on human-computer interaction. CHI 2004 attracted hundreds of delegates from all over the world. The CHI workshop program results from a competitive selection process. The Social Learning through Gaming workshop was filled to capacity and attended by approximately 25more » participants from Europe and North America who submitted position papers that were refereed and selected for participation based on the relevancy and innovativeness of the research. The participants came together to share research on play, learning, games, interactive technologies, and what playing and designing games can teach us about social behaviors. The present special issue focuses on learning about social aspects through gaming: learning to socialize through games and learning games through social behavior.« less

The Effect of Advisement and Competition on Transfer, Advisor Use, and Attitude toward Mathematics Using a Computer-Based Simulation Game.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Eck, Richard

This study looks at the roles that competition and context of advisement play in transfer, advisor use, attitude toward mathematics, and attitude toward instruction in a computer-based simulation game that required the use of mathematics skills. It is concluded that for transfer training, non-competitive simulation games might be the best choice,…

Are Educational Computer Micro-Games Engaging and Effective for Knowledge Acquisition at High-Schools? A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brom, Cyril; Preuss, Michal; Klement, Daniel

2011-01-01

Curricular schooling can benefit from the usage of educational computer games, but it is difficult to integrate them in the formal schooling system. Here, we investigate one possible approach to this integration, which capitalizes on using a micro-game that can be played with a teacher's guidance as a supplement after a traditional expository…

Community College Uses a Video-Game Lab to Lure Students to Computer Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jeffrey R.

2007-01-01

A computer lab has become one of the most popular hangouts at Northern Virginia Community College after officials decided to load its PCs with popular video games, install a PlayStation and an Xbox, and declare it "for gamers only." The goal of this lab is to entice students to take game-design and other IT courses. John Min, dean of…

Altered cardiorespiratory coupling in young male adults with excessive online gaming.

PubMed

Chang, Jae Seung; Kim, Eun Young; Jung, Dooyoung; Jeong, Seong Hoon; Kim, Yeni; Roh, Myoung-Sun; Ahn, Yong Min; Hahm, Bong-Jin

2015-09-01

This study aimed to investigate changes in heart rate variability and cardiorespiratory coupling in male college students with problematic Internet use (PIU) excessive gaming type during action video game play to assess the relationship between PIU tendency and central autonomic regulation. Electrocardiograms and respiration were simultaneously recorded from 22 male participants with excessive online gaming and 22 controls during action video game play. Sample entropy (SampEn) was computed to assess autonomic regularity, and cross-SampEn was calculated to quantify autonomic coordination. During video game play, reduced cardiorespiratory coupling (CRC) was observed in individuals with PIU excessive gaming type compared with controls, implicating central autonomic dysregulation. The PIU tendency was associated with the severity of autonomic dysregulation. These findings indicate impaired CRC in PIU excessive gaming type, which may reflect alterations of central inhibitory control over autonomic responses to pleasurable online stimuli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Internet- and computer game addiction: phenomenology, comorbidity, etiology, diagnostics and therapeutic implications for the addictives and their relatives].

PubMed

Peukert, Peter; Sieslack, Sonja; Barth, Gottfried; Batra, Anil

2010-07-01

Excessive and addictive internet use and computer game playing is reported as an increasing problem in outpatient care. The aim of this paper is to give an overview about the current scientific discussion of the overuse and addiction of internet and computer game playing. Pubmed was used for a systematic literature research considering original papers and review articles dealing with Internet/computer game addiction. Recent epidemiological data from Germany suggest that 1.5-3.5 % of adolescent computer and internet users show signs of an overuse or addictive use of computer and video games. Moreover there is evidence that the disorder is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, as well as lower achievements e. g. at school. Although the nosological assignment still remains unclear there is some evidence from neurobiological data that the disorder can be conceptualized as behavioral addiction. As treatment strategy CBT-techniques have been proposed, but there is still a lack of controlled clinical trials concerning their efficacy. Since the addicted persons often show little motivation for a behavioural change we consider it a promising approach to treat and train their relatives with the aim of increasing the motivation for a behavioural change of the addicted person.

Investigating Students' Perceived Discipline Relevance Subsequent to Playing Educational Computer Games: A Personal Interest and Self-Determination Theory Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorebo, Oystein; Haehre, Reidar

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explain students' perceived relevance of playing an educational game as a means for development of discipline competence. Based on self-determination theory and the concept of personal interest, we propose that: Satisfying students' basic needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness when playing educational games…

Collins Center Update. Volume 4, Issue 3, April-June 2002

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-01

a free play , computer-assisted war game. The objective of JLASS is to promote the joint professional military education of all participants by...gaming phase, they came together to execute their plans in a dynamic free play environment. A Center for Strategic Leadership spon- sored elective

Computer Programming Games and Gender Oriented Cultural Forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AlSulaiman, Sarah Abdulmalik

I present the design and evaluation of two games designed to help elementary and middle school students learn computer programming concepts. The first game was designed to be "gender neutral", aligning with might be described as a consensus opinion on best practices for computational learning environments. The second game, based on the cultural form of dress up dolls was deliberately designed to appeal to females. I recruited 70 participants in an international two-phase study to investigate the relationship between games, gender, attitudes towards computer programming, and learning. My findings suggest that while the two games were equally effective in terms of learning outcomes, I saw differences in motivation between players of the two games. Specifically, participants who reported a preference for female- oriented games were more motivated to learn about computer programming when they played a game that they perceived as designed for females. In addition, I describe how the two games seemed to encourage different types of social activity between players in a classroom setting. Based on these results, I reflect on the strategy of exclusively designing games and activities as "gender neutral", and suggest that employing cultural forms, including gendered ones, may help create a more productive experience for learners.

The Anterior Insula Tracks Behavioral Entropy during an Interpersonal Competitive Game

PubMed Central

Matsumoto, Madoka; Matsumoto, Kenji; Omori, Takashi

2015-01-01

In competitive situations, individuals need to adjust their behavioral strategy dynamically in response to their opponent’s behavior. In the present study, we investigated the neural basis of how individuals adjust their strategy during a simple, competitive game of matching pennies. We used entropy as a behavioral index of randomness in decision-making, because maximizing randomness is thought to be an optimal strategy in the game, according to game theory. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), subjects played matching pennies with either a human or computer opponent in each block, although in reality they played the game with the same computer algorithm under both conditions. The winning rate of each block was also manipulated. Both the opponent (human or computer), and the winning rate, independently affected subjects’ block-wise entropy during the game. The fMRI results revealed that activity in the bilateral anterior insula was positively correlated with subjects’ (not opponent’s) behavioral entropy during the game, which indicates that during an interpersonal competitive game, the anterior insula tracked how uncertain subjects’ behavior was, rather than how uncertain subjects felt their opponent's behavior was. Our results suggest that intuitive or automatic processes based on somatic markers may be a key to optimally adjusting behavioral strategies in competitive situations. PMID:26039634

[Digital Game Addiction Among Adolescents and Younger Adults: A Current Overview].

PubMed

Yalçın Irmak, Aylin; Erdoğan, Semra

2016-01-01

The games that adolescents and young people used to play in the play grounds and on the streets have been replaced in recent years with cyber games played in front of the computer on the internet or in game arcades. This changing culture has particularly brought up the concept of "digital game addiction", a condition that stems from the steadily growing passion for digital games and their excessived and uncontrolled usage among adolescents and young people. Game addiction in the psychiatry literature has been described as an impulse control disorder characterized by the symptoms such as "the inability to control the time spent on game-playing", "a loss of interest in other activities", "continuing to play despite the adverse effects" and "feeling psychologically deprived when not being able to play"."Although digital game addiction has not been accepted by psychiatric authorities as a psychiatric disorder yet, the increasing psychiatry referrals due to the problems accompanying this disorder, the efforts of families to seek support and solutions, the evidence that similarities with other types of addiction have been revealed by researchers, as well as the current prevalence rates are all factors that suggest the existence of important of the examination of issue. Despite the discussions about the digital game addiction, the literature on the subject is increasing. This article offers an overview of digital game-playing behavior in the light of current literature, seeking to share its findings with health care professionals.

High User Control in Game Design Elements Increases Compliance and In-game Performance in a Memory Training Game.

PubMed

Nagle, Aniket; Riener, Robert; Wolf, Peter

2015-01-01

Computer games are increasingly being used for training cognitive functions like working memory and attention among the growing population of older adults. While cognitive training games often include elements like difficulty adaptation, rewards, and visual themes to make the games more enjoyable and effective, the effect of different degrees of afforded user control in manipulating these elements has not been systematically studied. To address this issue, two distinct implementations of the three aforementioned game elements were tested among healthy older adults (N = 21, 69.9 ± 6.4 years old) playing a game-like version of the n-back task on a tablet at home for 3 weeks. Two modes were considered, differentiated by the afforded degree of user control of the three elements: user control of difficulty vs. automatic difficulty adaptation, difficulty-dependent rewards vs. automatic feedback messages, and user choice of visual theme vs. no choice. The two modes ("USER-CONTROL" and "AUTO") were compared for frequency of play, duration of play, and in-game performance. Participants were free to play the game whenever and for however long they wished. Participants in USER-CONTROL exhibited significantly higher frequency of playing, total play duration, and in-game performance than participants in AUTO. The results of the present study demonstrate the efficacy of providing user control in the three game elements, while validating a home-based study design in which participants were not bound by any training regimen, and could play the game whenever they wished. The results have implications for designing cognitive training games that elicit higher compliance and better in-game performance, with an emphasis on home-based training.

High User Control in Game Design Elements Increases Compliance and In-game Performance in a Memory Training Game

PubMed Central

Nagle, Aniket; Riener, Robert; Wolf, Peter

2015-01-01

Computer games are increasingly being used for training cognitive functions like working memory and attention among the growing population of older adults. While cognitive training games often include elements like difficulty adaptation, rewards, and visual themes to make the games more enjoyable and effective, the effect of different degrees of afforded user control in manipulating these elements has not been systematically studied. To address this issue, two distinct implementations of the three aforementioned game elements were tested among healthy older adults (N = 21, 69.9 ± 6.4 years old) playing a game-like version of the n-back task on a tablet at home for 3 weeks. Two modes were considered, differentiated by the afforded degree of user control of the three elements: user control of difficulty vs. automatic difficulty adaptation, difficulty-dependent rewards vs. automatic feedback messages, and user choice of visual theme vs. no choice. The two modes (“USER-CONTROL” and “AUTO”) were compared for frequency of play, duration of play, and in-game performance. Participants were free to play the game whenever and for however long they wished. Participants in USER-CONTROL exhibited significantly higher frequency of playing, total play duration, and in-game performance than participants in AUTO. The results of the present study demonstrate the efficacy of providing user control in the three game elements, while validating a home-based study design in which participants were not bound by any training regimen, and could play the game whenever they wished. The results have implications for designing cognitive training games that elicit higher compliance and better in-game performance, with an emphasis on home-based training. PMID:26635681

Restoring Fun to Game Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixit, Avinash

2005-01-01

The author suggests methods for teaching game theory at an introductory level, using interactive games to be played in the classroom or in computer clusters, clips from movies to be screened and discussed, and excerpts from novels and historical books to be read and discussed.

Play

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harteveld, Casper

Designing a game with a serious purpose involves considering the worlds of Reality and Meaning yet it is undeniably impossible to create a game without a third world, one that is specifically concerned with what makes a game a game: the play elements. This third world, the world of people like designers and artists, and disciplines as computer science and game design, I call the world of Play and this level is devoted to it. The level starts off with some of the misperceptions people have of play. Unlike some may think, we play all the time, even when we grow old—this was also very noticeable in designing the game Levee Patroller as the team exhibited very playful behavior at many occasions. From there, I go into the aspects that characterize this world. The first concerns the goal of the game. This relates to the objectives people have to achieve within the game. This is constituted by the second aspect: the gameplay. Taking actions and facing challenges is subsequently constituted by a gameworld, which concerns the third aspect. And all of it is not possible without the fourth and final aspect, the type of technology that creates and facilitates the game. The four aspects together make up a “game concept” and from this world such a concept can be judged on the basis of three closely interrelated criteria: engagement, immersion, and fun.

Choice of Interactive Dance and Bicycle Games in Overweight and Nonoverweight Youth

PubMed Central

Epstein, Leonard H.; Beecher, Meghan D.; Graf, Jennifer L.; Roemmich, James N.

2008-01-01

Background: Interactive video games are a popular alternative to physical activity in youth. One advancement in computer games are interactive games that use physical activity as a game playing controller, combining exercise and entertainment, or exertainment. Purpose: This study tested the reinforcing value and activity levels of interactive dance and bicycle race games in 18 overweight and 17 nonoverweight 8- to 12-year-old youth. Methods: Reinforcing value was studied using a behavioral choice paradigm that provided children the opportunity to respond on progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement for a choice of either playing the video dance or bicycle game using a handheld video game controller or one of three options: dancing or bicycling alone, dancing or bicycling while watching a video, or playing the interactive dance or bicycle game. Reinforcing value was defined in relationship to the amount of responding children engaged in for either choice. Results: Results showed the interactive dance game was more reinforcing than dancing alone or dancing while watching the video (p = .003), but there was no difference across bicycling conditions. Nonoverweight youth were more active when given the opportunity to play the interactive dance game than overweight children (p = .05). Conclusions: These results suggest that children may be motivated to be active when given the opportunity to play an interactive dance game. PMID:17447864

Computer-based, personalized cognitive training versus classical computer games: a randomized double-blind prospective trial of cognitive stimulation.

PubMed

Peretz, Chava; Korczyn, Amos D; Shatil, Evelyn; Aharonson, Vered; Birnboim, Smadar; Giladi, Nir

2011-01-01

Many studies have suggested that cognitive training can result in cognitive gains in healthy older adults. We investigated whether personalized computerized cognitive training provides greater benefits than those obtained by playing conventional computer games. This was a randomized double-blind interventional study. Self-referred healthy older adults (n = 155, 68 ± 7 years old) were assigned to either a personalized, computerized cognitive training or to a computer games group. Cognitive performance was assessed at baseline and after 3 months by a neuropsychological assessment battery. Differences in cognitive performance scores between and within groups were evaluated using mixed effects models in 2 approaches: adherence only (AO; n = 121) and intention to treat (ITT; n = 155). Both groups improved in cognitive performance. The improvement in the personalized cognitive training group was significant (p < 0.03, AO and ITT approaches) in all 8 cognitive domains. However, in the computer games group it was significant (p < 0.05) in only 4 (AO) or 6 domains (ITT). In the AO analysis, personalized cognitive training was significantly more effective than playing games in improving visuospatial working memory (p = 0.0001), visuospatial learning (p = 0.0012) and focused attention (p = 0.0019). Personalized, computerized cognitive training appears to be more effective than computer games in improving cognitive performance in healthy older adults. Further studies are needed to evaluate the ecological validity of these findings. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Automated Intelligent Agents: Are They Trusted Members of Military Teams?

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

computer -based team firefighting game (C3Fire). The order of presentation of the two trials (human – human vs. human – automation) was...agent. All teams played a computer -based team firefighting game (C3Fire). The order of presentation of the two trials (human – human vs. human...26 b. Participants’ Computer ..................27 C. VARIABLES .........................................27 1. Independent Variables

Abstraction through Game Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avraamidou, Antri; Monaghan, John; Walker, Aisha

2012-01-01

This paper examines the computer game play of an 11-year-old boy. In the course of building a virtual house he developed and used, without assistance, an artefact and an accompanying strategy to ensure that his house was symmetric. We argue that the creation and use of this artefact-strategy is a mathematical abstraction. The discussion…

Opponent Classification in Poker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, Muhammad Aurangzeb; Elidrisi, Mohamed

Modeling games has a long history in the Artificial Intelligence community. Most of the games that have been considered solved in AI are perfect information games. Imperfect information games like Poker and Bridge represent a domain where there is a great deal of uncertainty involved and additional challenges with respect to modeling the behavior of the opponent etc. Techniques developed for playing imperfect games also have many real world applications like repeated online auctions, human computer interaction, opponent modeling for military applications etc. In this paper we explore different techniques for playing poker, the core of these techniques is opponent modeling via classifying the behavior of opponent according to classes provided by domain experts. We utilize windows of full observation in the game to classify the opponent. In Poker, the behavior of an opponent is classified into four standard poker-playing styles based on a subjective function.

Zoning Issues and Area of Interest Management in Massively Multiplayer Online Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Dewan Tanvir; Shirmohammadi, Shervin

Game is a way of entertainment, a means for excitement, fun and socialization. Online games have achieved popularity due to increasing broadband adoption among consumers. Relatively cheap bandwidth Internet connections allow large number of players to play together. Since the introduction of Network Virtual Environment (NVE) in 1980s for military simulation, many interesting applications have been evolved over the past few decades. Massively multiplayer online (role-playing) game, MMOG or MMORPG, is a new genre of online games that has emerged with the introduction of Ultima since 1997. It is a kind of online computer game with the participation of hundreds of thousands of players in a virtual world.

Game Design and Learning: A Conjectural Analysis of How Massively Multiple Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) Foster Intrinsic Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickey, Michele D.

2007-01-01

During the past two decades, the popularity of computer and video games has prompted games to become a source of study for educational researchers and instructional designers investigating how various aspects of game design might be appropriated, borrowed, and re-purposed for the design of educational materials. The purpose of this paper is to…

Academics' Attitudes toward Using Digital Games for Learning & Teaching in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noraddin, Enas Mohamed; Kian, Neo Tse

2014-01-01

Digital (or computer) games have been extremely attractive to gamers of all ages, especially the young ones. They spend much time playing such games for pleasure and entertainment. Harnessing digital games for education has been attempted in some advanced countries where teachers seemed to be receptive to the idea. In Malaysia no major study has…

Competitive and cooperative arm rehabilitation games played by a patient and unimpaired person: effects on motivation and exercise intensity.

PubMed

Goršič, Maja; Cikajlo, Imre; Novak, Domen

2017-03-23

People with chronic arm impairment should exercise intensely to regain their abilities, but frequently lack motivation, leading to poor rehabilitation outcome. One promising way to increase motivation is through interpersonal rehabilitation games, which allow patients to compete or cooperate together with other people. However, such games have mainly been evaluated with unimpaired subjects, and little is known about how they affect motivation and exercise intensity in people with chronic arm impairment. We designed four different arm rehabilitation games that are played by a person with arm impairment and their unimpaired friend, relative or occupational therapist. One is a competitive game (both people compete against each other), two are cooperative games (both people work together against the computer) and one is a single-player game (played only by the impaired person against the computer). The games were played by 29 participants with chronic arm impairment, of which 19 were accompanied by their friend or relative and 10 were accompanied by their occupational therapist. Each participant played all four games within a single session. Participants' subjective experience was quantified using the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire after each game, as well as a final questionnaire about game preferences. Their exercise intensity was quantified using wearable inertial sensors that measured hand velocity in each game. Of the 29 impaired participants, 12 chose the competitive game as their favorite, 12 chose a cooperative game, and 5 preferred to exercise alone. Participants who chose the competitive game as their favorite showed increased motivation and exercise intensity in that game compared to other games. Participants who chose a cooperative game as their favorite also showed increased motivation in cooperative games, but not increased exercise intensity. Since both motivation and intensity are positively correlated with rehabilitation outcome, competitive games have high potential to lead to functional improvement and increased quality of life for patients compared to conventional rehabilitation exercises. Cooperative games do not increase exercise intensity, but could still increase motivation of patients who do not enjoy competition. However, such games need to be tested in longer, multisession studies to determine whether the observed increases in motivation and exercise intensity persist over a longer period of time and whether they positively affect rehabilitation outcome. The study is not a clinical trial. While human subjects are involved, they participate in a single-session evaluation of a rehabilitation game rather than a full rehabilitation intervention, and no health outcomes are examined.

Computer Experience and Gender Differences in Undergraduate Mental Rotation Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Lisi, Richard; Cammarano, Diane M.

1996-01-01

This study surveyed undergraduates (27 men, 83 women) to investigate gender differences in mental rotation. It compared pretesting on the Vandenberg Test of Mental Rotation (VTMR) and posttesting after two sessions of computer games. Men typically scored higher on pretest VTMR. After playing a game requiring mental rotation of figures, women…

Trainee Teachers' e-Learning Experiences of Computer Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Pam

2009-01-01

Pam Wright highlights the role of technology in providing situated learning opportunities for preservice teachers to explore the role commercial computer games may have in primary education. In a study designed to assess the effectiveness of an online unit on gaming incorporated into a course on learning technologies, Wright found that thoughtful…

Getting Started in Classroom Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahl, David H.

Written for secondary students, this booklet provides an introduction to several computer-related concepts through a set of six classroom games, most of which can be played with little more than a sheet of paper and a pencil. The games are: 1) SECRET CODES--introduction to binary coding, punched cards, and paper tape; 2) GUESS--efficient methods…

Choice of Human-Computer Interaction Mode in Stroke Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Mousavi Hondori, Hossein; Khademi, Maryam; Dodakian, Lucy; McKenzie, Alison; Lopes, Cristina V; Cramer, Steven C

2016-03-01

Advances in technology are providing new forms of human-computer interaction. The current study examined one form of human-computer interaction, augmented reality (AR), whereby subjects train in the real-world workspace with virtual objects projected by the computer. Motor performances were compared with those obtained while subjects used a traditional human-computer interaction, that is, a personal computer (PC) with a mouse. Patients used goal-directed arm movements to play AR and PC versions of the Fruit Ninja video game. The 2 versions required the same arm movements to control the game but had different cognitive demands. With AR, the game was projected onto the desktop, where subjects viewed the game plus their arm movements simultaneously, in the same visual coordinate space. In the PC version, subjects used the same arm movements but viewed the game by looking up at a computer monitor. Among 18 patients with chronic hemiparesis after stroke, the AR game was associated with 21% higher game scores (P = .0001), 19% faster reaching times (P = .0001), and 15% less movement variability (P = .0068), as compared to the PC game. Correlations between game score and arm motor status were stronger with the AR version. Motor performances during the AR game were superior to those during the PC game. This result is due in part to the greater cognitive demands imposed by the PC game, a feature problematic for some patients but clinically useful for others. Mode of human-computer interface influences rehabilitation therapy demands and can be individualized for patients. © The Author(s) 2015.

A study on haptic collaborative game in shared virtual environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Keke; Liu, Guanyang; Liu, Lingzhi

2013-03-01

A study on collaborative game in shared virtual environment with haptic feedback over computer networks is introduced in this paper. A collaborative task was used where the players located at remote sites and played the game together. The player can feel visual and haptic feedback in virtual environment compared to traditional networked multiplayer games. The experiment was desired in two conditions: visual feedback only and visual-haptic feedback. The goal of the experiment is to assess the impact of force feedback on collaborative task performance. Results indicate that haptic feedback is beneficial for performance enhancement for collaborative game in shared virtual environment. The outcomes of this research can have a powerful impact on the networked computer games.

CASTAG - A Computer Assisted Interactive Naval Wargame.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

SEATAG, THE MANUAL GAME -------------------------- 12 A. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SEATAG -------------12 B. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAYING AREA, SCALE...ENVIRONMENT AND PLATFORM CHARACTERISTICS OF SEATAG ------------------------------------ 12 C. GAME FLOW, AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND SUBMARINE OPERATIONS, AND...DISTRIBUTION LIST---------------------------------- 157 7 LIST OF FIGURES 1. SEATAG Game Flow ---------------------------------- 15 2. Overall CASTAG Program

Experimental demonstration of conflicting interest nonlocal games using superconducting qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Situ, Haozhen; Li, Lvzhou; Huang, Zhiming; He, Zhimin; Zhang, Cai

2018-06-01

Conflicting interest nonlocal games are special Bayesian games played by noncooperative players without communication. In recent years, some conflicting interest nonlocal games have been proposed where quantum advice can help players to obtain higher payoffs. In this work we perform an experiment of six conflicting interest nonlocal games using the IBM quantum computer made up of five superconducting qubits. The experimental results demonstrate quantum advantage in four of these games, whereas the other two games fail to showcase quantum advantage in the experiment.

A Survey of Educational Games as Interaction Design Tools for Affective Learning: Thematic Analysis Taxonomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusoff, Zarwina; Kamsin, Amirrudin; Shamshirband, Shahaboddin; Chronopoulos, Anthony T.

2018-01-01

A Computer game is the new platform in generating learning experiences for educational purposes. There are many educational games that have been used as an interaction design tool in a learning environment to enhance students learning outcomes. However, research also claims that playing video games can have a negative impact on student behavior,…

Using a Serious Game Approach to Teach Secure Coding in Introductory Programming: Development and Initial Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamo-Villani, Nicoletta; Oania, Marcus; Cooper, Stephen

2013-01-01

We report the development and initial evaluation of a serious game that, in conjunction with appropriately designed matching laboratory exercises, can be used to teach secure coding and Information Assurance (IA) concepts across a range of introductory computing courses. The IA Game is a role-playing serious game (RPG) in which the student travels…

Interlopers 3D: experiences designing a stereoscopic game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, James; Holliman, Nicolas S.

2014-03-01

Background In recent years 3D-enabled televisions, VR headsets and computer displays have become more readily available in the home. This presents an opportunity for game designers to explore new stereoscopic game mechanics and techniques that have previously been unavailable in monocular gaming. Aims To investigate the visual cues that are present in binocular and monocular vision, identifying which are relevant when gaming using a stereoscopic display. To implement a game whose mechanics are so reliant on binocular cues that the game becomes impossible or at least very difficult to play in non-stereoscopic mode. Method A stereoscopic 3D game was developed whose objective was to shoot down advancing enemies (the Interlopers) before they reached their destination. Scoring highly required players to make accurate depth judgments and target the closest enemies first. A group of twenty participants played both a basic and advanced version of the game in both monoscopic 2D and stereoscopic 3D. Results The results show that in both the basic and advanced game participants achieved higher scores when playing in stereoscopic 3D. The advanced game showed that by disrupting the depth from motion cue the game became more difficult in monoscopic 2D. Results also show a certain amount of learning taking place over the course of the experiment, meaning that players were able to score higher and finish the game faster over the course of the experiment. Conclusions Although the game was not impossible to play in monoscopic 2D, participants results show that it put them at a significant disadvantage when compared to playing in stereoscopic 3D.

Key steps in developing a cognitive vaccine against traumatic flashbacks: visuospatial Tetris versus verbal Pub Quiz.

PubMed

Holmes, Emily A; James, Ella L; Kilford, Emma J; Deeprose, Catherine

2010-11-10

Flashbacks (intrusive memories of a traumatic event) are the hallmark feature of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, however preventative interventions are lacking. Tetris may offer a 'cognitive vaccine' [1] against flashback development after trauma exposure. We previously reported that playing the computer game Tetris soon after viewing traumatic material reduced flashbacks compared to no-task [1]. However, two criticisms need to be addressed for clinical translation: (1) Would all games have this effect via distraction/enjoyment, or might some games even be harmful? (2) Would effects be found if administered several hours post-trauma? Accordingly, we tested Tetris versus an alternative computer game--Pub Quiz--which we hypothesized not to be helpful (Experiments 1 and 2), and extended the intervention interval to 4 hours (Experiment 2). The trauma film paradigm was used as an experimental analog for flashback development in healthy volunteers. In both experiments, participants viewed traumatic film footage of death and injury before completing one of the following: (1) no-task control condition (2) Tetris or (3) Pub Quiz. Flashbacks were monitored for 1 week. Experiment 1: 30 min after the traumatic film, playing Tetris led to a significant reduction in flashbacks compared to no-task control, whereas Pub Quiz led to a significant increase in flashbacks. Experiment 2: 4 hours post-film, playing Tetris led to a significant reduction in flashbacks compared to no-task control, whereas Pub Quiz did not. First, computer games can have differential effects post-trauma, as predicted by a cognitive science formulation of trauma memory. In both Experiments, playing Tetris post-trauma film reduced flashbacks. Pub Quiz did not have this effect, even increasing flashbacks in Experiment 1. Thus not all computer games are beneficial or merely distracting post-trauma - some may be harmful. Second, the beneficial effects of Tetris are retained at 4 hours post-trauma. Clinically, this delivers a feasible time-window to administer a post-trauma "cognitive vaccine".

Computer games may be good for your health: shifting healthcare behavior via interactive drama videogames.

PubMed

Silverman, Barry G; Mosley, Josh; Johns, Michael; Weaver, Ransom; Green, Melanie; Holmes, John; Kimmel, Stephen; Holmes, William

2003-01-01

There is increasing evidence that interactive learning systems have an important role in reducing health risks and improving general health status. This theater style demonstration is aimed at harnessing people's passions for videogames and the movies, and a major purpose of this research is to explore alternative ways for a game generator to help authors to introduce entertainment and free play as well as learning by teaching into role playing games and interactive dramas that are behavioral interventions in disguise.

A randomised controlled trial of a computerised intervention for children with social communication difficulties to support peer collaboration.

PubMed

Murphy, Suzanne M; Faulkner, Dorothy M; Reynolds, Laura R

2014-11-01

An intervention aiming to support children with social communication difficulties was tested using a randomised controlled design. Children aged 5-6 years old (n=32) were tested and selected for participation on the basis of their scores on the Test of Pragmatic Skills (TPS) and were then randomly assigned to the intervention arm or to the delayed intervention control group. Following previous research which suggested that computer technology may be particularly useful for this group of children, the intervention included a collaborative computer game which the children played with an adult. Subsequently, children's performance as they played the game with a classmate was observed. Micro-analytic observational methods were used to analyse the audio-recorded interaction of the children as they played. Pre- and post-intervention measures comprised the Test of Pragmatic Skills, children's performance on the computer game and verbal communication measures that the children used during the game. This evaluation of the intervention shows promise. At post-test, the children who had received the intervention, by comparison to the control group who had not, showed significant gains in their scores on the Test of Pragmatic Skills (p=.009, effect size r=-.42), a significant improvement in their performance on the computer game (p=.03, r=-.32) and significantly greater use of high-quality questioning during collaboration (p<.001, r=-.60). Furthermore, the children who received the intervention made significantly more positive statements about the game and about their partners (p=.02, r=-.34) suggesting that the intervention increased their confidence and enjoyment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploration of the associations of touch-screen tablet computer usage and musculoskeletal discomfort.

PubMed

Chiang, Hsin-Yu Ariel; Liu, Chien-Hsiou

2016-03-10

Tablet users may be at high risk of developing physical discomfort because of their usage behaviors and tablet design. Investigate the usage of tablets, variations in head and neck posture associated with different tablet tilt angles, and the association of tablet use with users' musculoskeletal discomfort. A survey of users' subjective perceptions conducted by questionnaire and measurements of users' postures by a 3D Motion analysis system was used to explore the effects of tablet use. The questionnaire results indicated that over half of the participants reported physical discomfort after using tablets, with the most prevalent discomfort in the neck and shoulders, and more intensity of discomfort for the back although only few participants experienced it. Chi-squared tests indicated that significantly more participants who tended to use tablet computers to play games reported having musculoskeletal discomfort after using a tablet. In addition, preferences for tablet tilt angles varied across tasks (reading and game playing). The results from the 3D motion analysis revealed that head and neck flexion angles were significantly reduced when the tablets were positioned at relatively steep tilt angles. Neck flexion angle was significantly higher in game playing. These data add information regarding to the usage of tablet and its associations with physical discomfort (significantly more participants who tended to use tablet computers to play games reported having musculoskeletal discomfort after using a tablet). Steep tilt angles (such as 60°) may cause tablet users to decrease their head and neck flexion angles, which could lead to a more neutral, effortless, and ergonomically correct posture. Maintaining proper neck posture during active activities such as game playing is recommended to avoid neck discomfort.

Situational Effects on the Usage Intention of Mobile Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Ting-Peng; Yeh, Yi-Hsuan

As value-added services on mobile devices are developing rapidly, text messaging, multi-media messaging, music, video, games, GPS navigation, RFID, and mobile TV are all accessible from a single device. Mobile games that combine mobile communication with computer games are an emerging industry. The purpose of this research is to explore what situation factors may affect the intention to play mobile game. We propose a research model to fit the nature of mobile games and conducted an online survey to examine the effect of situational factors. The model integrates constructs in TAM and TRA. The findings are as follows. First, Subjective norm affects a user’s intention in using mobile games when a user has no other task. Second, perceived playfulness affects a user’s intention to use mobile games when the user has another task.

Using a Computer Game to Teach School-Aged Children about Asthma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greer, Mary; Lin, Lijia; Atkinson, Robert K.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether playing "Quest for the Code"™, a computer game designed to teach children about asthma, would help healthy children acquire knowledge about and attitudes towards asthma and whether the beneficial effects would be maintained over time. The sample consisted of 155 children from four middle…

The MORPG-Based Learning System for Multiple Courses: A Case Study on Computer Science Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Kuo-Yu

2015-01-01

This study aimed at developing a Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game-based (MORPG) Learning system which enabled instructors to construct a game scenario and manage sharable and reusable learning content for multiple courses. It used the curriculum of "Introduction to Computer Science" as a study case to assess students' learning…

A tangible programming tool for children to cultivate computational thinking.

PubMed

Wang, Danli; Wang, Tingting; Liu, Zhen

2014-01-01

Game and creation are activities which have good potential for computational thinking skills. In this paper we present T-Maze, an economical tangible programming tool for children aged 5-9 to build computer programs in maze games by placing wooden blocks. Through the use of computer vision technology, T-Maze provides a live programming interface with real-time graphical and voice feedback. We conducted a user study with 7 children using T-Maze to play two levels of maze-escape games and create their own mazes. The results show that T-Maze is not only easy to use, but also has the potential to help children cultivate computational thinking like abstraction, problem decomposition, and creativity.

The design and development of a computer game on insulin injection.

PubMed

Ebrahimpour, Fatemeh; Najafi, Mostafa; Sadeghi, Narges

2014-01-01

Insulin therapy is of high importance in glycemic control and prevention of complications in type 1 diabetes in children. However, this treatment is unpleasant and stressful for many children, and it is difficult for them to accept. The purpose of the study was to design and develop an educational computer game for diabetic children to familiarize them with insulin injections. After a review of the literature and the collection of basic information, we discussed the purpose of this research with some diabetic children, their parents, and nurses. The findings that we acquired from the discussion were considered in designing and developing the game. Then, following the principles associated with the development of computer games, we developed seven different games that related to insulin injections, and the games were evaluated in a pilot study. The games developed through the design and programming environment of Adobe Flash Player and stored on a computer disk (CD). The seven games were a pairs game, a puzzle game, a question and answer game, an insulin kit game, a drawing room game, a story game, and an insulin injection-room game). The idea was that diabetic children could become acquainted with insulin injections and the injection toolkit by playing a variety of entertaining and fun games. They also learned about some of the issues associated with insulin and experienced insulin injection in a simulated environment. It seems that the use of new technologies, such as computer games, can influence diabetic children's acquaintance with the correct method of insulin injection, psychological readiness to initiate insulin therapy, reduction in stress, anxiety, and fear of insulin injection.

Cross-Sectional Associations Between Violent Video and Computer Game Playing and Weapon Carrying in a National Cohort of Children

PubMed Central

Ybarra, Michele L.; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Korchmaros, Josephine D.; Reisner, Sari L.

2015-01-01

Data were collected from 9 to 18 year olds surveyed nationally in a three-wave longitudinal survey. The population-average (generalized estimating equation, GEE) odds of carrying a weapon to school in the last month were estimated as a function of past-year exposure to violent content in video, computer, and Internet games, as well as peer aggression and biological sex. The sample included youth who were at risk for both the exposure (i.e., game play) and the outcome (i.e., who attended public or private school). 3,397 observations from 1,489 youth were included in analyses. 1.4% of youth reported carrying a weapon to school in the last month and 69% reported that at least some of the games they played depicted violence. After adjusting for other potentially influential characteristics (e.g., aggressive behavior), playing at least some violent games in the past year was associated with a fourfold increase in odds of also reporting carrying a weapon to school in the last month. Although youth who reported frequent and intense peer victimization in the past year were more likely to report carrying a weapon to school in the last month, this relation was explained by other influential characteristics. Consistent with the predictions of social-cognitive, observational learning theory, this study supports the hypothesis that carrying weapons to school is associated with violent game play. As one of the first studies of its kind, findings should be interpreted cautiously and need to be replicated. PMID:24464267

Cross-sectional associations between violent video and computer game playing and weapon carrying in a national cohort of children.

PubMed

Ybarra, Michele L; Huesmann, L Rowell; Korchmaros, Josephine D; Reisner, Sari L

2014-01-01

Data were collected from 9 to 18 year olds surveyed nationally in a three-wave longitudinal survey. The population-average (generalized estimating equation, GEE) odds of carrying a weapon to school in the last month were estimated as a function of past-year exposure to violent content in video, computer, and Internet games, as well as peer aggression and biological sex. The sample included youth who were at risk for both the exposure (i.e., game play) and the outcome (i.e., who attended public or private school). 3,397 observations from 1,489 youth were included in analyses. 1.4% of youth reported carrying a weapon to school in the last month and 69% reported that at least some of the games they played depicted violence. After adjusting for other potentially influential characteristics (e.g., aggressive behavior), playing at least some violent games in the past year was associated with a fourfold increase in odds of also reporting carrying a weapon to school in the last month. Although youth who reported frequent and intense peer victimization in the past year were more likely to report carrying a weapon to school in the last month, this relation was explained by other influential characteristics. Consistent with the predictions of social-cognitive, observational learning theory, this study supports the hypothesis that carrying weapons to school is associated with violent game play. As one of the first studies of its kind, findings should be interpreted cautiously and need to be replicated. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Virtual Learning Environments in Social Psychology: Using "The SIMs[superscript 3]" to Teach Self-Related Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stansbury, Jessica A.

2017-01-01

An interactive learning module was developed and implemented in a social psychology course to teach concepts of the "self" via self-exploration and game play using "The SIMS[superscript 3]." Students volunteered to play the computer video game throughout a 5-week summer session as a supplement to reading the chapter in the…

Digital Dome versus Desktop Display: Learning Outcome Assessments by Domain Experts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Jeffery

2013-01-01

In previous publications, the author reported that students learned about Egyptian architecture and society by playing an educational game based on a virtual representation of a temple. Students played the game in a digital dome or on a standard desktop computer, and (each) then recorded a video tour of the temple. Those who had used the dome…

Leisure activities in Prader-Wili syndrome: implications for health, cognition and adaptive functioning.

PubMed

Dykens, Elisabeth M

2014-02-01

Although hyperphagia and compulsivity in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are well described, recreation and adaptive skills are relatively unexplored. Parents of 123 participants with PWS (4-48 years) completed measures of their child's adaptive, recreation, and problem behaviors. Offspring received cognitive testing. Watching TV was the most frequent recreational activity, and was associated with compulsivity and skin picking. BMIs were negatively correlated with physical play, and highest in those who watched TV and played computer games. Computer games and physical activities were associated with higher IQ and adaptive scores. People with PWS and other disabilities need to watch less TV and be more engaged in physical activities, games, and leisure pursuits that are fun, and may bring cognitive or adaptive advantages.

Paradoxical Expectation: Oscillatory Brain Activity Reveals Social Interaction Impairment in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Billeke, Pablo; Armijo, Alejandra; Castillo, Daniel; López, Tamara; Zamorano, Francisco; Cosmelli, Diego; Aboitiz, Francisco

2015-09-15

People with schizophrenia show social impairments that are related to functional outcomes. We tested the hypothesis that social interaction impairments in people with schizophrenia are related to alterations in the predictions of others' behavior and explored their underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Electroencephalography was performed in 20 patients with schizophrenia and 25 well-matched control subjects. Participants played as proposers in the repeated version of the Ultimatum Game believing that they were playing with another human or with a computer. The power of oscillatory brain activity was obtained by means of the wavelet transform. We performed a trial-by-trial correlation between the oscillatory activity and the risk of the offer. Control subjects adapted their offers when playing with computers and tended to maintain their offers when playing with humans, as such revealing learning and bargaining strategies, respectively. People with schizophrenia presented the opposite pattern of behavior in both games. During the anticipation of others' responses, the power of alpha oscillations correlated with the risk of the offers made, in a different way in both games. Patients with schizophrenia presented a greater correlation in computer games than in human games; control subjects showed the opposite pattern. The alpha activity correlated with positive symptoms. Our results reveal an alteration in social interaction in patients with schizophrenia that is related to oscillatory brain activity, suggesting maladjustment of expectation when patients face social and nonsocial agents. This alteration is related to psychotic symptoms and could guide further therapies for improving social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PlayIt: Game Based Learning Approach for Teaching Programming Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathrani, Anuradha; Christian, Shelly; Ponder-Sutton, Agate

2016-01-01

This study demonstrates a game-based learning (GBL) approach to engage students in learning and enhance their programming skills. The paper gives a detailed narrative of how an educational game was mapped with the curriculum of a prescribed programming course in a computing diploma study programme. Two separate student cohorts were invited to…

Video Game Playing Is Independently Associated with Blood Pressure and Lipids in Overweight and Obese Adolescents

PubMed Central

Goldfield, Gary S.; Kenny, Glen P.; Hadjiyannakis, Stasia; Phillips, Penny; Alberga, Angela S.; Saunders, Travis J.; Tremblay, Mark S.; Malcolm, Janine; Prud'homme, Denis; Gougeon, Rejeanne; Sigal, Ronald J.

2011-01-01

Objective To examine the association between duration and type of screen time (TV, video games, computer time) and blood pressure (BP) and lipids in overweight and obese adolescents. Design This is a cross-sectional study of 282 overweight or obese adolescents aged 14–18 years (86 males, 196 females) assessed at baseline prior to beginning a lifestyle intervention study for weight control. Sedentary behaviours, defined as hours per day spent watching TV, playing video games, recreational computer use and total screen time were measured by self-report. We examined the associations between sedentary behaviours and BP and lipids using multiple linear regression. Results Seated video gaming was the only sedentary behaviour associated with elevated BP and lipids before and after adjustment for age, sex, pubertal stage, parental education, body mass index (BMI), caloric intake, percent intake in dietary fat, physical activity (PA) duration, and PA intensity. Specifically, video gaming remained positively associated with systolic BP (adjusted r = 0.13, β = 1.1, p<0.05) and total cholesterol/HDL ratio (adjusted r = 0.12, β = 0.14, p<0.05). Conclusions Playing video games was the only form of sedentary behaviour that was independently associated with increased BP and lipids. Our findings provide support for reducing time spent playing seated video games as a possible means to promote health and prevent the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in this high risk group of overweight and obese adolescents. Future research is needed to first replicate these findings and subsequently aim to elucidate the mechanisms linking seated video gaming and elevated BP and lipids in this high risk population. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00195858 PMID:22069461

The Multivoicedness of Game Play: Exploring the Unfolding of a Student's Learning Trajectory in a Gaming Context at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silseth, Kenneth

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to gain knowledge about how interactions in a gaming context become constituted as effective resources for a student's learning trajectory. In addition, this detailed study of a learning trajectory documents how a computer game becomes a learning resource for working on a specific topic in school. The article reports…

mRNA expression of dopamine receptors in peripheral blood lymphocytes of computer game addicts.

PubMed

Vousooghi, Nasim; Zarei, Seyed Zeinolabedin; Sadat-Shirazi, Mitra-Sadat; Eghbali, Fatemeh; Zarrindast, Mohammad Reza

2015-10-01

Excessive playing of computer games like some other behaviors could lead to addiction. Addictive behaviors may induce their reinforcing effects through stimulation of the brain dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway. The status of dopamine receptors in the brain may be parallel to their homologous receptors in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Here, we have investigated the mRNA expression of dopamine D3, D4 and D5 receptors in PBLs of computer game addicts (n = 20) in comparison to normal subjects (n = 20), using a real-time PCR method. The results showed that the expression level of D3 and D4 dopamine receptors in computer game addicts were not statistically different from the control group. However, the expression of the mRNA of D5 dopamine receptor was significantly down-regulated in PBLs of computer game addicts and reached 0.42 the amount of the control group. It is concluded that unlike with drug addiction, the expression levels of the D3 and D4 dopamine receptors in computer game addicts are not altered compared to the control group. However, reduced level of the D5 dopamine receptor in computer game addicts may serve as a peripheral marker in studies where the confounding effects of abused drugs are unwanted.

Seven-year-olds' aggressive choices in a computer game can be predicted in infancy.

PubMed

Hay, Dale F; Johansen, Mark K; Daly, Peter; Hashmi, Salim; Robinson, Charlotte; Collishaw, Stephan; van Goozen, Stephanie

2018-05-01

Concerns about the relationship between computer games and children's aggression have been expressed for decades, but it is not yet clear whether the content of such games evokes aggression or a prior history of aggression promotes children's interest in aggressive games. Two hundred and sixty-six 7-year-old children from a nationally representative longitudinal sample in the UK played a novel computer game (CAMGAME) in which the child's avatar encountered a series of social challenges that might evoke aggressive, prosocial or neutral behaviour. Aggressive choices during the game were predicted by well-known risk factors for aggressive conduct problems and the children's own early angry aggressiveness as infants. These findings suggest that children who are predisposed to aggression bring those tendencies to virtual as well as real environments. © 2017 The Authors. Developmental Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Playing with Technology: Is It All Bad?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slutsky, Ruslan; Slutsky, Mindy; DeShelter, Lori M.

2014-01-01

Technology now plays a very large role in the way children of all ages play. Children want access to technology, so parents and teachers must determine the best ways to present it to them. Computers are a popular form of technology for children as young as age three. With that in mind, computer games should be problem-solving oriented and…

Examining the Relationship between Digital Game Preferences and Computational Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Hatice Durak; Yilmaz, Fatma Gizem Karaoglan; Yilmaz, Ramazan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify whether computational thinking skills among secondary school students differ depending on the type of digital games they play. The participants of this study were 202 secondary school students at 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades during 2016-2017 academic year. Correlational survey method was used during this…

Reconfiguring Interactivity, Agency and Pleasure in the Education and Computer Games Debate--Using Zizek's Concept of Interpassivity to Analyse Educational Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelletier, Caroline

2005-01-01

Digital or computer games have recently attracted the interest of education researchers and policy-makers for two main reasons: their interactivity, which is said to allow greater agency, and their inherent pleasures, which are linked to increased motivation to learn. However, the relationship between pleasure, agency and motivation in educational…

A Genre-Specific Investigation of Video Game Engagement and Problem Play in the Early Life Course

PubMed Central

Ream, Geoffrey L.; Elliott, Luther C.; Dunlap, Eloise

2013-01-01

This study explored predictors of engagement with specific video game genres, and degree of problem play experienced by players of specific genres, during the early life course. Video game players ages 18–29 (n = 692) were recruited in and around video game retail outlets, arcades, conventions, and other video game related contexts in New York City. Participants completed a Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) of contemporaneous demographic and personality measures and a Life-History Calendar (LHC) measuring video gaming, school/work engagement, and caffeine and sugar consumption for each year of life ages 6 - present. Findings were that likelihood of engagement with most genres rose during childhood, peaked at some point during the second decade of life, and declined through emerging adulthood. Cohorts effects on engagement also emerged which were probably attributable to changes in the availability and popularity of various genres over the 12-year age range of our participants. The relationship between age and problem play of most genres was either negative or non-significant. Sensation-seeking was the only consistent positive predictor of problem play. Relationships between other variables and engagement with and problem play of specific genres are discussed in detail. PMID:24688802

A Genre-Specific Investigation of Video Game Engagement and Problem Play in the Early Life Course.

PubMed

Ream, Geoffrey L; Elliott, Luther C; Dunlap, Eloise

2013-05-21

This study explored predictors of engagement with specific video game genres, and degree of problem play experienced by players of specific genres, during the early life course. Video game players ages 18-29 (n = 692) were recruited in and around video game retail outlets, arcades, conventions, and other video game related contexts in New York City. Participants completed a Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) of contemporaneous demographic and personality measures and a Life-History Calendar (LHC) measuring video gaming, school/work engagement, and caffeine and sugar consumption for each year of life ages 6 - present. Findings were that likelihood of engagement with most genres rose during childhood, peaked at some point during the second decade of life, and declined through emerging adulthood. Cohorts effects on engagement also emerged which were probably attributable to changes in the availability and popularity of various genres over the 12-year age range of our participants. The relationship between age and problem play of most genres was either negative or non-significant. Sensation-seeking was the only consistent positive predictor of problem play. Relationships between other variables and engagement with and problem play of specific genres are discussed in detail.

Analysis of EEG signals regularity in adults during video game play in 2D and 3D.

PubMed

Khairuddin, Hamizah R; Malik, Aamir S; Mumtaz, Wajid; Kamel, Nidal; Xia, Likun

2013-01-01

Video games have long been part of the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, it is not well known how video games can affect us with the advancement of 3D technology. The purpose of this study is to investigate the EEG signals regularity when playing video games in 2D and 3D modes. A total of 29 healthy subjects (24 male, 5 female) with mean age of 21.79 (1.63) years participated. Subjects were asked to play a car racing video game in three different modes (2D, 3D passive and 3D active). In 3D passive mode, subjects needed to wear a passive polarized glasses (cinema type) while for 3D active, an active shutter glasses was used. Scalp EEG data was recorded during game play using 19-channel EEG machine and linked ear was used as reference. After data were pre-processed, the signal irregularity for all conditions was computed. Two parameters were used to measure signal complexity for time series data: i) Hjorth-Complexity and ii) Composite Permutation Entropy Index (CPEI). Based on these two parameters, our results showed that the complexity level increased from eyes closed to eyes open condition; and further increased in the case of 3D as compared to 2D game play.

Monte-Carlo Tree Search in Settlers of Catan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szita, István; Chaslot, Guillaume; Spronck, Pieter

Games are considered important benchmark opportunities for artificial intelligence research. Modern strategic board games can typically be played by three or more people, which makes them suitable test beds for investigating multi-player strategic decision making. Monte-Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) is a recently published family of algorithms that achieved successful results with classical, two-player, perfect-information games such as Go. In this paper we apply MCTS to the multi-player, non-deterministic board game Settlers of Catan. We implemented an agent that is able to play against computer-controlled and human players. We show that MCTS can be adapted successfully to multi-agent environments, and present two approaches of providing the agent with a limited amount of domain knowledge. Our results show that the agent has a considerable playing strength when compared to game implementation with existing heuristics. So, we may conclude that MCTS is a suitable tool for achieving a strong Settlers of Catan player.

The Design and Development of a Computer Game on Insulin Injection

PubMed Central

Ebrahimpour, Fatemeh; Najafi, Mostafa; Sadeghi, Narges

2014-01-01

Background: Insulin therapy is of high importance in glycemic control and prevention of complications in type 1 diabetes in children. However, this treatment is unpleasant and stressful for many children, and it is difficult for them to accept. The purpose of the study was to design and develop an educational computer game for diabetic children to familiarize them with insulin injections. Methods: After a review of the literature and the collection of basic information, we discussed the purpose of this research with some diabetic children, their parents, and nurses. The findings that we acquired from the discussion were considered in designing and developing the game. Then, following the principles associated with the development of computer games, we developed seven different games that related to insulin injections, and the games were evaluated in a pilot study. Results: The games developed through the design and programming environment of Adobe Flash Player and stored on a computer disk (CD). The seven games were a pairs game, a puzzle game, a question and answer game, an insulin kit game, a drawing room game, a story game, and an insulin injection-room game). The idea was that diabetic children could become acquainted with insulin injections and the injection toolkit by playing a variety of entertaining and fun games. They also learned about some of the issues associated with insulin and experienced insulin injection in a simulated environment. Conclusions: It seems that the use of new technologies, such as computer games, can influence diabetic children’s acquaintance with the correct method of insulin injection, psychological readiness to initiate insulin therapy, reduction in stress, anxiety, and fear of insulin injection. PMID:25763157

A Tangible Programming Tool for Children to Cultivate Computational Thinking

PubMed Central

Wang, Danli; Liu, Zhen

2014-01-01

Game and creation are activities which have good potential for computational thinking skills. In this paper we present T-Maze, an economical tangible programming tool for children aged 5–9 to build computer programs in maze games by placing wooden blocks. Through the use of computer vision technology, T-Maze provides a live programming interface with real-time graphical and voice feedback. We conducted a user study with 7 children using T-Maze to play two levels of maze-escape games and create their own mazes. The results show that T-Maze is not only easy to use, but also has the potential to help children cultivate computational thinking like abstraction, problem decomposition, and creativity. PMID:24719575

NIM: A Game-Playing Program. Artificial Intelligence Memo Number 254.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papert, Seymour; Solomon, Cynthia

Students learned to plan and write complex computer programs by writing a program for playing NIM, a game in which two players alternatively remove one, two, or three sticks from an original pile of 21, with the player taking the last one being the winner. The primary teaching purpose was to develop the idea that a final goal--i.e., winning--could…

Gaming, Student Literacies, and the Composition Classroom: Some Possibilities for Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Jonathan

2009-01-01

This article explores the literacy narratives of two "gamers" to demonstrate the kinds of literacy skills that many students actively involved in computer and video gaming are developing during their play. This analysis becomes part of a larger claim about the necessity of re-visioning the place of gaming in composition curricula.…

Introducing a High Bounce Ball Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernardo, Pat

2004-01-01

Those growing up in the 1950s, 60s or 70s are familiar with how physically active children were before computers and video games were introduced. Each neighborhood had its own version of the various games that were played. Many of these games involved a pink rubber ball called a Spaldeen. They were everywhere and almost everyone had one. These…

Rochester Castle MMORPG: Instructional Gaming and Collaborative Learning at a Western Australian School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Mark J. W.; Eustace, Ken; Fellows, Geoff; Bytheway, Allan; Irving, Leah

2005-01-01

This paper reports on the first stage of a project to develop and test the use of massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) for promoting computer supported collaborative learning through instructional gaming in the high school classroom. Teachers and students of English and Science at Swan View Senior High School, Western…

Digital Gaming Perspectives of Older Adults: Content vs. Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marston, Hannah R.

2013-01-01

There were two objectives to this study: (a) to establish flow and (2) to establish whether computer game interaction or content was important to the older adult, using the Nintendo Wii and the Sony PlayStation 2 consoles. An earlier study had identified the sports genre as a preference, and three games (golf, tennis, and boxing) were selected…

My-Mini-Pet: A Handheld Pet-Nurturing Game to Engage Students in Arithmetic Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, C. C. Y.; Chen, Z-H.; Cheng, H. N. H.; Chen, F-C.; Chan, T-W.

2011-01-01

In the last decade, more and more games have been developed for handheld devices. Furthermore, the popularity of handheld devices and increase of wireless computing can be taken advantage of to provide students with more learning opportunities. Games also could bring promising benefits--specifically, motivating students to learn/play, sustaining…

Effects of racing games on risky driving behaviour, and the significance of personality and physiological data.

PubMed

Deng, Mingming; Chan, Alan H S; Wu, Feng; Wang, Jun

2015-08-01

Racing games have emerged as top-selling products in the video and computer game industry. The effect of playing racing games on the inclination of gamers to take risks has been investigated. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, the impact of personality traits on the effects of playing racing games on risk-taking inclination was examined. The Vienna Test System, which includes the Eysenck Personality Profile Test and the Vienna Risk-Taking Test, was used to measure risk-taking inclination and risk-taking while driving. Experiment 2 was designed and conducted to analyse the effects of different intensity levels of car racing games on risk-taking inclination, and to study the relationship between physiological data and risk-taking inclination. Physiological data on skin conductance, heart rate and blood pressure were measured with the NeuroDyne System. Participants playing a racing game were more inclined to take risks in critical road traffic situations than those playing a neutral game. The adventurousness dimension of the Eysenck Personality Profile Test correlated significantly positively with risk-taking inclination. More importantly, the effect of the intensity level of a racing game on risk-taking inclination was significant. The higher the intensity level of the racing game, the higher the risk-taking inclination while driving. The effect of intensity level of the racing game on skin conductance was significantly positive. Skin conductance correlated significantly positively with risk-taking inclination. The effect of playing racing games on risk-taking inclination is linked to personality and physiological data. Some recommendations are proposed as a result of this study for racing game management. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Wireless Adaptive Therapeutic TeleGaming in a Pervasive Computing Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, James F.; Szturm, Tony; Borkowski, Maciej; Lockery, Dan; Ramanna, Sheela; Shay, Barbara

This chapter introduces a wireless, pervasive computing approach to adaptive therapeutic telegaming considered in the context of near set theory. Near set theory provides a formal basis for observation, comparison and classification of perceptual granules. A perceptual granule is defined by a collection of objects that are graspable by the senses or by the mind. In the proposed pervasive computing approach to telegaming, a handicapped person (e.g., stroke patient with limited hand, finger, arm function) plays a video game by interacting with familiar instrumented objects such as cups, cutlery, soccer balls, nozzles, screw top-lids, spoons, so that the technology that makes therapeutic exercise game-playing possible is largely invisible (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 89:2213-2217, 2008). The basic approach to adaptive learning (AL) in the proposed telegaming environment is ethology-inspired and is quite different from the traditional approach to reinforcement learning. In biologically-inspired learning, organisms learn to achieve some goal by durable modification of behaviours in response to signals from the environment resulting from specific experiences (Animal Behavior, 1995). The term adaptive is used here in an ethological sense, where learning by an organism results from modifying behaviour in response to perceived changes in the environment. To instill adaptivity in a video game, it is assumed that learning by a video game is episodic. During an episode, the behaviour of a player is measured indirectly by tracking the occurrence of gaming events such as a hit or a miss of a target (e.g., hitting a moving ball with a game paddle). An ethogram provides a record of behaviour feature values that provide a basis a functional registry for handicapped players for gaming adaptivity. An important practical application of adaptive gaming is therapeutic rehabilitation exercise carried out in parallel with playing action video games. Enjoyable and engaging interactive gaming will motivate patients to complete the rehabilitation process. Adaptivity is seen as a way to make action games more accessible to those who have physical and cognitive impairments. The telegaming system connects to the internet and implements a feed-and-forward mechanism that transmits gaming session tables after each gaming session to a remote registry accessible to therapists and researchers. The contribution of this chapter is the introduction of a framework for wireless telegaming useful in therapeutic rehabilitation.

Using Video Games to Enhance Motivation States in Online Education: Protocol for a Team-Based Digital Game.

PubMed

Janssen, Anna; Shaw, Tim; Goodyear, Peter

2015-09-28

Video and computer games for education have been of interest to researchers for several decades. Over the last half decade, researchers in the health sector have also begun exploring the value of this medium. However, there are still many gaps in the literature regarding the effective use of video and computer games in medical education, particularly in relation to how learners interact with the platform, and how the games can be used to enhance collaboration. The objective of the study is to evaluate a team-based digital game as an educational tool for engaging learners and supporting knowledge consolidation in postgraduate medical education. A mixed methodology will be used in order to establish efficacy and level of motivation provided by a team-based digital game. Second-year medical students will be recruited as participants to complete 3 matches of the game at spaced intervals, in 2 evenly distributed teams. Prior to playing the game, participants will complete an Internet survey to establish baseline data. After playing the game, participants will voluntarily complete a semistructured interview to establish motivation and player engagement. Additionally, metrics collected from the game platform will be analyzed to determine efficacy. The research is in the preliminary stages, but thus far a total of 54 participants have been recruited into the study. Additionally, a content development group has been convened to develop appropriate content for the platform. Video and computer games have been demonstrated to have value for educational purposes. Significantly less research has addressed how the medium can be effectively utilized in the health sector. Preliminary data from this study would suggest there is an interest in games for learning in the medical student body. As such, it is beneficial to undertake further research into how these games teach and engage learners in order to evaluate their role in tertiary and postgraduate medical education in the future.

Using Video Games to Enhance Motivation States in Online Education: Protocol for a Team-Based Digital Game

PubMed Central

Shaw, Tim; Goodyear, Peter

2015-01-01

Background Video and computer games for education have been of interest to researchers for several decades. Over the last half decade, researchers in the health sector have also begun exploring the value of this medium. However, there are still many gaps in the literature regarding the effective use of video and computer games in medical education, particularly in relation to how learners interact with the platform, and how the games can be used to enhance collaboration. Objective The objective of the study is to evaluate a team-based digital game as an educational tool for engaging learners and supporting knowledge consolidation in postgraduate medical education. Methods A mixed methodology will be used in order to establish efficacy and level of motivation provided by a team-based digital game. Second-year medical students will be recruited as participants to complete 3 matches of the game at spaced intervals, in 2 evenly distributed teams. Prior to playing the game, participants will complete an Internet survey to establish baseline data. After playing the game, participants will voluntarily complete a semistructured interview to establish motivation and player engagement. Additionally, metrics collected from the game platform will be analyzed to determine efficacy. Results The research is in the preliminary stages, but thus far a total of 54 participants have been recruited into the study. Additionally, a content development group has been convened to develop appropriate content for the platform. Conclusions Video and computer games have been demonstrated to have value for educational purposes. Significantly less research has addressed how the medium can be effectively utilized in the health sector. Preliminary data from this study would suggest there is an interest in games for learning in the medical student body. As such, it is beneficial to undertake further research into how these games teach and engage learners in order to evaluate their role in tertiary and postgraduate medical education in the future. PMID:26416522

Method and Apparatus for Encouraging Physiological Self-Regulation Through Modulation of an Operator's Control Input to a Video Game or Training Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palsson, Olafur S. (Inventor); Harris, Randall L., Sr. (Inventor); Pope, Alan T. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

Apparatus and methods for modulating the control authority (i.e., control function) of a computer simulation or game input device (e.g., joystick, button control) using physiological information so as to affect the user's ability to impact or control the simulation or game with the input device. One aspect is to use the present invention, along with a computer simulation or game, to affect physiological state or physiological self-regulation according to some programmed criterion (e.g., increase, decrease, or maintain) in order to perform better at the game task. When the affected physiological state or physiological self-regulation is the target of self-regulation or biofeedback training, the simulation or game play reinforces therapeutic changes in the physiological signal(s).

Computer games: a double-edged sword?

PubMed

Sun, De-Lin; Ma, Ning; Bao, Min; Chen, Xang-Chuan; Zhang, Da-Ren

2008-10-01

Excessive computer game playing (ECGP) has already become a serious social problem. However, limited data from experimental lab studies are available about the negative consequences of ECGP on players' cognitive characteristics. In the present study, we compared three groups of participants (current ECGP participants, previous ECGP participants, and control participants) on a Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) task. The previous ECGP participants performed significantly better than the control participants, which suggested a facilitation effect of computer games on visuospatial abilities. Moreover, the current ECGP participants performed significantly worse than the previous ECGP participants. This more important finding indicates that ECGP may be related to cognitive deficits. Implications of this study are discussed.

Assessing the Use of Input Devices for Teachers and Children in Early Childhood Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Eileen; Willoughby, Teena; Schmidt, Alice; Porter, Lisa; Specht, Jacqueline; Gilbert, Jessica

2004-01-01

The impact of four computer input devices (mouse, EZ ball, touch pad, touch screen) for 81 preschoolers (ranging from 34 to 78 months of age) and 43 early childhood educators (mean age was 29 years and 9 months) was examined. Participants played two computer games with 10 trials for each game followed by a survey assessing their preferences for…

Developing Singing in Third-Grade Music Classrooms: The Effect of a Concurrent-Feedback Computer Game on Pitch-Matching Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paney, Andrew S.; Kay, Ann C.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of concurrent visual feedback on pitch-matching skill development in third-grade students. Participants played a computer game, "SingingCoach," which scored the accuracy of their singing of the song "America." They followed the contour of the melody on the screen as the…

War Gaming: Space Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

2006 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2006 to 00-00-2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE War Gaming : Space Perspective 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT...Edition28 ’d like to discuss WAR GAMES , no, not that movie with Mathew Broderick where the super computer asks, “Would you like to play a game ?” No, I...want to talk about modern day real war games and how we use them to better prepare ourselves for the future. As the above quote suggests by asking

Gender, Lies and Video Games: the Truth about Females and Computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Klawe, Maria M.

2006-02-22

This talk explores how girls and women differ from boys and men in their uses of and attitudes towards computers and computing. From playing computer games to pursuing computing careers, the participation of females tends to be very low compared to that of males. Why is this? Opinions range from girls wanting to avoid the math and/or the geek image of programming to girls having better things to do with their lives. We discuss research findings on this issue, as well as initiatives designed to increase the participation of females in computing.

Gender, Lies and Video Games: the Truth about Females and Computing

ScienceCinema

Klawe, Maria M. [Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States

2017-12-09

This talk explores how girls and women differ from boys and men in their uses of and attitudes towards computers and computing. From playing computer games to pursuing computing careers, the participation of females tends to be very low compared to that of males. Why is this? Opinions range from girls wanting to avoid the math and/or the geek image of programming to girls having better things to do with their lives. We discuss research findings on this issue, as well as initiatives designed to increase the participation of females in computing.

Positive Emotions Associated with "Counter-Strike" Game Playing.

PubMed

Shin, Mirim; Heard, Rob; Suo, Chao; Chow, Chin Moi

2012-10-01

Digital game playing engages people for long periods of time. The pleasure offered by digital games may explain the players' consumption of this activity. Games may elicit both positive and negative emotions, which can be measured by encephalography (EEG). The EEG alpha asymmetry index (AI) is different in positive and negative emotions and so may be used to distinguish positive from negative emotions that occur during gaming. We hypothesized that the "Counter-Strike" (CS) game (Valve Software, Bellevue, WA) is pleasurable and demonstrable with a positive EEG AI. Twelve male participants ages 18-30 years underwent EEG recordings continuously during and postgame. EEG was also recorded pregame for control conditions of baseline (sitting on a chair staring at a blank wall), movement (moving fingers on the computer keyboard with a blank screen), sound (listening to the sound of the CS game with a blank screen), and screen (watching the CS game without playing). Self-ratings of emotional responses were completed at pre-, during, and postgame. A significant decrease in the EEG AI was observed under the screen condition compared with baseline, whereas an increase was observed postgame compared with the screen condition. The participants demonstrated a positive EEG AI following the "shoot" events (shoot opponents) and negative emotions after the "being shot" events. Subjective ratings of emotional response indicated happiness during and postgame, but anger and arousal were reported only during the game. The overall results are consistent with the hypothesis that predominantly positive emotional reactions are elicited from playing the CS game and concur with positive subjective ratings of happiness. Future studies may explore the relationship of game pleasure and obsessive game play.

Cancer Survivors Who Play Recreational Computer Games: Motivations for Playing and Associations with Beneficial Psychological Outcomes.

PubMed

Comello, Maria Leonora G; Francis, Diane B; Marshall, Laura Heisner; Puglia, Deanna R

2016-08-01

Playing recreational videogames is a common activity, yet little is known about its role in the lives of people who are coping with serious illness. These individuals may experience depression and isolation and may turn to games to help alleviate negative experiences and support well-being. We explored these possibilities in the context of cancer survivors. The study aimed to discover motivations underlying game play and the extent to which motivations are associated with psychological health and well-being. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of survivors who play recreational games (N = 794). Key variables were motivations and indicators of psychological health, including self-efficacy in cancer communications, resilient coping, and beliefs that one is living a fulfilling and meaningful life (flourishing). Participants were most likely to be motivated to play for stimulation and a sense of accomplishment (intrinsic rewards), followed by development of self, sense of community, and personal affirmation. Multiple regression analyses revealed positive associations between playing for intrinsic rewards and all three psychological health outcomes. Playing for a sense of community was also positively associated with coping and flourishing. Playing recreational videogames, particularly to receive intrinsic rewards and to connect with others, may play a supportive role in the psychological health of survivors. Findings suggest future areas for research and implications for development of serious games.

The role of structural characteristics in video-game play motivation: a Q-methodology study.

PubMed

Westwood, Dave; Griffiths, Mark D

2010-10-01

Until recently, there has been very little naturalistic study of what gaming experiences are like, and how gaming fits into people's lives. Using a recently developed structural characteristic taxonomy of video games, this study examined the psycho-structural elements of computer games that motivate gamers to play them. Using Q-Sort methodology, 40 gamers participated in an online Q-sort task. Results identified six distinct types of gamers based on the factors generated: (a) story-driven solo gamers; (b) social gamers; (c) solo limited gamers; (d) hardcore online gamers; (e) solo control/identity gamers; and (f ) casual gamers. These gaming types are discussed, and a brief evaluation of similar and unique elements of the different types of gamer is also offered. The current study shows Q-methodology to be a relevant and applicable method in the psychological research of gaming.

Retraining function in people with Parkinson's disease using the Microsoft kinect: game design and pilot testing.

PubMed

Galna, Brook; Jackson, Dan; Schofield, Guy; McNaney, Roisin; Webster, Mary; Barry, Gillian; Mhiripiri, Dadirayi; Balaam, Madeline; Olivier, Patrick; Rochester, Lynn

2014-04-14

Computer based gaming systems, such as the Microsoft Kinect (Kinect), can facilitate complex task practice, enhance sensory feedback and action observation in novel, relevant and motivating modes of exercise which can be difficult to achieve with standard physiotherapy for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, there is a current need for safe, feasible and effective exercise games that are appropriate for PD rehabilitation. The aims of this study were to i) develop a computer game to rehabilitate dynamic postural control for people with PD using the Kinect; and ii) pilot test the game's safety and feasibility in a group of people with PD. A rehabilitation game aimed at training dynamic postural control was developed through an iterative process with input from a design workshop of people with PD. The game trains dynamic postural control through multi-directional reaching and stepping tasks, with increasing complexity across 12 levels of difficulty. Nine people with PD pilot tested the game for one session. Participant feedback to identify issues relating to safety and feasibility were collected using semi-structured interviews. Participants reported that they felt safe whilst playing the game. In addition, there were no adverse events whilst playing. In general, the participants stated that they enjoyed the game and seven of the nine participants said they could imagine themselves using the game at home, especially if they felt it would improve their balance. The Flow State Scale indicated participants were immersed in the gameplay and enjoyed the experience. However, some participants reported that they found it difficult to discriminate between different types and orientations of visual objects in the game and some also had difficulty with the stepping tasks, especially when performed at the same time as the reaching tasks. Computer-based rehabilitation games using the Kinect are safe and feasible for people with PD although intervention trials are needed to test their safety, feasibility and efficacy in the home.

Continued use of an interactive computer game-based visual perception learning system in children with developmental delay.

PubMed

Lin, Hsien-Cheng; Chiu, Yu-Hsien; Chen, Yenming J; Wuang, Yee-Pay; Chen, Chiu-Ping; Wang, Chih-Chung; Huang, Chien-Ling; Wu, Tang-Meng; Ho, Wen-Hsien

2017-11-01

This study developed an interactive computer game-based visual perception learning system for special education children with developmental delay. To investigate whether perceived interactivity affects continued use of the system, this study developed a theoretical model of the process in which learners decide whether to continue using an interactive computer game-based visual perception learning system. The technology acceptance model, which considers perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived playfulness, was extended by integrating perceived interaction (i.e., learner-instructor interaction and learner-system interaction) and then analyzing the effects of these perceptions on satisfaction and continued use. Data were collected from 150 participants (rehabilitation therapists, medical paraprofessionals, and parents of children with developmental delay) recruited from a single medical center in Taiwan. Structural equation modeling and partial-least-squares techniques were used to evaluate relationships within the model. The modeling results indicated that both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness were positively associated with both learner-instructor interaction and learner-system interaction. However, perceived playfulness only had a positive association with learner-system interaction and not with learner-instructor interaction. Moreover, satisfaction was positively affected by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived playfulness. Thus, satisfaction positively affects continued use of the system. The data obtained by this study can be applied by researchers, designers of computer game-based learning systems, special education workers, and medical professionals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and Evaluation of Cognitive Games to Promote Health and Wellbeing in Elderly People with Mild Cognitive Impairment.

PubMed

Scase, Mark; Kreiner, Karl; Ascolese, Antonio

2018-01-01

In Europe the number of elderly people is increasing. This population growth has resulted in higher healthcare costs. The purpose of this project was to try to promote active ageing in people aged 65-80 with mild cognitive impairment through cognitive games delivered via a tablet computer. Age-appropriate cognitive games were developed targeting different aspects of cognition and then experiences of elderly people using these games were evaluated. The design of games was developed through iterative user-centered design focus groups with elderly people as participants. The experiences of participants playing the games over a 47 day period were explored through semi-structured interviews. Four games were developed that addressed a range of cognitive functions such as perception, attention, memory, language, comprehension and executive function. The participants were able to play these games without external intervention over an extended period and reported positively on their experiences. Cognitive games can be used successfully by people with mild cognitive impairment to promote active ageing.

["What I don't Appreciate in Real Life": Online Role Playing Game Addiction of an Adolescent--Case Study].

PubMed

Gerlach, Marie; Traxl, Bernd

2015-01-01

The present article aims to provide an insight into the life story of a computer-game addicted adolescent. Here, the relationship between the symptom game addiction, the family as a reference framework, the game's characteristics, as well as the subjective emotional state of the adolescent are of particular interest. An emphasis is also laid on the psychodynamically approached question of the impact of infantile and current relationship experiences (both within a family environment as well as with peers) on personal development. Last, still within a psychodynamic framework, we hope to provide a better understanding of the role of online computer-game addiction in the process of experiences potentially dominated by conflicts.

Increasing motivation in robot-aided arm rehabilitation with competitive and cooperative gameplay

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Several strategies have been proposed to improve patient motivation and exercise intensity during robot-aided stroke rehabilitation. One relatively unexplored possibility is two-player gameplay, allowing subjects to compete or cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal. In order to explore the potential of such games, we designed a two-player game played using two ARMin arm rehabilitation robots. Methods The game was an air-hockey task displayed on a computer monitor and controlled using shoulder movements in the ARMin robot. Three game modes were tested: single-player (competing against computer), competitive (competing against human), and cooperative (cooperating with human against computer). All modes were played by 30 unimpaired subjects and 8 impaired chronic stroke subjects. The subjects filled out the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire after each game mode, as well as a final questionnaire about game preferences and their personality. Results Nearly all unimpaired subjects preferred playing the two-player game modes to the single-player one, as they enjoyed talking and interacting with another person. However, there were two distinct player groups: one liked the competitive mode but not the cooperative mode while the other liked the cooperative but not the competitive mode. Unimpaired subjects who liked the competitive mode also put significantly more effort into it than into the other modes. Results from impaired subjects were similar, with even impaired subjects over 60 years old enjoying competitive gameplay. The subjects’ personalities roughly predicted which mode they would prefer, which was especially evident in a poorly-matched impaired pair that preferred the single-player mode. Conclusions Results indicate great potential for two-player rehabilitation games, in the form of greater enjoyment as well as potentially more intensive exercise compared to single-player games. However, the right game type needs to be chosen for each subject depending on skill and personality, along with selecting an appropriate co-player. Further studies with patients that are currently enrolled in rehabilitation programs are recommended, and the subjective measures used in our study should be augmented with objective measures such as electromyography. PMID:24739255

Increasing motivation in robot-aided arm rehabilitation with competitive and cooperative gameplay.

PubMed

Novak, Domen; Nagle, Aniket; Keller, Urs; Riener, Robert

2014-04-16

Several strategies have been proposed to improve patient motivation and exercise intensity during robot-aided stroke rehabilitation. One relatively unexplored possibility is two-player gameplay, allowing subjects to compete or cooperate with each other to achieve a common goal. In order to explore the potential of such games, we designed a two-player game played using two ARMin arm rehabilitation robots. The game was an air-hockey task displayed on a computer monitor and controlled using shoulder movements in the ARMin robot. Three game modes were tested: single-player (competing against computer), competitive (competing against human), and cooperative (cooperating with human against computer). All modes were played by 30 unimpaired subjects and 8 impaired chronic stroke subjects. The subjects filled out the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire after each game mode, as well as a final questionnaire about game preferences and their personality. Nearly all unimpaired subjects preferred playing the two-player game modes to the single-player one, as they enjoyed talking and interacting with another person. However, there were two distinct player groups: one liked the competitive mode but not the cooperative mode while the other liked the cooperative but not the competitive mode. Unimpaired subjects who liked the competitive mode also put significantly more effort into it than into the other modes. Results from impaired subjects were similar, with even impaired subjects over 60 years old enjoying competitive gameplay. The subjects' personalities roughly predicted which mode they would prefer, which was especially evident in a poorly-matched impaired pair that preferred the single-player mode. Results indicate great potential for two-player rehabilitation games, in the form of greater enjoyment as well as potentially more intensive exercise compared to single-player games. However, the right game type needs to be chosen for each subject depending on skill and personality, along with selecting an appropriate co-player. Further studies with patients that are currently enrolled in rehabilitation programs are recommended, and the subjective measures used in our study should be augmented with objective measures such as electromyography.

Play to Learn: Great Projects to Try, Websites to Bookmark, and a World of Learning to Share with Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Caralee

2011-01-01

When kids play video games, they want to perfect their skills, advance to the next level, and become a master. It is the kind of focus that many teachers would love to see in their classrooms. From elementary through high school, computer games are being woven into the curriculum to engage students in new ways. However, many schools lack the…

Selecting and Evaluating Software for Use in a Preschool Classroom: From the Young Child's and Researcher's Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vartuli, Sue; And Others

A 16-item evaluation form is presented to aid in selection of appropriate computerized game materials for preschool children. The form was derived from a 32-week-long study involving 66 children 3, 4, and 5 years of age who were allowed to play computer games during free play or work time while attending a modified Montessori preschool program. In…

Attitudes of older adults toward shooter video games: An initial study to select an acceptable game for training visual processing.

PubMed

McKay, Sandra M; Maki, Brian E

2010-01-01

A computer-based 'Useful Field of View' (UFOV) training program has been shown to be effective in improving visual processing in older adults. Studies of young adults have shown that playing video games can have similar benefits; however, these studies involved realistic and violent 'first-person shooter' (FPS) games. The willingness of older adults to play such games has not been established. OBJECTIVES: To determine the degree to which older adults would accept playing a realistic, violent FPS-game, compared to video games not involving realistic depiction of violence. METHODS: Sixteen older adults (ages 64-77) viewed and rated video-clip demonstrations of the UFOV program and three video-game genres (realistic-FPS, cartoon-FPS, fixed-shooter), and were then given an opportunity to try them out (30 minutes per game) and rate various features. RESULTS: The results supported a hypothesis that the participants would be less willing to play the realistic-FPS game in comparison to the less violent alternatives (p's<0.02). After viewing the video-clip demonstrations, 10 of 16 participants indicated they would be unwilling to try out the realistic-FPS game. Of the six who were willing, three did not enjoy the experience and were not interested in playing again. In contrast, all 12 subjects who were willing to try the cartoon-FPS game reported that they enjoyed it and would be willing to play again. A high proportion also tried and enjoyed the UFOV training (15/16) and the fixed-shooter game (12/15). DISCUSSION: A realistic, violent FPS video game is unlikely to be an appropriate choice for older adults. Cartoon-FPS and fixed-shooter games are more viable options. Although most subjects also enjoyed UFOV training, a video-game approach has a number of potential advantages (for instance, 'addictive' properties, low cost, self-administration at home). We therefore conclude that non-violent cartoon-FPS and fixed-shooter video games warrant further investigation as an alternative to the UFOV program for training improved visual processing in seniors.

Screen time and physical violence in 10 to 16-year-old Canadian youth.

PubMed

Janssen, Ian; Boyce, William F; Pickett, William

2012-04-01

To examine the independent associations between television, computer, and video game use with physical violence in youth. The study population consisted of a representative cross-sectional sample of 9,672 Canadian youth in grades 6-10 and a 1-year longitudinal sample of 1,861 youth in grades 9-10. The number of weekly hours watching television, playing video games, and using a computer was determined. Violence was defined as engagement in ≥2 physical fights in the previous year and/or perpetration of ≥2-3 monthly episodes of physical bullying. Logistic regression was used to examine associations. In the cross-sectional sample, computer use was associated with violence independent of television and video game use. Video game use was associated with violence in girls but not boys. Television use was not associated with violence after controlling for the other screen time measures. In the longitudinal sample, video game use was a significant predictor of violence after controlling for the other screen time measures. Computer and video game use were the screen time measures most strongly related to violence in this large sample of youth.

Key Steps in Developing a Cognitive Vaccine against Traumatic Flashbacks: Visuospatial Tetris versus Verbal Pub Quiz

PubMed Central

Holmes, Emily A.; James, Ella L.; Kilford, Emma J.; Deeprose, Catherine

2010-01-01

Background Flashbacks (intrusive memories of a traumatic event) are the hallmark feature of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, however preventative interventions are lacking. Tetris may offer a ‘cognitive vaccine’ [1] against flashback development after trauma exposure. We previously reported that playing the computer game Tetris soon after viewing traumatic material reduced flashbacks compared to no-task [1]. However, two criticisms need to be addressed for clinical translation: (1) Would all games have this effect via distraction/enjoyment, or might some games even be harmful? (2) Would effects be found if administered several hours post-trauma? Accordingly, we tested Tetris versus an alternative computer game – Pub Quiz – which we hypothesized not to be helpful (Experiments 1 and 2), and extended the intervention interval to 4 hours (Experiment 2). Methodology/Principal Findings The trauma film paradigm was used as an experimental analog for flashback development in healthy volunteers. In both experiments, participants viewed traumatic film footage of death and injury before completing one of the following: (1) no-task control condition (2) Tetris or (3) Pub Quiz. Flashbacks were monitored for 1 week. Experiment 1: 30 min after the traumatic film, playing Tetris led to a significant reduction in flashbacks compared to no-task control, whereas Pub Quiz led to a significant increase in flashbacks. Experiment 2: 4 hours post-film, playing Tetris led to a significant reduction in flashbacks compared to no-task control, whereas Pub Quiz did not. Conclusions/Significance First, computer games can have differential effects post-trauma, as predicted by a cognitive science formulation of trauma memory. In both Experiments, playing Tetris post-trauma film reduced flashbacks. Pub Quiz did not have this effect, even increasing flashbacks in Experiment 1. Thus not all computer games are beneficial or merely distracting post-trauma - some may be harmful. Second, the beneficial effects of Tetris are retained at 4 hours post-trauma. Clinically, this delivers a feasible time-window to administer a post-trauma “cognitive vaccine”. PMID:21085661

Getting into the Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galuszka, Peter

2009-01-01

Malcolm Perdue faces a dilemma as challenging as the computer games he loves to play. The 19-year-old student at Atlanta Metropolitan College wants to learn how to become a game designer. Not only would doing so be a lot of fun, designers can make $80,000 a year early in their careers. But his school has limited options in the field. Nearby…

The impact of home computer use on children's activities and development.

PubMed

Subrahmanyam, K; Kraut, R E; Greenfield, P M; Gross, E F

2000-01-01

The increasing amount of time children are spending on computers at home and school has raised questions about how the use of computer technology may make a difference in their lives--from helping with homework to causing depression to encouraging violent behavior. This article provides an overview of the limited research on the effects of home computer use on children's physical, cognitive, and social development. Initial research suggests, for example, that access to computers increases the total amount of time children spend in front of a television or computer screen at the expense of other activities, thereby putting them at risk for obesity. At the same time, cognitive research suggests that playing computer games can be an important building block to computer literacy because it enhances children's ability to read and visualize images in three-dimensional space and track multiple images simultaneously. The limited evidence available also indicates that home computer use is linked to slightly better academic performance. The research findings are more mixed, however, regarding the effects on children's social development. Although little evidence indicates that the moderate use of computers to play games has a negative impact on children's friendships and family relationships, recent survey data show that increased use of the Internet may be linked to increases in loneliness and depression. Of most concern are the findings that playing violent computer games may increase aggressiveness and desensitize a child to suffering, and that the use of computers may blur a child's ability to distinguish real life from simulation. The authors conclude that more systematic research is needed in these areas to help parents and policymakers maximize the positive effects and to minimize the negative effects of home computers in children's lives.

Impact of Gamification of Vision Tests on the User Experience.

PubMed

Bodduluri, Lakshmi; Boon, Mei Ying; Ryan, Malcolm; Dain, Stephen J

2017-08-01

Gamification has been incorporated into vision tests and vision therapies in the expectation that it may increase the user experience and engagement with the task. The current study aimed to understand how gamification affects the user experience, specifically during the undertaking of psychophysical tasks designed to estimate vision thresholds (chromatic and achromatic contrast sensitivity). Three tablet computer-based games were developed with three levels of gaming elements. Game 1 was designed to be a simple clinical test (no gaming elements), game 2 was similar to game 1 but with added gaming elements (i.e., feedback, scores, and sounds), and game 3 was a complete game. Participants (N = 144, age: 9.9-42 years) played three games in random order. The user experience for each game was assessed using a Short Feedback Questionnaire. The median (interquartile range) fun level for the three games was 2.5 (1.6), 3.9 (1.7), and 2.5 (2.8), respectively. Overall, participants reported greater fun level and higher preparedness to play the game again for game 2 than games 1 and 3 (P < 0.05). There were significant positive correlations observed between fun level and preparedness to play the game again for all the games (p < 0.05). Engagement (assessed as completion rates) did not differ between the games. Gamified version (game 2) was preferred to the other two versions. Over the short term, the careful application of gaming elements to vision tests was found to increase the fun level of users, without affecting engagement with the vision test.

Feasibility of school-based computer-assisted robotic gaming technology for upper limb rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Preston, Nick; Weightman, Andrew; Gallagher, Justin; Holt, Raymond; Clarke, Michael; Mon-Williams, Mark; Levesley, Martin; Bhakta, Bipinchandra

2016-01-01

We investigated the feasibility of using computer-assisted arm rehabilitation (CAAR) computer games in schools. Outcomes were children's preference for single player or dual player mode, and changes in arm activity and kinematics. Nine boys and two girls with cerebral palsy (6-12 years, mean 9 years) played assistive technology computer games in single-user mode or with school friends in an AB-BA design. Preference was determined by recording the time spent playing each mode and by qualitative feedback. We used the ABILHAND-kids and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure to evaluate activity limitation, and a portable laptop-based device to capture arm kinematics. No difference was recorded between single-user and dual-user modes (median daily use 9.27 versus 11.2 min, p = 0.214). Children reported dual-user mode was preferable. There were no changes in activity limitation (ABILHAND-kids, p = 0.424; COPM, p = 0.484) but we found significant improvements in hand speed (p = 0.028), smoothness (p = 0.005) and accuracy (p = 0.007). School timetables prohibit extensive use of rehabilitation technology but there is potential for its short-term use to supplement a rehabilitation program. The restricted access to the rehabilitation games was sufficient to improve arm kinematics but not arm activity. Implications for Rehabilitation School premises and teaching staff present no obstacles to the installation of rehabilitation gaming technology. Twelve minutes per day is the average amount of time that the school time table permits children to use rehabilitation gaming equipment (without disruption to academic attendance). The use of rehabilitation gaming technology for an average of 12 minutes daily does not appear to benefit children's functional performance, but there are improvements in the kinematics of children's upper limb.

Computer Class Role Playing Games, an innovative teaching methodology based on STEM and ICT: first experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maraffi, S.

2016-12-01

Context/PurposeWe experienced a new teaching and learning technology: a Computer Class Role Playing Game (RPG) to perform educational activity in classrooms through an interactive game. This approach is new, there are some experiences on educational games, but mainly individual and not class-based. Gaming all together in a class, with a single scope for the whole class, it enhances peer collaboration, cooperative problem solving and friendship. MethodsTo perform the research we experimented the games in several classes of different degrees, acquiring specific questionnaire by teachers and pupils. Results Experimental results were outstanding: RPG, our interactive activity, exceed by 50% the overall satisfaction compared to traditional lessons or Power Point supported teaching. InterpretationThe appreciation of RPG was in agreement with the class level outcome identified by the teacher after the experimentation. Our work experience get excellent feedbacks by teachers, in terms of efficacy of this new teaching methodology and of achieved results. Using new methodology more close to the student point of view improves the innovation and creative capacities of learners, and it support the new role of teacher as learners' "coach". ConclusionThis paper presents the first experimental results on the application of this new technology based on a Computer game which project on a wall in the class an adventure lived by the students. The plots of the actual adventures are designed for deeper learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Social Sciences & Humanities (SSH). The participation of the pupils it's based on the interaction with the game by the use of their own tablets or smartphones. The game is based on a mixed reality learning environment, giving the students the feel "to be IN the adventure".

Computer-based, Jeopardy™-like game in general chemistry for engineering majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, S. S.; Saffre, F.; Kadadha, M.; Gater, D. L.; Isakovic, A. F.

2013-03-01

We report on the design of Jeopardy™-like computer game for enhancement of learning of general chemistry for engineering majors. While we examine several parameters of student achievement and attitude, our primary concern is addressing the motivation of students, which tends to be low in a traditionally run chemistry lectures. The effect of the game-playing is tested by comparing paper-based game quiz, which constitutes a control group, and computer-based game quiz, constituting a treatment group. Computer-based game quizzes are Java™-based applications that students run once a week in the second part of the last lecture of the week. Overall effectiveness of the semester-long program is measured through pretest-postest conceptual testing of general chemistry. The objective of this research is to determine to what extent this ``gamification'' of the course delivery and course evaluation processes may be beneficial to the undergraduates' learning of science in general, and chemistry in particular. We present data addressing gender-specific difference in performance, as well as background (pre-college) level of general science and chemistry preparation. We outline the plan how to extend such approach to general physics courses and to modern science driven electives, and we offer live, in-lectures examples of our computer gaming experience. We acknowledge support from Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi

Video game play, attention, and learning: how to shape the development of attention and influence learning?

PubMed

Cardoso-Leite, Pedro; Bavelier, Daphne

2014-04-01

The notion that play may facilitate learning has long been touted. Here, we review how video game play may be leveraged for enhancing attentional control, allowing greater cognitive flexibility and learning and in turn new routes to better address developmental disorders. Video games, initially developed for entertainment, appear to enhance the behavior in domains as varied as perception, attention, task switching, or mental rotation. This surprisingly wide transfer may be mediated by enhanced attentional control, allowing increased signal-to-noise ratio and thus more informed decisions. The possibility of enhancing attentional control through targeted interventions, be it computerized training or self-regulation techniques, is now well established. Embedding such training in video game play is appealing, given the astounding amount of time spent by children and adults worldwide with this media. It holds the promise of increasing compliance in patients and motivation in school children, and of enhancing the use of positive impact games. Yet for all the promises, existing research indicates that not all games are created equal: a better understanding of the game play elements that foster attention and learning as well as of the strategies developed by the players is needed. Computational models from machine learning or developmental robotics provide a rich theoretical framework to develop this work further and address its impact on developmental disorders.

Retraining function in people with Parkinson’s disease using the Microsoft kinect: game design and pilot testing

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Computer based gaming systems, such as the Microsoft Kinect (Kinect), can facilitate complex task practice, enhance sensory feedback and action observation in novel, relevant and motivating modes of exercise which can be difficult to achieve with standard physiotherapy for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, there is a current need for safe, feasible and effective exercise games that are appropriate for PD rehabilitation. The aims of this study were to i) develop a computer game to rehabilitate dynamic postural control for people with PD using the Kinect; and ii) pilot test the game’s safety and feasibility in a group of people with PD. Methods A rehabilitation game aimed at training dynamic postural control was developed through an iterative process with input from a design workshop of people with PD. The game trains dynamic postural control through multi-directional reaching and stepping tasks, with increasing complexity across 12 levels of difficulty. Nine people with PD pilot tested the game for one session. Participant feedback to identify issues relating to safety and feasibility were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results Participants reported that they felt safe whilst playing the game. In addition, there were no adverse events whilst playing. In general, the participants stated that they enjoyed the game and seven of the nine participants said they could imagine themselves using the game at home, especially if they felt it would improve their balance. The Flow State Scale indicated participants were immersed in the gameplay and enjoyed the experience. However, some participants reported that they found it difficult to discriminate between different types and orientations of visual objects in the game and some also had difficulty with the stepping tasks, especially when performed at the same time as the reaching tasks. Conclusion Computer-based rehabilitation games using the Kinect are safe and feasible for people with PD although intervention trials are needed to test their safety, feasibility and efficacy in the home. PMID:24731758

Differences in TV Viewing and Computer Game Playing's Relationships with Physical Activity and Eating Behaviors among Adolescents: An NHANES Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jashinsky, Jared; Gay, Jennifer; Hansen, Nathan; Muilenburg, Jessica

2017-01-01

Background: TV viewing and computer game use may both limit physical activity, but only TV viewing may promote a poorer diet due to exposure to food advertising and availability of the hands for snacking. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between the different screen times and type 2 diabetes markers among youth.…

Differential effects of wakeful rest, music and video game playing on working memory performance in the n-back task.

PubMed

Kuschpel, Maxim S; Liu, Shuyan; Schad, Daniel J; Heinzel, Stephan; Heinz, Andreas; Rapp, Michael A

2015-01-01

The interruption of learning processes by breaks filled with diverse activities is common in everyday life. We investigated the effects of active computer gaming and passive relaxation (rest and music) breaks on working memory performance. Young adults were exposed to breaks involving (i) eyes-open resting, (ii) listening to music and (iii) playing the video game "Angry Birds" before performing the n-back working memory task. Based on linear mixed-effects modeling, we found that playing the "Angry Birds" video game during a short learning break led to a decline in task performance over the course of the task as compared to eyes-open resting and listening to music, although overall task performance was not impaired. This effect was associated with high levels of daily mind wandering and low self-reported ability to concentrate. These findings indicate that video games can negatively affect working memory performance over time when played in between learning tasks. We suggest further investigation of these effects because of their relevance to everyday activity.

Differential effects of wakeful rest, music and video game playing on working memory performance in the n-back task

PubMed Central

Kuschpel, Maxim S.; Liu, Shuyan; Schad, Daniel J.; Heinzel, Stephan; Heinz, Andreas; Rapp, Michael A.

2015-01-01

The interruption of learning processes by breaks filled with diverse activities is common in everyday life. We investigated the effects of active computer gaming and passive relaxation (rest and music) breaks on working memory performance. Young adults were exposed to breaks involving (i) eyes-open resting, (ii) listening to music and (iii) playing the video game “Angry Birds” before performing the n-back working memory task. Based on linear mixed-effects modeling, we found that playing the “Angry Birds” video game during a short learning break led to a decline in task performance over the course of the task as compared to eyes-open resting and listening to music, although overall task performance was not impaired. This effect was associated with high levels of daily mind wandering and low self-reported ability to concentrate. These findings indicate that video games can negatively affect working memory performance over time when played in between learning tasks. We suggest further investigation of these effects because of their relevance to everyday activity. PMID:26579055

Concurrent performance in a three-alternative choice situation: response allocation in a Rock/Paper/Scissors game.

PubMed

Kangas, Brian D; Berry, Meredith S; Cassidy, Rachel N; Dallery, Jesse; Vaidya, Manish; Hackenberg, Timothy D

2009-10-01

Adult human subjects engaged in a simulated Rock/Paper/Scissors game against a computer opponent. The computer opponent's responses were determined by programmed probabilities that differed across 10 blocks of 100 trials each. Response allocation in Experiment 1 was well described by a modified version of the generalized matching equation, with undermatching observed in all subjects. To assess the effects of instructions on response allocation, accurate probability-related information on how the computer was programmed to respond was provided to subjects in Experiment 2. Five of 6 subjects played the counter response of the computer's dominant programmed response near-exclusively (e.g., subjects played paper almost exclusively if the probability of rock was high), resulting in minor overmatching, and higher reinforcement rates relative to Experiment 1. On the whole, the study shows that the generalized matching law provides a good description of complex human choice in a gaming context, and illustrates a promising set of laboratory methods and analytic techniques that capture important features of human choice outside the laboratory.

Tactile Radar: experimenting a computer game with visually disabled.

PubMed

Kastrup, Virgínia; Cassinelli, Alvaro; Quérette, Paulo; Bergstrom, Niklas; Sampaio, Eliana

2017-09-18

Visually disabled people increasingly use computers in everyday life, thanks to novel assistive technologies better tailored to their cognitive functioning. Like sighted people, many are interested in computer games - videogames and audio-games. Tactile-games are beginning to emerge. The Tactile Radar is a device through which a visually disabled person is able to detect distal obstacles. In this study, it is connected to a computer running a tactile-game. The game consists in finding and collecting randomly arranged coins in a virtual room. The study was conducted with nine congenital blind people including both sexes, aged 20-64 years old. Complementary methods of first and third person were used: the debriefing interview and the quasi-experimental design. The results indicate that the Tactile Radar is suitable for the creation of computer games specifically tailored for visually disabled people. Furthermore, the device seems capable of eliciting a powerful immersive experience. Methodologically speaking, this research contributes to the consolidation and development of first and third person complementary methods, particularly useful in disabled people research field, including the evaluation by users of the Tactile Radar effectiveness in a virtual reality context. Implications for rehabilitation Despite the growing interest in virtual games for visually disabled people, they still find barriers to access such games. Through the development of assistive technologies such as the Tactile Radar, applied in virtual games, we can create new opportunities for leisure, socialization and education for visually disabled people. The results of our study indicate that the Tactile Radar is adapted to the creation of video games for visually disabled people, providing a playful interaction with the players.

Using Computer Games to Communicate Prevention and Preparedness Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerlow, I.

2012-12-01

Earth Girl: The Natural Disaster Fighter is a digital game about a girl who can save her family and friends from natural hazards. The scenario and game play are inspired by the challenges faced by communities living in the Asian regions prone to earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding and volcano hazards. This paper focuses on the interdisciplinary issues and development, the user testing and refinement process and a brief demonstration of the final product. The Earth Girl game is meant to help players, particularly pre-teens worldwide, to gain a better understanding of natural hazards through imaginative and fun game play. The game offers three levels of side-scrolling action, plus factual information in the form of quizzes to enhance the players' knowledge. The correct answers provide players with extra health and/or super-powers. The game was developed in English, Indonesian, Japanese and Chinese. It runs on any Flash-enabled browser and has been successfully user-tested in Southeast Asia with positive results and feedback.Earth Girl, a game of preparedness and survival

Towards optimizing server performance in an educational MMORPG for teaching computer programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malliarakis, Christos; Satratzemi, Maya; Xinogalos, Stelios

2013-10-01

Web-based games have become significantly popular during the last few years. This is due to the gradual increase of internet speed, which has led to the ongoing multiplayer games development and more importantly the emergence of the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) field. In parallel, similar technologies called educational games have started to be developed in order to be put into practice in various educational contexts, resulting in the field of Game Based Learning. However, these technologies require significant amounts of resources, such as bandwidth, RAM and CPU capacity etc. These amounts may be even larger in an educational MMORPG game that supports computer programming education, due to the usual inclusion of a compiler and the constant client/server data transmissions that occur during program coding, possibly leading to technical issues that could cause malfunctions during learning. Thus, the determination of the elements that affect the overall games resources' load is essential so that server administrators can configure them and ensure educational games' proper operation during computer programming education. In this paper, we propose a new methodology with which we can achieve monitoring and optimization of the load balancing, so that the essential resources for the creation and proper execution of an educational MMORPG for computer programming can be foreseen and bestowed without overloading the system.

"RePlay Health": An Experiential Role-Playing Sport for Modeling Healthcare Decisions, Policies, and Outcomes.

PubMed

Kaufman, Geoff; Flanagan, Mary; Seidman, Max; Wien, Simone

2015-08-01

This article presents the design and empirical investigation of the "RePlay Health" game ( www.replayhealth.com/ ), a novel "role-playing sport" derived from a complex, data-driven, computational simulation of healthcare dynamics. By immersing players in a fictional world in which they take on the role of characters facing specific behavioral and environmental risk factors, the "RePlay Health" game models the impact of health and healthcare policy on individual-level livelihood and community-level productivity. A randomized experiment tested the efficacy of the game for inspiring shifts in thinking about public health and healthcare policy. This study compared the impact of actively playing the game versus passively spectating: 31 young adults were assigned to one of these two roles. Participants completed pretest and posttest measures of their subjective ranking of healthcare policies and attributions for health outcomes. Active players (compared with spectators) reported significantly higher prioritizations (from pretest to posttest) in their subjective ranking of several health policies modeled by the game, such as "improving postdischarge care" and "increasing access to healthy foods." Furthermore, players, but not spectators, were significantly more likely following gameplay to identify environmental or systemic factors as potential causes of health problems. The fact that significant results emerged with a 1-week gap between gameplay and measurement demonstrates that the game could exert a lasting impact on attitudes and perceptions. More broadly, this work illustrates the value of incorporating experiential components, such as narrative, embodiment, and role-playing, in designing efficacious games for health.

Falling PC Solitaire Cards: An Open-Inquiry Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Espada, Wilson J.

2012-01-01

Many of us have played the PC Solitaire game that comes as standard software in many computers. Although I am not a great player, occasionally I win a game or two. The game celebrates my accomplishment by pushing the cards forward, one at a time, falling gracefully in what appears to look like a parabolic path in a drag-free environment. One day,…

The kids got game: Computer/video games, gender and learning outcomes in science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Janice Lyn

In recent years educators have begun to explore how to purposively design computer/video games to support student learning. This interest in video games has arisen in part because educational video games appear to have the potential to improve student motivation and interest in technology, and engage students in learning through the use of a familiar medium (Squire, 2005; Shaffer, 2006; Gee, 2005). The purpose of this dissertation research is to specifically address the issue of student learning through the use of educational computer/video games. Using the Quest Atlantis computer game, this study involved a mixed model research strategy that allowed for both broad understandings of classroom practices and specific analysis of outcomes through the themes that emerged from the case studies of the gendered groups using the game. Specifically, this study examined how fifth-grade students learning about science concepts, such as water quality and ecosystems, unfolds over time as they participate in the Quest Atlantis computer game. Data sources included classroom observations and video, pre- and post-written assessments, pre- and post- student content interviews, student field notebooks, field reports and the field notes of the researcher. To make sense of how students learning unfolded, video was analyzed using a framework of interaction analysis and small group interactions (Jordan & Henderson, 1995; Webb, 1995). These coded units were then examined with respect to student artifacts and assessments and patterns of learning trajectories analyzed. The analysis revealed that overall, student learning outcomes improved from pre- to post-assessments for all students. While there were no observable gendered differences with respect to the test scores and content interviews, there were gendered differences with respect to game play. Implications for game design, use of external scaffolds, games as tools for learning and gendered findings are discussed.

Glitch game testers: The design and study of a learning environment for computational production with young African American males

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiSalvo, Elizabeth Betsy

The implementation of a learning environment for young African American males, called the Glitch Game Testers, was launched in 2009. The development of this program was based on formative work that looked at the contrasting use of digital games between young African American males and individuals who chose to become computer science majors. Through analysis of cultural values and digital game play practices, the program was designed to intertwine authentic game development practices and computer science learning. The resulting program employed 25 African American male high school students to test pre-release digital games full-time in the summer and part-time in the school year, with an hour of each day dedicated to learning introductory computer science. Outcomes for persisting in computer science education are remarkable; of the 16 participants who had graduated from high school as of 2012, 12 have gone on to school in computing-related majors. These outcomes, and the participants' enthusiasm for engaging in computing, are in sharp contrast to the crisis in African American male education and learning motivation. The research presented in this dissertation discusses the formative research that shaped the design of Glitch, the evaluation of the implementation of Glitch, and a theoretical investigation of the way in which participants navigated conflicting motivations in learning environments.

Designing a serious game for historical heritage: a case study of Heerlen Roman bathhouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Wen

2014-01-01

The advances of computer games have shown their potentials for developing edutainment content and services. Current cultural heritages often make use of games in order to complement existing presentations and to create a memorable exhibition. It offers opportunities to reorganize and conceptualize historical, cultural and technological information about the exhibits. To demonstrate the benefits of serious games in terms of facilitating the learning activities in a constructive and meaningful way, we designed a video game about the Heerlen bathhouse heritage. This paper explains the design considerations of this Roman bathhouse game, with a particular focus on the link between game play and learning.

Leisure Activity Patterns and Their Associations with Overweight: A Prospective Study among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lajunen, Hanna-Reetta; Keski-Rahkonen, Anna; Pulkkinen, Lea; Rose, Richard J.; Rissanen, Aila; Kaprio, Jaakko

2009-01-01

We examined longitudinal associations between individual leisure activities (television viewing, video viewing, computer games, listening to music, board games, musical instrument playing, reading, arts, crafts, socializing, clubs or scouts, sports, outdoor activities) and being overweight using logistic regression and latent class analysis in a…

Playing Newtonian Games with Modellus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teodoro, Vitor Duarte

2004-01-01

This article is a short introduction on how to use Modellus (a computer package that is freely available on the Internet and used in the IOP "Advancing Physics" course) to build physics games using Newton's laws, expressed as differential equations. Solving systems of differential equations is beyond most secondary-school or first-year college…

A Computer-Assisted Laboratory Sequence for Petroleum Geology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lumsden, David N.

1979-01-01

Describes a competitive oil-play game for petroleum geology students. It is accompanied by a computer program written in interactive Fortran. The program, however, is not essential, but useful for adding more interest. (SA)

Predicting protein structures with a multiplayer online game.

PubMed

Cooper, Seth; Khatib, Firas; Treuille, Adrien; Barbero, Janos; Lee, Jeehyung; Beenen, Michael; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Baker, David; Popović, Zoran; Players, Foldit

2010-08-05

People exert large amounts of problem-solving effort playing computer games. Simple image- and text-recognition tasks have been successfully 'crowd-sourced' through games, but it is not clear if more complex scientific problems can be solved with human-directed computing. Protein structure prediction is one such problem: locating the biologically relevant native conformation of a protein is a formidable computational challenge given the very large size of the search space. Here we describe Foldit, a multiplayer online game that engages non-scientists in solving hard prediction problems. Foldit players interact with protein structures using direct manipulation tools and user-friendly versions of algorithms from the Rosetta structure prediction methodology, while they compete and collaborate to optimize the computed energy. We show that top-ranked Foldit players excel at solving challenging structure refinement problems in which substantial backbone rearrangements are necessary to achieve the burial of hydrophobic residues. Players working collaboratively develop a rich assortment of new strategies and algorithms; unlike computational approaches, they explore not only the conformational space but also the space of possible search strategies. The integration of human visual problem-solving and strategy development capabilities with traditional computational algorithms through interactive multiplayer games is a powerful new approach to solving computationally-limited scientific problems.

"Sure, I Would Like to Continue": A Method for Mapping the Experience of Engagement in Video Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schonau-Fog, Henrik; Bjorner, Thomas

2012-01-01

In order to explore one aspect of the engaging nature of computer games, this study will propose a method that aims at classifying the experience of engagement in video games. Inspired by a literature review, we will focus on the fundamental causes of engagement that motivate a player so much that he or she wants to continue playing. By organizing…

A Study on the Playing of Computer Games, Class Success and Attitudes of Parents to Primary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pepe, Kadir

2011-01-01

This study is a descriptive study based on the screening model, and was conducted in order to inquire the effect of games and the relation between gender and class success variables and game preferences in primary school students. The universe of the study was the primary schools in city center in Province of Burdur and the sample group of the…

Men's harassment behavior in online video games: Personality traits and game factors.

PubMed

Tang, Wai Yen; Fox, Jesse

2016-11-01

Online video games afford co-play and social interaction, often anonymous, among players from around the world. As predicted by the social identity model of deindividuation effects, undesirable behavior is not uncommon in online gaming environments, and online harassment has become a pervasive issue in the gaming community. In this study, we sought to determine what personality traits and game-related variables predicted two types of online aggression in video games: general harassment (e.g., skill-based taunting, insulting others' intelligence) and sexual harassment (e.g., sexist comments, rape threats). Men who play online video games (N = 425) participated in an anonymous online survey. Social dominance orientation and hostile sexism predicted higher levels of both sexual harassment and general harassment in online games. Game involvement and hours of weekly gameplay were additional predictors of general harassment. We discuss implications of online social aggression and online sexual harassment for online gaming. We also apply our findings to the broader understanding of online harassment, cyberaggression, cyberbullying, and other forms of online hostility in computer-mediated communication contexts. Aggr. Behav. 42:513-521, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Balancing game universes for playing without sight or hearing.

PubMed

Westin, Thomas; Furöstam, Malin; Yasasindhu, Roy; Norberg, Lena; Wiklund, Mats; Mozelius, Peter

2015-01-01

Equal access to cultural activities is important for inclusion and computer gaming is one of the most common activities in digital culture. However, many people with impairments are excluded from participating. While parallel game universes (PGUs) provide a method to achieve equal access, the question is: how can a balanced collaborative real-time game be designed with the help of PGU for playing without sight or hearing? Balance is a central concept in game design and is important to avoid perceived cheating or disadvantages due to individual or environmental differences. The question was examined with a design science approach, where a game prototype was created in two iterations with a structured design method and evaluated using interviews and observations. In this first step of a more long-term study, ten experienced gamers without impairments were selected with purposive sampling to provide relevant data through simulation of temporary impairments or environmental issues, which can affect many or all gamers. By sorting out these issues first, later testing with actual blind and deaf gamers can focus on more specific issues for each group. The ten participants played either without sight or hearing. The results confirm the use of PGUs for creating a balanced experience but also finds that while multiplayer feel is not optimal, it is a reasonable trade-off for universal access for blind and deaf being able to play together. The results also show that a help system and equal understanding of the game play between the blind and deaf players are important aspects to achieve game balance. Further research should be done involving actual blind and deaf gamers, and similar evaluations of game balance should be conducted with users having other types of impairments.

Analysis of User Interaction with a Brain-Computer Interface Based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials: Case Study of a Game

PubMed Central

de Carvalho, Sarah Negreiros; Costa, Thiago Bulhões da Silva; Attux, Romis; Hornung, Heiko Horst; Arantes, Dalton Soares

2018-01-01

This paper presents a systematic analysis of a game controlled by a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP). The objective is to understand BCI systems from the Human-Computer Interface (HCI) point of view, by observing how the users interact with the game and evaluating how the interface elements influence the system performance. The interactions of 30 volunteers with our computer game, named “Get Coins,” through a BCI based on SSVEP, have generated a database of brain signals and the corresponding responses to a questionnaire about various perceptual parameters, such as visual stimulation, acoustic feedback, background music, visual contrast, and visual fatigue. Each one of the volunteers played one match using the keyboard and four matches using the BCI, for comparison. In all matches using the BCI, the volunteers achieved the goals of the game. Eight of them achieved a perfect score in at least one of the four matches, showing the feasibility of the direct communication between the brain and the computer. Despite this successful experiment, adaptations and improvements should be implemented to make this innovative technology accessible to the end user. PMID:29849549

Analysis of User Interaction with a Brain-Computer Interface Based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials: Case Study of a Game.

PubMed

Leite, Harlei Miguel de Arruda; de Carvalho, Sarah Negreiros; Costa, Thiago Bulhões da Silva; Attux, Romis; Hornung, Heiko Horst; Arantes, Dalton Soares

2018-01-01

This paper presents a systematic analysis of a game controlled by a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) based on Steady-State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP). The objective is to understand BCI systems from the Human-Computer Interface (HCI) point of view, by observing how the users interact with the game and evaluating how the interface elements influence the system performance. The interactions of 30 volunteers with our computer game, named "Get Coins," through a BCI based on SSVEP, have generated a database of brain signals and the corresponding responses to a questionnaire about various perceptual parameters, such as visual stimulation, acoustic feedback, background music, visual contrast, and visual fatigue. Each one of the volunteers played one match using the keyboard and four matches using the BCI, for comparison. In all matches using the BCI, the volunteers achieved the goals of the game. Eight of them achieved a perfect score in at least one of the four matches, showing the feasibility of the direct communication between the brain and the computer. Despite this successful experiment, adaptations and improvements should be implemented to make this innovative technology accessible to the end user.

Spatial-Temporal Reasoning Applications of Computational Intelligence in the Game of Go and Computer Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

dimensionality, Tesauro used a backpropagation- based , three-layer neural network and implemented the outcome from a self-play game as the reinforcement signal...a school of fish, flock of birds, and colony of ants. Our literature review reveals that no one has used PSO to train the neural network ...trained with a variant of PSO called cellular PSO (CPSO). CSRN is a supervised learning neural network (SLNN). The proposed algorithm for the

An evaluation of a solution focused computer game in adolescent interventions.

PubMed

Coyle, David; Doherty, Gavin; Sharry, John

2009-07-01

Many adolescents experience difficulties with traditional face-to-face mental health care approaches. Personal Investigator (PI) is a 3D computer game specifically designed for use in adolescent interventions. The game implements a model of Solution Focused Therapy. It aims to assist in easing the difficulties experienced by adolescents with direct face-to-face approaches. In sessions a therapist and adolescent sit together at a computer and play PI. Issues raised in the game serve as a context for more detailed discussions between the therapist and client. This article describes a study in which PI was used with 22 adolescent clients, attending mental health care services due to a variety of difficulties. Whilst further trials are required, results indicate positive benefits of using PI. PI can help in building an effective client-therapist relationship, can assist in structuring sessions, and can assist in improving client engagement in the therapeutic process.

Exploring the Plausibility of a National Multi-Agency Communications System for the Homeland Security Community: A Southeast Ohio Half-Duplex Voice Over IP Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

modeled after the use by computer gamers in MMORPGs (massively multiuser online role-playing games). This is a good example of engaging the larger...during grant evaluations. There are more and more peer reviewed journal articles being written on MMORPGs , but this work is mainly geared towards...of the massively multiuser online role-playing games ( MMORPGs ). Most of the literature is about leadership and social networking. There is

Improving Children's Mental Health with a Digital Social Skills Development Game: A Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial of Adventures aboard the S.S. GRIN.

PubMed

Sanchez, Rebecca; Brown, Emily; Kocher, Kelly; DeRosier, Melissa

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a computer-based game to improve social skills and mental health in children with social skills deficits would be efficacious. The program, Adventures aboard the S.S. GRIN, translates a proven in-person intervention into a nine-episode interactive online adventure game that provides opportunity for knowledge acquisition and skill practice. Participants (children aged 7-11 years with social skills challenges) were randomly assigned to immediate treatment group (n = 33) or waitlist control group (n = 36). Children in the immediate treatment condition completed the game at home over the course of 9 weeks. Before playing the game and again within 1 week of game completion, children completed surveys about social literacy, social anxiety, bullying, social self-efficacy, and social satisfaction. Children who played Adventures improved significantly more from pretest to posttest than children who did not play the game in social literacy, social anxiety, bullying victimization, and social satisfaction. Online interactive games can be effective in improving mental health for children who struggle with social skills. For children who can access them, serious games have the potential to increase the reach of effective programs by overcoming the logistical and implementation barriers (such as cost, travel, and accessibility) that limit traditionally delivered mental health interventions.

Playing by Programming: Making Gameplay a Programming Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weintrop, David; Wilensky, Uri

2016-01-01

Video games are an oft-cited reason for young learners getting interested in programming and computer science. As such, many learning opportunities build on this interest by having kids program their own video games. This approach, while sometimes successful, has its drawbacks stemming from the fact that the challenge of programming and game…

Let’s get technical! Gaming and technology for weight control and health promotion in children

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most children, including lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority children, play video games, use computers, and have cell phones, and growing numbers have smart phones and electronic tablets. They are comfortable with, even prefer, electronic media. Many expect to be entertained and have a lo...

The Games Universities Play (With Apologies to Dr. Berne). Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skelton, John E.

A preliminary study of alternative methods of organizing, managing, and financing computing at the nation's institutions of higher education is explored in the context of transactional analysis. The purpose and contents of the forthcoming final report (designed for university presidents) is described. The games, as intended and defined by the…

Video Games Take Testing to the Next Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothman, Robert

2011-01-01

Young people playing "Halo" or "World of Warcraft" might not realize it, but they are working on the prototypes for a future generation of student tests. The increasing popularity of video and computer games may cause concern among parents, who fear their children are spending too much time on them. However, educators and researchers increasingly…

Learning Recycling from Playing a Kinect Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González Ibánez, José de Jesús Luis; Wang, Alf Inge

2015-01-01

The emergence of gesture-based computing and inexpensive gesture recognition technology such as the Kinect have opened doors for a new generation of educational games. Gesture based-based interfaces make it possible to provide user interfaces that are more nature and closer to the tasks being carried out, and helping students that learn best…

METRO-APEX Volume 1.1: Game Overall Director's Manual. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Southern California, Los Angeles. COMEX Research Project.

The Game Overall Director's Manual is one of a set of twenty-one manuals used in METRO-APEX 1974, a computerized college and professional level, computer-supported, role-play, simulation exercise of a community with "normal" problems. Stress is placed on environmental quality considerations. APEX 1974 is an expansion of APEX--Air…

Characteristics of Internet use in relation to game genre in Korean adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Moon-Soo; Ko, Young-Hoon; Song, Hyoung-Seok; Kwon, Ku-Hyung; Lee, Hyeon-Soo; Nam, Min; Jung, In-Kwa

2007-04-01

As the number of internet users increases, a new game genre using the internet as a networking tool is emerging. Some game genres are regarded as having greater addiction potentials than others. Games and the internet are closely related. We investigated games frequently used by adolescents and classified each of them with the help of game professionals. We also examined internet use patterns to identify relationships between game genre and internet use patterns. 627 middle school and high school students (male 488, female 139) completed questionnaires concerning computer and game use patterns and Korean internet addiction scales. Game genres were divided into eight criteria (simulation, role playing game, web board, community, action, adventure, shooting, and sports). Using Korean internet addiction scales, 627 participants were divided into a normal group (474), a potential risk group (128), and a high-risk group (25). Each group showed significant differences in total internet addiction scores. We classified players into specific game users based upon the game types they most prefer. Role playing game users showed significantly higher internet addiction scores than web board and sports game users. Game and internet addictions are also connected with interpersonal relationship patterns. We suggest that users of some game genre have unique psychological addiction potentials that are different from others and that this influences both game selection and internet use.

Neuroeconomic approaches to mental disorders

PubMed Central

Kishida, Kenneth T.; King-Casas, Brooks; Montague, P. Read

2010-01-01

The pervasiveness of decision-making in every area of human endeavor highlights the importance of understanding choice mechanisms and their detailed relationship to underlying neurobiological function. This review surveys the recent and productive application of game theoretic probes (economic games) to mental disorders. Such games typically possess concrete concepts of optimal play, thus providing quantitative ways to track when subjects’ choices match or deviate from optimal. This feature equips economic games with natural classes of control signals that should guide learning and choice in the agents that play them. These signals and their underlying physical correlates in the brain are now being used to generate objective biomarkers that may prove useful for exposing and understanding the neurogenetic basis of normal and pathological human cognition. Thus, game theoretic probes represent some of the first steps toward producing computationally principled, objective measures of cognitive function and dysfunction useful for the diagnosis, treatment and understanding of mental disorders. PMID:20797532

Phylo: A Citizen Science Approach for Improving Multiple Sequence Alignment

PubMed Central

Kam, Alfred; Kwak, Daniel; Leung, Clarence; Wu, Chu; Zarour, Eleyine; Sarmenta, Luis; Blanchette, Mathieu; Waldispühl, Jérôme

2012-01-01

Background Comparative genomics, or the study of the relationships of genome structure and function across different species, offers a powerful tool for studying evolution, annotating genomes, and understanding the causes of various genetic disorders. However, aligning multiple sequences of DNA, an essential intermediate step for most types of analyses, is a difficult computational task. In parallel, citizen science, an approach that takes advantage of the fact that the human brain is exquisitely tuned to solving specific types of problems, is becoming increasingly popular. There, instances of hard computational problems are dispatched to a crowd of non-expert human game players and solutions are sent back to a central server. Methodology/Principal Findings We introduce Phylo, a human-based computing framework applying “crowd sourcing” techniques to solve the Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) problem. The key idea of Phylo is to convert the MSA problem into a casual game that can be played by ordinary web users with a minimal prior knowledge of the biological context. We applied this strategy to improve the alignment of the promoters of disease-related genes from up to 44 vertebrate species. Since the launch in November 2010, we received more than 350,000 solutions submitted from more than 12,000 registered users. Our results show that solutions submitted contributed to improving the accuracy of up to 70% of the alignment blocks considered. Conclusions/Significance We demonstrate that, combined with classical algorithms, crowd computing techniques can be successfully used to help improving the accuracy of MSA. More importantly, we show that an NP-hard computational problem can be embedded in casual game that can be easily played by people without significant scientific training. This suggests that citizen science approaches can be used to exploit the billions of “human-brain peta-flops” of computation that are spent every day playing games. Phylo is available at: http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca. PMID:22412834

Electronic media use and addiction among youth in psychiatric clinic versus school populations.

PubMed

Baer, Susan; Saran, Kelly; Green, David A; Hong, Irene

2012-12-01

Electronic media use is highly prevalent among today's youth, and its overuse in the general population has been consistently associated with the presence of psychiatric symptoms. In contrast, little information exists about electronic media use among youth with psychiatric disorders. Our study aims to compare patterns of television and computer and gaming station use among youth in psychiatric clinic and community-based school populations. Surveys were completed by 210 youth and parents, from school (n = 110) and psychiatric clinic (n = 100) populations. Duration and frequency of television, video gaming, and nongaming computer activities were ascertained, along with addictive features of use. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted, with a statistical threshold of P < 0.05. Quantitative and qualitative differences were identified between the patterns of use reported by the 2 groups. The mean reported daily duration of exposure to electronic media use was 6.6 hours (SD 4.1) for the clinic sample and 4.6 hours (SD 2.6) for the school sample (P < 0.01). Self-reported rates of addictive patterns related to computer and gaming station use were similar between the 2 populations. However, the clinically based sample favoured more violent games, with 29% reporting playing mature-rated games, compared with 13% reported by the school-based sample (P = 0.02). Youth with externalizing disorders expended greater time video gaming, compared with youth with internalizing disorders (P = 0.01). Clinically based samples of youth with mental illnesses spend more time engaged in electronic media activities and are more likely to play violent video games, compared with youth in the general population. Further research is needed to determine the long-term implications of these differences.

Differences by Sex in Association of Mental Health With Video Gaming or Other Nonacademic Computer Use Among US Adolescents

PubMed Central

Sung, Jung Hye; Lee, Ji-Young; Lee, Jae Eun

2017-01-01

Introduction Although numerous studies have examined the association between playing video games and cognitive skills, aggression, and depression, few studies have examined how these associations differ by sex. The objective of our study was to determine differences by sex in association between video gaming or other nonacademic computer use and depressive symptoms, suicidal behavior, and being bullied among adolescents in the United States. Methods We used data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey on 15,624 US high school students. Rao–Scott χ2 tests, which were adjusted for the complex sampling design, were conducted to assess differences by sex in the association of mental health with video gaming or other nonacademic computer use. Results Approximately one-fifth (19.4%) of adolescents spent 5 or more hours daily on video gaming or other nonacademic computer use, and 17.9% did not spend any time in those activities. A greater percentage of female adolescents than male adolescents reported spending no time (22.1% and 14.0%, respectively) or 5 hours or more (21.3% and 17.5%, respectively) in gaming and other nonacademic computer use (P < .001). The association between mental problems and video gaming or other nonacademic computer use differed by sex. Among female adolescents, prevalence of mental problems increased steadily in association with increased time spent, whereas the pattern for male adolescents followed a J-shaped curve, decreasing initially, increasing slowly, and then increasing rapidly beginning at 4 hours or more. Conclusion Female adolescents were more likely to have all 3 mental health problems than male adolescents were. Spending no time or 5 hours or more daily on video gaming or other nonacademic computer use was associated with increased mental problems among both sexes. As suggested by the J-shaped relationship, 1 hour or less spent on video gaming or other nonacademic computer use may reduce depressive symptoms, suicidal behavior, and being bullied compared with no use or excessive use. PMID:29166250

Differences by Sex in Association of Mental Health With Video Gaming or Other Nonacademic Computer Use Among US Adolescents.

PubMed

Lee, Hogan H; Sung, Jung Hye; Lee, Ji-Young; Lee, Jae Eun

2017-11-22

Although numerous studies have examined the association between playing video games and cognitive skills, aggression, and depression, few studies have examined how these associations differ by sex. The objective of our study was to determine differences by sex in association between video gaming or other nonacademic computer use and depressive symptoms, suicidal behavior, and being bullied among adolescents in the United States. We used data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey on 15,624 US high school students. Rao-Scott χ 2 tests, which were adjusted for the complex sampling design, were conducted to assess differences by sex in the association of mental health with video gaming or other nonacademic computer use. Approximately one-fifth (19.4%) of adolescents spent 5 or more hours daily on video gaming or other nonacademic computer use, and 17.9% did not spend any time in those activities. A greater percentage of female adolescents than male adolescents reported spending no time (22.1% and 14.0%, respectively) or 5 hours or more (21.3% and 17.5%, respectively) in gaming and other nonacademic computer use (P < .001). The association between mental problems and video gaming or other nonacademic computer use differed by sex. Among female adolescents, prevalence of mental problems increased steadily in association with increased time spent, whereas the pattern for male adolescents followed a J-shaped curve, decreasing initially, increasing slowly, and then increasing rapidly beginning at 4 hours or more. Female adolescents were more likely to have all 3 mental health problems than male adolescents were. Spending no time or 5 hours or more daily on video gaming or other nonacademic computer use was associated with increased mental problems among both sexes. As suggested by the J-shaped relationship, 1 hour or less spent on video gaming or other nonacademic computer use may reduce depressive symptoms, suicidal behavior, and being bullied compared with no use or excessive use.

Teaching and Learning: Whose Computer Is It? December/January E-Mail.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhao, Yong; Hueyshan Tan, Sophia; Mishra, Punya

2001-01-01

Notes that teachers see the computer as a tool to help them teach better, while students use computers to play games, chat, and design Web sites. Describes the after-school program Kids Learning In Computer Klubhouses (KLICK!) that operates clubhouses within local middle schools. Discusses what participants have accomplished for themselves, their…

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Methods Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) differences between the two universities; 3) how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4) characteristics of students who play most frequently. Results 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%). Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%), felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%), and believed that video games can have educational value (80%). A majority (77%) would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%), and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%). However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Conclusions Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly favorable views about the use of video games and related new media technology in medical education. Significant gender differences in game play experience and attitudes may represent male video game design bias that stresses male cognitive aptitudes; medical educators hoping to create serious games that will appeal to both men and women must avoid this. PMID:20576125

Medical student attitudes toward video games and related new media technologies in medical education.

PubMed

Kron, Frederick W; Gjerde, Craig L; Sen, Ananda; Fetters, Michael D

2010-06-24

Studies in K-12 and college students show that their learning preferences have been strongly shaped by new media technologies like video games, virtual reality environments, the Internet, and social networks. However, there is no known research on medical students' game experiences or attitudes towards new media technologies in medical education. This investigation seeks to elucidate medical student experiences and attitudes, to see whether they warrant the development of new media teaching methods in medicine. Medical students from two American universities participated. An anonymous, 30-item, cross-sectional survey addressed demographics, game play experience and attitudes on using new media technologies in medical education. Statistical analysis identified: 1) demographic characteristics; 2) differences between the two universities; 3) how video game play differs across gender, age, degree program and familiarity with computers; and 4) characteristics of students who play most frequently. 217 medical students participated. About half were female (53%). Respondents liked the idea of using technology to enhance healthcare education (98%), felt that education should make better use of new media technologies (96%), and believed that video games can have educational value (80%). A majority (77%) would use a multiplayer online healthcare simulation on their own time, provided that it helped them to accomplish an important goal. Men and women agreed that they were most inclined to use multiplayer simulations if they were fun (97%), and if they helped to develop skill in patient interactions (90%). However, there was significant gender dissonance over types of favorite games, the educational value of video games, and the desire to participate in games that realistically replicated the experience of clinical practice. Overall, medical student respondents, including many who do not play video games, held highly favorable views about the use of video games and related new media technology in medical education. Significant gender differences in game play experience and attitudes may represent male video game design bias that stresses male cognitive aptitudes; medical educators hoping to create serious games that will appeal to both men and women must avoid this.

Evidence of Gender Disparity in Children's Computer Use and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Land, M. J.

This multi-method study examines the differences in male and female computer use in the home of children ages 9-14. Long interviews, observations, and surveys with children show males spend more time on the computer, but not on-line, than females. Males and females engage in different computer activities. They play computer games about the same…

Cognitive benefits of computer games for older adults.

PubMed

Zelinski, Elizabeth M; Reyes, Ricardo

2009-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a basis for the hypothesis that digital action games may produce cognitive benefits for older adults. First, a discussion of the relationship between cognitive and physical health shows the increasing weight given to the role of declines in cognition in the development of dependency in older adult population studies. Second, evidence that cognitive training produces 'far transfer' in elders is presented. The key issue is that one approach, known as extended practice training, has been successful in producing far transfer to memory and other processes. Its principles, which are consistent with those associated with positive brain plasticity effects, are identified. Those principles are then related to the mechanics of digital action games, which also have the important added feature of producing the experiences of presence, engagement, and flow, the subjective elements of game play that are likely to sustain interest and emotional investment in the skills practiced so that the play produces cognitive benefits. The specific cognitive abilities proposed to be improved by different types of game genres are outlined, and recent developments in game and interface design that may affect the willingness of older adults to play are described.

Cognitive benefits of computer games for older adults

PubMed Central

Zelinski, Elizabeth M.; Reyes, Ricardo

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to develop a basis for the hypothesis that digital action games may produce cognitive benefits for older adults. First, a discussion of the relationship between cognitive and physical health shows the increasing weight given to the role of declines in cognition in the development of dependency in older adult population studies. Second, evidence that cognitive training produces ‘far transfer’ in elders is presented. The key issue is that one approach, known as extended practice training, has been successful in producing far transfer to memory and other processes. Its principles, which are consistent with those associated with positive brain plasticity effects, are identified. Those principles are then related to the mechanics of digital action games, which also have the important added feature of producing the experiences of presence, engagement, and flow, the subjective elements of game play that are likely to sustain interest and emotional investment in the skills practiced so that the play produces cognitive benefits. The specific cognitive abilities proposed to be improved by different types of game genres are outlined, and recent developments in game and interface design that may affect the willingness of older adults to play are described. PMID:25126043

Problem Video Gaming Among Children Enrolled in Tertiary Weight Management Programs.

PubMed

Stubblefield, Sam; Datto, George; Phan, Thao-Ly T; Werk, Lloyd N; Stackpole, Kristin; Siegel, Robert; Stratbucker, William; Tucker, Jared M; Christison, Amy L; Hossain, Jobayer; Gentile, Douglas A

2017-02-01

Prior studies show seven percent to nine percent of children demonstrate gaming behaviors that affect a child's ability to function (e.g., problem gaming), but none have examined the association between problem gaming and weight status. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of problem gaming among children enrolled in tertiary weight management programs. We administered a computer-based survey to a convenience sample of children aged 11-17 years enrolled in five geographically diverse pediatric weight management (PWM) programs in the COMPASS (Childhood Obesity Multi-Program Analysis and Study System) network. The survey included demographics, gaming characteristics, and a problem gaming assessment. The survey had 454 respondents representing a diverse cohort (53 percent females, 27 percent black, 24 percent Hispanic, 41 percent white) with mean age of 13.7 years. A total of 8.2 percent of respondents met criteria for problem gaming. Problem gamers were more likely to be white, male, play mature-rated games, and report daily play. Children in PWM programs reported problem gaming at the same rate as other pediatric populations. Screening for problem gaming provides an opportunity for pediatricians to address gaming behaviors that may affect the health of children with obesity who already are at risk for worsened health and quality of life.

Problem Video Gaming Among Children Enrolled in Tertiary Weight Management Programs

PubMed Central

Datto, George; Phan, Thao-Ly T.; Werk, Lloyd N.; Stackpole, Kristin; Siegel, Robert; Stratbucker, William; Tucker, Jared M.; Christison, Amy L.; Hossain, Jobayer; Gentile, Douglas A.

2017-01-01

Abstract Prior studies show seven percent to nine percent of children demonstrate gaming behaviors that affect a child's ability to function (e.g., problem gaming), but none have examined the association between problem gaming and weight status. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of problem gaming among children enrolled in tertiary weight management programs. We administered a computer-based survey to a convenience sample of children aged 11–17 years enrolled in five geographically diverse pediatric weight management (PWM) programs in the COMPASS (Childhood Obesity Multi-Program Analysis and Study System) network. The survey included demographics, gaming characteristics, and a problem gaming assessment. The survey had 454 respondents representing a diverse cohort (53 percent females, 27 percent black, 24 percent Hispanic, 41 percent white) with mean age of 13.7 years. A total of 8.2 percent of respondents met criteria for problem gaming. Problem gamers were more likely to be white, male, play mature-rated games, and report daily play. Children in PWM programs reported problem gaming at the same rate as other pediatric populations. Screening for problem gaming provides an opportunity for pediatricians to address gaming behaviors that may affect the health of children with obesity who already are at risk for worsened health and quality of life. PMID:28170312

Building Cognition: The Construction of Computational Representations for Scientific Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chandrasekharan, Sanjay; Nersessian, Nancy J.

2015-01-01

Novel computational representations, such as simulation models of complex systems and video games for scientific discovery (Foldit, EteRNA etc.), are dramatically changing the way discoveries emerge in science and engineering. The cognitive roles played by such computational representations in discovery are not well understood. We present a…

Social Gaming and Learning Applications: A Driving Force for the Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dörner, Ralf; Lok, Benjamin; Broll, Wolfgang

Backed by a large consumer market, entertainment and education applications have spurred developments in the fields of real-time rendering and interactive computer graphics. Relying on Computer Graphics methodologies, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality benefited indirectly from this; however, there is no large scale demand for VR and AR in gaming and learning. What are the shortcomings of current VR/AR technology that prevent a widespread use in these application areas? What advances in VR/AR will be necessary? And what might future “VR-enhanced” gaming and learning look like? Which role can and will Virtual Humans play? Concerning these questions, this article analyzes the current situation and provides an outlook on future developments. The focus is on social gaming and learning.

Correlates of urban children's leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behaviors during school days.

PubMed

Marques, Adilson; Sallis, James F; Martins, João; Diniz, José; Carreiro Da Costa, Francisco

2014-01-01

Understanding correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviors may contribute to fostering active lifestyles. This study aimed to identify correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in leisure-time among Portuguese urban children, during school days. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 802 students (416 boys), aged 10-12 years. A questionnaire was used to collect data of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, psychological and behavioral variables related to physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Analyses were run separately for boys and girls. Television viewing occupied the most leisure-time of boys and girls, followed by computer usage, and video game playing. These behaviors occupied 259.7 min/day for boys and 208.6 for girls (P = 0.002). Reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was 23.7 min for boys and 12.8 min for girls (P < 0.001). Perception of competence and academic achievement were related to physical activity for the boys and girls. Computer use and playing video games with friends were only related to physical activity for the boys. On the other hand, parents' physical activity participation was related with boys' and girls' physical activity. The correlates of sedentary behavior were outdoor play for the boys, age for the girls, and playing video games with friends for both. This finding suggests that interventions should be considered to replace joint video game time with joint physical activity time. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Implementation of a Career Decision Game on a Time Shared Computer: An Exploration of Its Value in a Simulated Guidance Environment. Information System for Vocational Decisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Richard Allan

The Information System for Vocational Decisions (ISVD) places Boocock's (1967) Life Career Game in the core of its operating system. This paper considers the types of interaction that will be required of the system, and discusses the role that a career decision game might play in its total context. The paper takes an into-the-future look at the…

The Influence of Trainee Gaming Experience and Computer Self-Efficacy on Learner Outcomes of Videogame-Based Learning Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

videogame-based training environment. In this research, 413 participants played a first-person-perspective videogame that began with a single- player ...section to introduce game-specific tasks, followed by a multi- player section where participants formed small teams to conduct several collaborative...with over four million registered players . In Janurary 2004, America’s Army was used during a four-day inter-semester game- based training exercise at

From Play to Thoughtful Learning: A Design Strategy to Engage Children with Mathematical Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedig, Kamran

2008-01-01

Many children do not like learning mathematics. They do not find mathematics fun, motivating, and engaging, and they think it is difficult to learn. Computer-based games have the potential and possibility of addressing this problem. This paper proposes a strategy for designing game-based learning environments that takes advantage of the…

Video-game epilepsy: a European study.

PubMed

Kasteleijn-Nolst Trenité, D G; da Silva, A M; Ricci, S; Binnie, C D; Rubboli, G; Tassinari, C A; Segers, J P

1999-01-01

With the introduction of Nintendo video-games on a large scale, reports of children having seizures while playing suggested a possible specific, provocative factor. Although 50% of the photosensitive patients are also sensitive to a 50-Hz television, nonphotosensitive patients with a history of video-game seizures were described as well. The question arises whether this is a mere coincidence, provoked by fatigue and stress, is related to the reaction to the television screen itself, or depends on the movement and color of the pictures of this specific game. A European study was performed in four countries and five sites. All patients were selected because of a history of television, video- or computer-game seizures, with a history of sun-light-, discotheque-, or black and white pattern-evoked seizures, or were already known to be sensitive to intermittent photic stimulation. A total of 387 patients were investigated; 220 (75%) were female and 214 (55%) of those were < 18 years of age. After a routine examination, intermittent photic, pattern, and television stimulation were performed in a standardized way. The patients were investigated with Super Mario World and a standard relatively nonprovocative TV program, both on a 50- and 100-Hz television. Regardless of the distance, Super Mario World proved to be more provocative than the standard program (Wilcoxon, p < 0.05). Eighty-five percent showed epileptiform discharges evoked by intermittent photic stimulation. Forty-five percent of patients were 50-Hz television sensitive and 26% were 100-Hz television sensitive. Pattern sensitivity was found in 28% of patients. The patients, referred because of a television, video- or computer-game seizure, were significantly more sensitive to pattern and to the 50-Hz television (chi square, p < 0.001). More patients are sensitive when playing Super Mario, compared with the standard program (Wilcoxon, p = 0.001) and more sensitive with playing versus viewing (p = 0.016). Of the patients who were referred because of seizures in front of the television, or evoked by a video- or computer game, 14% proved not to be photosensitive. Although no difference in age or use of medication was found, twice as many men were found in this nonphotosensitive group.

The use of digital games and simulators in veterinary education: an overview with examples.

PubMed

de Bie, M H; Lipman, L J A

2012-01-01

In view of current technological possibilities and the popularity of games, the interest in games for educational purposes is remarkably on the rise. This article outlines the (future) use of (digital) games and simulators in several disciplines, especially in the veterinary curriculum. The different types of game-based learning (GBL)-varying from simple interactive computer board games to more complex virtual simulation strategies-will be discussed as well as the benefits, possibilities, and limitations of the educational use of games. The real breakthrough seems to be a few years away. Technological developments in the future might diminish the limitations and stumbling blocks that currently exist. Consequently, educational games will play a new and increasingly important role in the future veterinary curriculum, providing an attractive and useful way of learning.

Gaming against medical errors: methods and results from a design game on CPOE.

PubMed

Kanstrup, Anne Marie; Nøhr, Christian

2009-01-01

The paper presents design game as a technique for participatory design for a Computerized Decision Support System (CDSS) for minimizing medical errors. Design game is used as a technique for working with the skills of users, the complexity of the use practice and the negotiation of design here within the challenging domain of medication. The paper presents a developed design game based on game inspiration from a computer game, theoretical inspiration on electronic decision support, and empirical grounding in scenarios of medical errors. The game has been played in a two-hour workshop with six clinicians. The result is presented as a list of central themes for design of CDSS and derived design principles from these themes. These principles are currently under further exploration in follow up prototype based activities.

Astro-tainment: Using modern and indigenous games to communicate astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manxoyi, S.

2008-06-01

Games are by their nature interactive, informative and developmental and in many cases full of fun and entertainment. SAAO has used modern and indigenous games to communicate astronomy to learners, educators and members of the public. These games include board, card, stone, pen and paper, domino, singalongs, ball and computer games. The use of games serves to simplify, demystify and communicate hard concepts in a fun way. They extend beyond the confines of institutions as games can be played at home and school. There is also no need for supervision when rules are mastered. This presentation also examines the principles (racing, collection, simulation and placing) which underpin our games as well seeking to demonstrate how simple materials can be transformed into communication and educational tools by infusing relevant astronomical knowledge.

Computer game as a tool for training the identification of phonemic length.

PubMed

Pennala, Riitta; Richardson, Ulla; Ylinen, Sari; Lyytinen, Heikki; Martin, Maisa

2014-12-01

Computer-assisted training of Finnish phonemic length was conducted with 7-year-old Russian-speaking second-language learners of Finnish. Phonemic length plays a different role in these two languages. The training included game activities with two- and three-syllable word and pseudo-word minimal pairs with prototypical vowel durations. The lowest accuracy scores were recorded for two-syllable words. Accuracy scores were higher for the minimal pairs with larger rather than smaller differences in duration. Accuracy scores were lower for long duration than for short duration. The ability to identify quantity degree was generalized to stimuli used in the identification test in two of the children. Ideas for improving the game are introduced.

Kinect Technology Game Play to Mimic Quake Catcher Network (QCN) Sensor Deployment During a Rapid Aftershock Mobilization Program (RAMP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilb, D. L.; Yang, A.; Rohrlick, D.; Cochran, E. S.; Lawrence, J.; Chung, A. I.; Neighbors, C.; Choo, Y.

2011-12-01

The Kinect technology allows for hands-free game play, greatly increasing the accessibility of gaming for those uncomfortable using controllers. How it works is the Kinect camera transmits invisible near-infrared light and measures its "time of flight" to reflect off an object, allowing it to distinguish objects within 1 centimeter in depth and 3 mm in height and width. The middleware can also respond to body gestures and voice commands. Here, we use the Kinect Windows SDK software to create a game that mimics how scientists deploy seismic instruments following a large earthquake. The educational goal of the game is to allow the players to explore 3D space as they learn about the Quake Catcher Network's (QCN) Rapid Aftershock Mobilization Program (RAMP). Many of the scenarios within the game are taken from factual RAMP experiences. To date, only the PC platform (or a Mac running PC emulator software) is available for use, but we hope to move to other platforms (e.g., Xbox 360, iPad, iPhone) as they become available. The game is written in programming language C# using Microsoft XNA and Visual Studio 2010, graphic shading is added using High Level Shader Language (HLSL), and rendering is produced using XNA's graphics libraries. Key elements of the game include selecting sensor locations, adequately installing the sensor, and monitoring the incoming data. During game play aftershocks can occur unexpectedly, as can other problems that require attention (e.g., power outages, equipment failure, and theft). The player accrues points for quickly deploying the first sensor (recording as many initial aftershocks as possible), correctly installing the sensors (orientation with respect to north, properly securing, and testing), distributing the sensors adequately in the region, and troubleshooting problems. One can also net points for efficient use of game play time. Setting up for game play in your local environment requires: (1) the Kinect hardware ( $145); (2) a computer with a Windows operating system (Mac users can use a Windows emulator); and (3) our free QCN game software (available from http://quakeinfo.ucsd.edu/ dkilb/WEB/QCN/Downloads.html).

Effects of a computer-based cognitive exercise program on age-related cognitive decline.

PubMed

Bozoki, Andrea; Radovanovic, Mirjana; Winn, Brian; Heeter, Carrie; Anthony, James C

2013-01-01

We developed a 'senior friendly' suite of online 'games for learning' with interactive calibration for increasing difficulty, and evaluated the feasibility of a randomized clinical trial to test the hypothesis that seniors aged 60-80 can improve key aspects of cognitive ability with the aid of such games. Sixty community-dwelling senior volunteers were randomized to either an online game suite designed to train multiple cognitive abilities, or to a control arm with online activities that simulated the look and feel of the games but with low level interactivity and no calibration of difficulty. Study assessment included measures of recruitment, retention and play-time. Cognitive change was measured with a computerized assessment battery administered just before and within two weeks after completion of the six-week intervention. Impediments to feasibility included: limited access to in-home high-speed internet, large variations in the amount of time devoted to game play, and a reluctance to pursue more challenging levels. Overall analysis was negative for assessed performance (transference effects) even though subjects improved on the games themselves. Post hoc analyses suggest that some types of games may have more value than others, but these effects would need to be replicated in a study designed for that purpose. We conclude that a six-week, moderate-intensity computer game-based cognitive intervention can be implemented with high-functioning seniors, but the effect size is relatively small. Our findings are consistent with Owen et al. (2010), but there are open questions about whether more structured, longer duration or more intensive 'games for learning' interventions might yield more substantial cognitive improvement in seniors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assisting autistic children with wireless EOG technology.

PubMed

Rapela, Joaquin; Lin, Tsong-Yan; Westerfield, Marissa; Jung, Tzyy-Ping; Townsend, Jeanne

2012-01-01

We propose a novel intervention to train the speed and accuracy of attention orienting and eye movements in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Training eye movements and attention could not only affect those important functions directly, but could also result in broader improvement of social communication skills. To this end we describe a system that would allow ASD children to improve their fixation skills while playing a computer game controlled by an eye tracker. Because this intervention will probably be time consuming, this system should be designed to be used at homes. To make this possible, we propose an implementation based on wireless and dry electrooculography (EOG) technology. If successful, this system would develop an approach to therapy that would improve clinical and behavioral function in children and adults with ASD. As our initial steps in this direction, here we describe the design of a computer game to be used in this system, and the predictions of gaze position from EOG data recorded while a subject played this game.

Multi-objective Optimization Strategies Using Adjoint Method and Game Theory in Aerodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Zhili

2006-08-01

There are currently three different game strategies originated in economics: (1) Cooperative games (Pareto front), (2) Competitive games (Nash game) and (3) Hierarchical games (Stackelberg game). Each game achieves different equilibria with different performance, and their players play different roles in the games. Here, we introduced game concept into aerodynamic design, and combined it with adjoint method to solve multi-criteria aerodynamic optimization problems. The performance distinction of the equilibria of these three game strategies was investigated by numerical experiments. We computed Pareto front, Nash and Stackelberg equilibria of the same optimization problem with two conflicting and hierarchical targets under different parameterizations by using the deterministic optimization method. The numerical results show clearly that all the equilibria solutions are inferior to the Pareto front. Non-dominated Pareto front solutions are obtained, however the CPU cost to capture a set of solutions makes the Pareto front an expensive tool to the designer.

HapHop-Physio: a computer game to support cognitive therapies in children.

PubMed

Rico-Olarte, Carolina; López, Diego M; Narváez, Santiago; Farinango, Charic D; Pharow, Peter S

2017-01-01

Care and support of children with physical or mental disabilities are accompanied with serious concerns for parents, families, healthcare institutions, schools, and their communities. Recent studies and technological innovations have demonstrated the feasibility of providing therapy and rehabilitation services to children supported by computer games. The aim of this paper is to present HapHop-Physio, an innovative computer game that combines exercise with fun and learning, developed to support cognitive therapies in children. Conventional software engineering methods such as the Scrum methodology, a functionality test and a related usability test, were part of the comprehensive methodology adapted to develop HapHop-Physio. The game supports visual and auditory attention therapies, as well as visual and auditory memory activities. The game was developed by a multidisciplinary team, which was based on the Hopscotch ® platform provided by Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT Institute in Germany, and designed in collaboration with a rehabilitation clinic in Colombia. HapHop-Physio was tested and evaluated to probe its functionality and user satisfaction. The results show the development of an easy-to-use and funny game by a multidisciplinary team using state-of-the-art videogame technologies and software methodologies. Children testing the game concluded that they would like to play again while undergoing rehabilitation therapies.

Computer-Assisted Intervention for Children with Low Numeracy Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasanen, Pekka; Salminen, Jonna; Wilson, Anna J.; Aunio, Pirjo; Dehaene, Stanislas

2009-01-01

We present results of a computer-assisted intervention (CAI) study on number skills in kindergarten children. Children with low numeracy skill (n = 30) were randomly allocated to two treatment groups. The first group played a computer game (The Number Race) which emphasized numerical comparison and was designed to train number sense, while the…

Game-Based Virtual Worlds as Decentralized Virtual Activity Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scacchi, Walt

There is widespread interest in the development and use of decentralized systems and virtual world environments as possible new places for engaging in collaborative work activities. Similarly, there is widespread interest in stimulating new technological innovations that enable people to come together through social networking, file/media sharing, and networked multi-player computer game play. A decentralized virtual activity system (DVAS) is a networked computer supported work/play system whose elements and social activities can be both virtual and decentralized (Scacchi et al. 2008b). Massively multi-player online games (MMOGs) such as World of Warcraft and online virtual worlds such as Second Life are each popular examples of a DVAS. Furthermore, these systems are beginning to be used for research, deve-lopment, and education activities in different science, technology, and engineering domains (Bainbridge 2007, Bohannon et al. 2009; Rieber 2005; Scacchi and Adams 2007; Shaffer 2006), which are also of interest here. This chapter explores two case studies of DVASs developed at the University of California at Irvine that employ game-based virtual worlds to support collaborative work/play activities in different settings. The settings include those that model and simulate practical or imaginative physical worlds in different domains of science, technology, or engineering through alternative virtual worlds where players/workers engage in different kinds of quests or quest-like workflows (Jakobsson 2006).

Video games as a complementary therapy tool in mental disorders: PlayMancer, a European multicentre study.

PubMed

Fernández-Aranda, Fernando; Jiménez-Murcia, Susana; Santamaría, Juan J; Gunnard, Katarina; Soto, Antonio; Kalapanidas, Elias; Bults, Richard G A; Davarakis, Costas; Ganchev, Todor; Granero, Roser; Konstantas, Dimitri; Kostoulas, Theodoros P; Lam, Tony; Lucas, Mikkel; Masuet-Aumatell, Cristina; Moussa, Maher H; Nielsen, Jeppe; Penelo, Eva

2012-08-01

Previous review studies have suggested that computer games can serve as an alternative or additional form of treatment in several areas (schizophrenia, asthma or motor rehabilitation). Although several naturalistic studies have been conducted showing the usefulness of serious video games in the treatment of some abnormal behaviours, there is a lack of serious games specially designed for treating mental disorders. The purpose of our project was to develop and evaluate a serious video game designed to remediate attitudinal, behavioural and emotional processes of patients with impulse-related disorders. The video game was created and developed within the European research project PlayMancer. It aims to prove potential capacity to change underlying attitudinal, behavioural and emotional processes of patients with impulse-related disorders. New interaction modes were provided by newly developed components, such as emotion recognition from speech, face and physiological reactions, while specific impulsive reactions were elicited. The video game uses biofeedback for helping patients to learn relaxation skills, acquire better self-control strategies and develop new emotional regulation strategies. In this article, we present a description of the video game used, rationale, user requirements, usability and preliminary data, in several mental disorders.

Should Technology Be a Concern for Parents of Preschoolers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeShelter, Lori; Slutsky, Ruslan

2017-01-01

Due to an influx of new technology, children today have more options for how they engage in play through technology than ever before. Computers, tablets, hand held video games and parents' cell phones are among the numerous technologies that affect children's playtime. Traditional play and technology play are two ways that young children engage in…

Effect of Playing Video Games on Laparoscopic Skills Performance: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Glassman, Daniel; Yiasemidou, Marina; Ishii, Hiro; Somani, Bhaskar Kumar; Ahmed, Kamran; Biyani, Chandra Shekhar

2016-02-01

The advances in both video games and minimally invasive surgery have allowed many to consider the potential positive relationship between the two. This review aims to evaluate outcomes of studies that investigated the correlation between video game skills and performance in laparoscopic surgery. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed/Medline and EMBASE databases for the MeSH terms and keywords including "video games and laparoscopy," "computer games and laparoscopy," "Xbox and laparoscopy," "Nintendo Wii and laparoscopy," and "PlayStation and laparoscopy." Cohort, case reports, letters, editorials, bulletins, and reviews were excluded. Studies in English, with task performance as primary outcome, were included. The search period for this review was 1950 to December 2014. There were 57 abstracts identified: 4 of these were found to be duplicates; 32 were found to be nonrelevant to the research question. Overall, 21 full texts were assessed; 15 were excluded according to the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument quality assessment criteria. The five studies included in this review were randomized controlled trials. Playing video games was found to reduce error in two studies (P 0.002 and P 0.045). For the same studies, however, several other metrics assessed were not significantly different between the control and intervention group. One study showed a decrease in the time for the group that played video games (P 0.037) for one of two laparoscopic tasks performed. In the same study, however, when the groups were reversed (initial control group became intervention and vice versa), a difference was not demonstrated (P for peg transfer 1 - 0.465, P for cobra robe - 0.185). Finally, two further studies found no statistical difference between the game playing group and the control group's performance. There is a very limited amount of evidence to support that the use of video games enhances surgical simulation performance.

Wrist range of motion and motion frequency during toy and game play with a joint-specific controller specially designed to provide neuromuscular therapy: A proof of concept study in typically developing children.

PubMed

Crisco, Joseph J; Schwartz, Joel B; Wilcox, Bethany; Brideau, Holly; Basseches, Benjamin; Kerman, Karen

2015-08-20

Upper extremities affected by hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) and other neuromuscular disorders have been demonstrated to benefit from therapy, and the greater the duration of the therapy, the greater the benefit. A great motivator for participating in and extending the duration of therapy with children is play. Our focus is on active motion therapy of the wrist and forearm. In this study we examine the wrist motions associated with playing with two toys and three computer games controlled by a specially-designed play controller. Twenty children (ages 5-11) with no diagnosis of a muscular disorder were recruited. The play controller was fitted to the wrist and forearm of each child and used to measure and log wrist flexion and extension. Play activity and enjoyment were quantified by average wrist range of motion (ROM), motion frequency measures, and a discrete visual scale. We found significant differences in the average wrist ROM and motion frequency among the toys and games, yet there were no differences in the level of enjoyment across all toys and games, which was high. These findings indicate which toys and games may elicit the greater number of goal-directed movements, and lay the foundation for our long-term goal to develop and evaluate innovative motion-specific play controllers that are engaging rehabilitative devices for enhancing therapy and promoting neural plasticity and functional recovery in children with CP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Home, Hearth and Computing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seelig, Anita

1982-01-01

Advantages of having children use microcomputers at school and home include learning about sophisticated concepts early in life without a great deal of prodding, playing games that expand knowledge, and becoming literate in computer knowledge needed later in life. Includes comments from parents on their experiences with microcomputers and…

Children's Coping with "In Vivo" Peer Rejection: An Experimental Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reijntjes, Albert; Stegge, Hedy; Terwogt, Mark Meerum; Kamphuis, Jan Henk; Telch, Michael J.

2006-01-01

We examined children's behavioral coping in response to an "in vivo" peer rejection manipulation. Participants (N = 186) ranging between 10 and 13 years of age, played a computer game based on the television show "Survivor" and were randomized to either peer rejection (i.e., being voted out of the game) or non-rejection control. During a five-min.…

Someone has to give in: theta oscillations correlate with adaptive behavior in social bargaining

PubMed Central

Zamorano, Francisco; López, Tamara; Rodriguez, Carlos; Cosmelli, Diego; Aboitiz, Francisco

2014-01-01

During social bargain, one has to both figure out the others’ intentions and behave strategically in such a way that the others’ behaviors will be consistent with one’s expectations. To understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these behaviors, we used electroencephalography while subjects played as proposers in a repeated ultimatum game. We found that subjects adapted their offers to obtain more acceptances in the last round and that this adaptation correlated negatively with prefrontal theta oscillations. People with higher prefrontal theta activity related to a rejection did not adapt their offers along the game to maximize their earning. Moreover, between-subject variation in posterior theta oscillations correlated positively with how individual theta activity influenced the change of offer after a rejection, reflecting a process of behavioral adaptation to the others’ demands. Interestingly, people adapted better their offers when they knew that they where playing against a computer, although the behavioral adaptation did not correlate with prefrontal theta oscillation. Behavioral changes between human and computer games correlated with prefrontal theta activity, suggesting that low adaptation in human games could be a strategy. Taken together, these results provide evidence for specific roles of prefrontal and posterior theta oscillations in social bargaining. PMID:24493841

Effect of a novel video game on stroke knowledge of 9- to 10-year-old, low-income children.

PubMed

Williams, Olajide; Hecht, Mindy F; DeSorbo, Alexandra L; Huq, Saima; Noble, James M

2014-03-01

Improving actionable stroke knowledge of a witness or bystander, which in some cases are children, may improve response to an acute stroke event. We used a quasiexperimental pre-test post-test design to evaluate actionable stroke knowledge of 210 children aged 9 to 10 years in response to a single, 15-minute exposure to a stroke education video game conducted in the school computer laboratory. After immediate post-test, we provided remote password-protected online video game access and encouraged children to play at their leisure from home. An unannounced delayed post-test occurred 7 weeks later. Two hundred ten children completed pretest, 205 completed immediate post-test, whereas 198 completed delayed post-test. One hundred fifty-six (74%) children had Internet access at home, and 41 (26%), mostly girls, played the video game remotely. There was significant improvement in stroke symptom composite scores, calling 911, and all individual stroke knowledge items, including a distractor across the testing sequence (P<0.05). Children who played the video game remotely demonstrated significant improvement in knowledge of 1 symptom (sudden imbalance) compared with children who did not (P<0.05), although overall composite scores showed no difference. Stroke education video games may represent novel means for improving and sustaining actionable stroke knowledge of children.

Expression of NMDA receptor subunits in human blood lymphocytes: A peripheral biomarker in online computer game addiction.

PubMed

Sadat-Shirazi, Mitra-Sadat; Vousooghi, Nasim; Alizadeh, Bentolhoda; Makki, Seyed Mohammad; Zarei, Seyed Zeinolabedin; Nazari, Shahrzad; Zarrindast, Mohammad Reza

2018-05-23

Background and aims Repeated performance of some behaviors such as playing computer games could result in addiction. The NMDA receptor is critically involved in the development of behavioral and drug addictions. It has been claimed that the expression level of neurotransmitter receptors in the brain may be reflected in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Methods Here, using a real-time PCR method, we have investigated the mRNA expression of GluN2A, GluN2D, GluN3A, and GluN3B subunits of the NMDA receptor in PBLs of male online computer game addicts (n = 25) in comparison with normal subjects (n = 26). Results Expression levels of GluN2A, GluN2D, and GluN3B subunits were not statistically different between game addicts and the control group. However, the mRNA expression of the GluN3A subunit was downregulated in PBLs of game addicts. Discussion and conclusions Transcriptional levels of GluN2A and GluN2D subunits in online computer game addicts are similar to our previously reported data of opioid addiction and are not different from the control group. However, unlike our earlier finding of drug addiction, the mRNA expression levels of GluN3A and GluN3B subunits in PBLs of game addicts are reduced and unchanged, respectively, compared with control subjects. It seems that the downregulated state of the GluN3A subunit of NMDA receptor in online computer game addicts is a finding that deserves more studies in the future to see whether it can serve as a peripheral biomarker in addiction studies, where the researcher wants to rule out the confusing effects of abused drugs.

Feedback Control for a Smart Wheelchair Trainer Based on the Kinect Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darling, Aurelia McLaughlin

This thesis describes a Microsoft Kinect-based feedback controller for a robot-assisted powered wheelchair trainer for children with a severe motor and/or cognitive disability. In one training mode, "computer gaming" mode, the wheelchair is allowed to rotate left and right while the children use a joystick to play video games shown on a screen in front of them. This enables them to learn the use of the joystick in a motivating environment, while experiencing the sensation and dynamics of turning in a safe setting. During initial pilot testing of the device, it was found that the wheelchair would creep forward while children were playing the games. This thesis presents a mathematical model of the wheelchair dynamics that explains the origin of the creep as a center of gravity offset from the wheel axis or a mismatch of the torques applied to the chair. Given these possible random perturbations, a feedback controller was developed to cancel these effects, correcting the system creep. The controller uses a Microsoft Kinect sensor to detect the distance to the screen displaying the computer game, as well as the left-right position (parallel parking concept) with respect to the screen, and then adjusts the wheel torque commands based on this measurement. We show through experimental testing that this controller effectively stops the creep. An added benefit of the feedback controller is that it approximates a washout filter, such as those used in aircraft simulators, to convey a more realistic sense of forward/backward motion during game play.

The effect of a peer on VO2 and game choice in 6-10 year old children.

PubMed

Siegmund, Lee A; Naylor, Jonathan B; Santo, Antonio S; Barkley, Jacob E

2014-01-01

Relative to sedentary video games (e.g., Playstation 2®), playing physically active video games (e.g., Nintendo Wii Sports Boxing®) significantly increases caloric expenditure in children. Studies have demonstrated that the presence of a peer increases physical activity in children. We sought to determine if children would expend more energy and find playing the "exergame" (Wii) more motivating than the sedentary video game (Playstation 2) when with a peer. Seventeen children (age 8.5 ± 0.4 years) rested, played the sedentary video game and "exergame" for 10 min each, in two conditions: one in which the children rested/played the games alone (alone condition) and another in which they played with a peer (peer condition). Oxygen consumption (VO2), and liking (visual analog scale) was assessed for each 10-min condition. After three 10-min resting/gaming conditions, motivation was assessed using a relative reinforcing value task in which children performed computer mouse presses to gain additional access for either the sedentary video game or "exergame." VO2 was greater (p < 0.001) during "exergame" play (mean = 12.17 ± 4.1 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) vs. rest (mean = 5.14 ± 1.46 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) and the sedentary video game (mean = 5.83 ± 2.1 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)). During the peer condition, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in VO2 relative to the alone condition. In an exploratory analysis boys exhibited a greater (p = 0.02) increase in VO2 from rest to "exergame" (Δ 9.0 ± 3.7 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)), relative to girls (Δ 4.9 ± 2.9 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)). Boys showed a significantly greater increase (p = 0.05) in VO2 from the resting condition to "exergame" in the presence of a peer (Δ 11.1 ± 5.3 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) vs. the alone condition (Δ 6.8 ± 3.1 ml·kg(-1) ·min(-1)). Liking was significantly (p < 0.001) greater for "exergame" (7.7 ± 1.9 cm) and the sedentary video game (8.3 ± 1.3 cm) relative to rest (4.0 ± 2.8 cm). Motivation for "exergame" significantly decreased (p = 0.03) from alone (340.8 ± 106.8 presses) to the peer condition (147.8 ± 81.6 presses). VO2 was greater during "exergame" play relative to the sedentary video game. The presence of a peer did not increase VO2 during "exergame" play. Surprisingly, the presence of a peer decreased children's motivation to play "exergame" vs. the sedentary video game.

Differential Effects of Music and Video Gaming During Breaks on Auditory and Visual Learning.

PubMed

Liu, Shuyan; Kuschpel, Maxim S; Schad, Daniel J; Heinz, Andreas; Rapp, Michael A

2015-11-01

The interruption of learning processes by breaks filled with diverse activities is common in everyday life. This study investigated the effects of active computer gaming and passive relaxation (rest and music) breaks on auditory versus visual memory performance. Young adults were exposed to breaks involving (a) open eyes resting, (b) listening to music, and (c) playing a video game, immediately after memorizing auditory versus visual stimuli. To assess learning performance, words were recalled directly after the break (an 8:30 minute delay) and were recalled and recognized again after 7 days. Based on linear mixed-effects modeling, it was found that playing the Angry Birds video game during a short learning break impaired long-term retrieval in auditory learning but enhanced long-term retrieval in visual learning compared with the music and rest conditions. These differential effects of video games on visual versus auditory learning suggest specific interference of common break activities on learning.

Understanding access and use of technology among youth with first-episode psychosis to inform the development of technology-enabled therapeutic interventions.

PubMed

Abdel-Baki, Amal; Lal, Shalini; D-Charron, Olivier; Stip, Emmanuel; Kara, Nadjia

2017-02-01

Computers, video games and technological devices are part of young people's everyday lives. However, their use in first-episode psychosis (FEP) treatment is rare. The purpose of this study was to better understand the access and use of technology among individuals with FEP, including gaming activities, to inform future development of technology-enabled therapeutic applications. Self-administered survey on use of technological tools in 71 FEP individuals. PCs/laptops were used by all participants; cellphones/smartphones by 92%, consoles by 83% (mainly male and younger participants). Women texted and used social networks more frequently; men played games (mainly action) more often. The younger individuals reported playing games frequently (32% daily) with less use of the Web and social networks (favourite: Facebook). These data will be useful for developing Web-based psychoeducation tools and cognitive remediation video games for youth with FEP. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Toward brain correlates of natural behavior: fMRI during violent video games.

PubMed

Mathiak, Klaus; Weber, René

2006-12-01

Modern video games represent highly advanced virtual reality simulations and often contain virtual violence. In a significant amount of young males, playing video games is a quotidian activity, making it an almost natural behavior. Recordings of brain activation with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during gameplay may reflect neuronal correlates of real-life behavior. We recorded 13 experienced gamers (18-26 years; average 14 hrs/week playing) while playing a violent first-person shooter game (a violent computer game played in self-perspective) by means of distortion and dephasing reduced fMRI (3 T; single-shot triple-echo echo-planar imaging [EPI]). Content analysis of the video and sound with 100 ms time resolution achieved relevant behavioral variables. These variables explained significant signal variance across large distributed networks. Occurrence of violent scenes revealed significant neuronal correlates in an event-related design. Activation of dorsal and deactivation of rostral anterior cingulate and amygdala characterized the mid-frontal pattern related to virtual violence. Statistics and effect sizes can be considered large at these areas. Optimized imaging strategies allowed for single-subject and for single-trial analysis with good image quality at basal brain structures. We propose that virtual environments can be used to study neuronal processes involved in semi-naturalistic behavior as determined by content analysis. Importantly, the activation pattern reflects brain-environment interactions rather than stimulus responses as observed in classical experimental designs. We relate our findings to the general discussion on social effects of playing first-person shooter games. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Self-organization in a simple model of adaptive agents playing 2×2 games with arbitrary payoff matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fort, H.; Viola, S.

2004-03-01

We analyze, both analytically and numerically, the self-organization of a system of “selfish” adaptive agents playing an arbitrary iterated pairwise game (defined by a 2×2 payoff matrix). Examples of possible games to play are the prisoner’s dilemma (PD) game, the chicken game, the hero game, etc. The agents have no memory, use strategies not based on direct reciprocity nor “tags” and are chosen at random, i.e., geographical vicinity is neglected. They can play two possible strategies: cooperate (C) or defect (D). The players measure their success by comparing their utilities with an estimate for the expected benefits and update their strategy following a simple rule. Two versions of the model are studied: (1) the deterministic version (the agents are either in definite states C or D) and (2) the stochastic version (the agents have a probability c of playing C). Using a general master equation we compute the equilibrium states into which the system self-organizes, characterized by their average probability of cooperation ceq. Depending on the payoff matrix, we show that ceq can take five different values. We also consider the mixing of agents using two different payoff matrices and show that any value of ceq can be reached by tuning the proportions of agents using each payoff matrix. In particular, this can be used as a way to simulate the effect of a fraction d of “antisocial” individuals—incapable of realizing any value to cooperation—on the cooperative regime hold by a population of neutral or “normal” agents.

Self-organization in a simple model of adaptive agents playing 2 x 2 games with arbitrary payoff matrices.

PubMed

Fort, H; Viola, S

2004-03-01

We analyze, both analytically and numerically, the self-organization of a system of "selfish" adaptive agents playing an arbitrary iterated pairwise game (defined by a 2 x 2 payoff matrix). Examples of possible games to play are the prisoner's dilemma (PD) game, the chicken game, the hero game, etc. The agents have no memory, use strategies not based on direct reciprocity nor "tags" and are chosen at random, i.e., geographical vicinity is neglected. They can play two possible strategies: cooperate (C) or defect (D). The players measure their success by comparing their utilities with an estimate for the expected benefits and update their strategy following a simple rule. Two versions of the model are studied: (1) the deterministic version (the agents are either in definite states C or D) and (2) the stochastic version (the agents have a probability c of playing C). Using a general master equation we compute the equilibrium states into which the system self-organizes, characterized by their average probability of cooperation c(eq). Depending on the payoff matrix, we show that c(eq) can take five different values. We also consider the mixing of agents using two different payoff matrices and show that any value of c(eq) can be reached by tuning the proportions of agents using each payoff matrix. In particular, this can be used as a way to simulate the effect of a fraction d of "antisocial" individuals--incapable of realizing any value to cooperation--on the cooperative regime hold by a population of neutral or "normal" agents.

Designing affective video games to support the social-emotional development of teenagers with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Khandaker, Mitu

2009-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of developmental neuropsychiatric disorders, comprised of three diagnostic entities - autistic disorder (AD), Asperger's disorder (AS), and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (including atypical autism) (PDD-NOS). A number of intervention techniques are currently used to reduce some of the associated challenges, with techniques ranging from behavioral therapy to dietary interventions and traditional counseling. This positional paper proposes the use of video games which leverage affective computing technologies as intervention in autism spectrum disorders in the context of the use of traditional play therapy with adolescents, who may feel uncomfortable engaging in traditional play with toys they may be too old for. It aims to explore the potential for greater 'social physics' made possible by affective computing technologies. This involves computationally 'recognizing' emotions in a user, often through the use of multimodal affective sensors, including facial expressions, postural shifts, and physiological signals such as heart rate, skin conductivity, and EEG signals. However, it is suggested that this should be augmented by researching the effect of social game design mechanisms on social-emotional development, particularly for those who experience difficulty with social interaction.

Cognitive Aspects of Power in a Two-Level Game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juvina, Ion; Lebiere, Christian; Martin, Jolie; Gonzalez, Cleotilde

The Intergroup Prisoner's Dilemma with Intragroup Power Dynamics (IPD^2) is a new game paradigm for studying human behavior in conflict situations. IPD^2 adds the concept of intragroup power to an intergroup version of the standard Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game. We conducted an exploratory laboratory study in which individual human participants played the game against computer strategies of various complexities. We also developed a cognitive model of human decision making in this game. The model was run in place of the human participant under the same conditions as in the laboratory study. Results from the human study and the model simulations are presented and discussed, emphasizing the value of including intragroup power in game theoretic models of conflict.

The Impact of an Interactive Computer Game on the Quality of Life of Children Undergoing Chemotherapy.

PubMed

Fazelniya, Zahra; Najafi, Mostafa; Moafi, Alireza; Talakoub, Sedigheh

2017-01-01

Quality of life (QOL) of children with cancer reduces right from the diagnosis of disease and the start of treatment. Computer games in medicine are utilized to interact with patients and to improve their health-related behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an interactive computer game on the QOL of children undergoing chemotherapy. In this clinical trial, 64 children with cancer aged between 8 and12 years were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental or control group. The experimental group played a computer game for 3 hours a week for 4 consecutive weeks and the control group only received routine care. The data collection tool was the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 3.0 Cancer Module Child self-report designed for children aged between 8 to 12 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software. Before intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean total QOL score ( p = 0.87). However, immediately after the intervention ( p = 0.02) and 1 month after the intervention ( p < 0.001), the overall mean QOL score was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group. Based on the findings, computer games seem to be effective as a tool in influencing health-related behavior and improving the QOL of children undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, according to the findings of this study, computer games can be used to improve the QOL of children undergoing chemotherapy.

The Impact of an Interactive Computer Game on the Quality of Life of Children Undergoing Chemotherapy

PubMed Central

Fazelniya, Zahra; Najafi, Mostafa; Moafi, Alireza; Talakoub, Sedigheh

2017-01-01

Background: Quality of life (QOL) of children with cancer reduces right from the diagnosis of disease and the start of treatment. Computer games in medicine are utilized to interact with patients and to improve their health-related behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an interactive computer game on the QOL of children undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial, 64 children with cancer aged between 8 and12 years were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental or control group. The experimental group played a computer game for 3 hours a week for 4 consecutive weeks and the control group only received routine care. The data collection tool was the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 3.0 Cancer Module Child self-report designed for children aged between 8 to 12 years. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software. Results: Before intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean total QOL score (p = 0.87). However, immediately after the intervention (p = 0.02) and 1 month after the intervention (p < 0.001), the overall mean QOL score was significantly higher in the intervention group than the control group. Conclusions: Based on the findings, computer games seem to be effective as a tool in influencing health-related behavior and improving the QOL of children undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, according to the findings of this study, computer games can be used to improve the QOL of children undergoing chemotherapy. PMID:29184580

The effects of task difficulty, novelty and the size of the search space on intrinsically motivated exploration.

PubMed

Baranes, Adrien F; Oudeyer, Pierre-Yves; Gottlieb, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

Devising efficient strategies for exploration in large open-ended spaces is one of the most difficult computational problems of intelligent organisms. Because the available rewards are ambiguous or unknown during the exploratory phase, subjects must act in intrinsically motivated fashion. However, a vast majority of behavioral and neural studies to date have focused on decision making in reward-based tasks, and the rules guiding intrinsically motivated exploration remain largely unknown. To examine this question we developed a paradigm for systematically testing the choices of human observers in a free play context. Adult subjects played a series of short computer games of variable difficulty, and freely choose which game they wished to sample without external guidance or physical rewards. Subjects performed the task in three distinct conditions where they sampled from a small or a large choice set (7 vs. 64 possible levels of difficulty), and where they did or did not have the possibility to sample new games at a constant level of difficulty. We show that despite the absence of external constraints, the subjects spontaneously adopted a structured exploration strategy whereby they (1) started with easier games and progressed to more difficult games, (2) sampled the entire choice set including extremely difficult games that could not be learnt, (3) repeated moderately and high difficulty games much more frequently than was predicted by chance, and (4) had higher repetition rates and chose higher speeds if they could generate new sequences at a constant level of difficulty. The results suggest that intrinsically motivated exploration is shaped by several factors including task difficulty, novelty and the size of the choice set, and these come into play to serve two internal goals-maximize the subjects' knowledge of the available tasks (exploring the limits of the task set), and maximize their competence (performance and skills) across the task set.

Serious Games for Parkinson's Disease Fine Motor Skills Rehabilitation Using Natural Interfaces.

PubMed

Foletto, Antônio Augusto; Cordeiro d'Ornellas, Marcos; Cervi Prado, Ana Lucia

2017-01-01

Parkinson's Disease rehabilitation can be long and boring being difficult to maintain patient engagement on therapy programs. Novel technologies are allowing computer games to be played throught natural interfaces. This paper presents the development and assessment of a system of serious games for fine motor skills rehabilitation using natural interfaces. The games were assessed throught a questionnaire that evaluated the game experience through seven components: immersion, flow, competence, tension, challenge and positive and negative affect. In addition, a conceptual framework for development of serious games for fine motor skills rehabilitation was proposed. The results from the quantitative questionnaire suggested that the player experience was positive on all components assessed. Also, player experience between the three games was statistically the same, implying that the games can be used with consistency in a physical therapy rehabilitation program.

The Collins Center Update. Volume 6, Issue 3, April-June 2004

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

fought campaign plans with students from the other Senior Level Colleges in a free - play computer-assisted war game. INSIDE THIS ISSUE • Unified...phase, where the students came together to execute their plans in a dynamic free - play environment. The exercise, guided by the participants’ own

Evolution and Natural Selection: Learning by Playing and Reflecting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrero, David; del Castillo, Héctor; Monjelat, Natalia; García-Varela, Ana Belén; Checa, Mirian; Gómez, Patricia

2014-01-01

Scientific literacy is more than the simple reproduction of traditional school science knowledge and requires a set of skills, among them identifying scientific issues, explaining phenomena scientifically and using scientific evidence. Several studies have indicated that playing computer games in the classroom can support the development of…

The Role of Expectations in Game-Based Training.

PubMed

Kreutzer, Christine; Bowers, Clint

2015-01-01

The present work seeks to examine the importance of expectancies in computer-mediated treatment and training programs. Two studies examining the role of patient and trainee expectations are presented. Study 1 investigated how expectations of a training game for military surgical teams influence training performance outcomes. The findings have implications for the administration of game-based treatment and training systems. Study 2 explored how pre-treatment expectancies influence post-treatment reactions to a game-based intervention for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results indicate that self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between expectancies and reactions. Together, these studies offer implications regarding the critical role of attitudes towards game-based training and treatment mechanisms.

Effects of Gendered Language on Gender Stereotyping in Computer-Mediated Communication: The Moderating Role of Depersonalization and Gender-Role Orientation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Eun-Ju

2007-01-01

This experiment examined what situational and dispositional features moderate the effects of linguistic gender cues on gender stereotyping in anonymous, text-based computer-mediated communication. Participants played a trivia game with an ostensible partner via computer, whose comments represented either prototypically masculine or feminine…

Automated detection and classification of dice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correia, Bento A. B.; Silva, Jeronimo A.; Carvalho, Fernando D.; Guilherme, Rui; Rodrigues, Fernando C.; de Silva Ferreira, Antonio M.

1995-03-01

This paper describes a typical machine vision system in an unusual application, the automated visual inspection of a Casino's playing tables. The SORTE computer vision system was developed at INETI under a contract with the Portuguese Gaming Inspection Authorities IGJ. It aims to automate the tasks of detection and classification of the dice's scores on the playing tables of the game `Banca Francesa' (which means French Banking) in Casinos. The system is based on the on-line analysis of the images captured by a monochrome CCD camera placed over the playing tables, in order to extract relevant information concerning the score indicated by the dice. Image processing algorithms for real time automatic throwing detection and dice classification were developed and implemented.

Using Activity Theory to Understand Intergenerational Play: The Case of Family Quest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siyahhan, Sinem; Barab, Sasha A.; Downton, Michael P.

2010-01-01

We implemented a five-week family program called "Family Quest" where parents and children ages 9 to 13 played Quest Atlantis, a multiuser 3D educational computer game, at a local after-school club for 90-minute sessions. We used activity theory as a conceptual and an analytical framework to study the nature of intergenerational play, the…

VirSchool: The Effect of Background Music and Immersive Display Systems on Memory for Facts Learned in an Educational Virtual Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fassbender, Eric; Richards, Deborah; Bilgin, Ayse; Thompson, William Forde; Heiden, Wolfgang

2012-01-01

Game technology has been widely used for educational applications, however, despite the common use of background music in games, its effect on learning has been largely unexplored. This paper discusses how music played in the background of a computer-animated history lesson affected participants' memory for facts. A virtual history lesson was…

Computers and Kids: Pulling the Plug Can Protect the Planet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moll, Marita

2003-01-01

Asserts younger children spend too much time playing video games and accessing the Internet. Describes harmful effects. Cites advice from experts to restrict computer and Internet use. Advises parents and teachers to be more diligent in supervising children's use of information technology. (Contains 17 references.) (PKP)

Reinventing Schools: The Technology Is Now!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellmore, Douglas A., Sr.; Olson, Steve E.; Smith, Phillip M.

1995-01-01

Today's children have grown up immersed in a world of computers and other information technologies. They play video games; they listen to music on digital compact disks; they help their families program the computerized controls of videocassette players. With all of the exciting innovations in computer technology, children have the opportunity to…

Video game access, parental rules, and problem behavior: a study of boys with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Engelhardt, Christopher R; Mazurek, Micah O

2014-07-01

Environmental correlates of problem behavior among individuals with autism spectrum disorder remain relatively understudied. The current study examined the contribution of in-room (i.e. bedroom) access to a video game console as one potential correlate of problem behavior among a sample of 169 boys with autism spectrum disorder (ranging from 8 to 18 years of age). Parents of these children reported on (1) whether they had specific rules regulating their child's video game use, (2) whether their child had in-room access to a variety of screen-based media devices (television, computer, and video game console), and (3) their child's oppositional behaviors. Multivariate regression models showed that in-room access to a video game console predicted oppositional behavior while controlling for in-room access to other media devices (computer and television) and relevant variables (e.g. average number of video game hours played per day). Additionally, the association between in-room access to a video game console and oppositional behavior was particularly large when parents reported no rules on their child's video game use. The current findings indicate that both access and parental rules regarding video games warrant future experimental and longitudinal research as they relate to problem behavior in boys with autism spectrum disorder. © The Author(s) 2013.

HapHop-Physio: a computer game to support cognitive therapies in children

PubMed Central

Rico-Olarte, Carolina; López, Diego M; Narváez, Santiago; Farinango, Charic D; Pharow, Peter S

2017-01-01

Background Care and support of children with physical or mental disabilities are accompanied with serious concerns for parents, families, healthcare institutions, schools, and their communities. Recent studies and technological innovations have demonstrated the feasibility of providing therapy and rehabilitation services to children supported by computer games. Objective The aim of this paper is to present HapHop-Physio, an innovative computer game that combines exercise with fun and learning, developed to support cognitive therapies in children. Methods Conventional software engineering methods such as the Scrum methodology, a functionality test and a related usability test, were part of the comprehensive methodology adapted to develop HapHop-Physio. Results The game supports visual and auditory attention therapies, as well as visual and auditory memory activities. The game was developed by a multidisciplinary team, which was based on the Hopscotch® platform provided by Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT Institute in Germany, and designed in collaboration with a rehabilitation clinic in Colombia. HapHop-Physio was tested and evaluated to probe its functionality and user satisfaction. Conclusion The results show the development of an easy-to-use and funny game by a multidisciplinary team using state-of-the-art videogame technologies and software methodologies. Children testing the game concluded that they would like to play again while undergoing rehabilitation therapies. PMID:28740440

[Changes in the P300 amplitude under the influence of "aggressive" computer game in adolescents with various levels of initial aggression and conflicting behavior].

PubMed

Grigorian, V G; Stepanian, L S; Stepanian, A Iu; Agababian, A R

2007-01-01

Dynamic changes in the amplitude of component P300 of the evoked potentials in different cortical areas were studied as an index of activity of cortical structures responsible for actualization of a computer game with aggressive content with regard for the level of initial aggression and conflict in behavior of adolescent subjects. Dynamic changes in anxiety and aggression evoked by playing an "aggressive" computer game were shown to be dependent on the initial level of aggression and conflict. An increase in P300 in the frontal and orbitofrontal areas of both hemispheres was observed in adolescents with initially high level of aggression and conflict. In adolescents with initially low aggression and conflict, P300 decreased bilaterally in the frontal areas and did not change significantly in the orbitofrontal areas. These findings testify to the bilateral frontal top-down control over negative emotions.

Results of a Dietitian Survey About Nutrition Games.

PubMed

Frederico, Catherine

2012-02-01

Registered dietitians are the nutrition experts in America. As such, their opinions about using technology-based nutrition games as teaching tools are important. The purpose of this study was to query registered dietitians about their experience and recommendations for topics, age, and platforms for future nutrition game development. The author gave a 1-hour talk to two state dietetic conference groups about nutrition games and their efficacy, concerns, and hopes and opportunities for their future as viable nutrition teaching tools. After the talks attendees completed a five-question survey about nutrition games, including if they played nutrition games, if they thought games could possibly help in their work, and preferences for topics, ages, and platforms for which they wanted to see priority development. Although only 4% of respondents played nutrition games, 79% thought they could be of benefit, and 21% felt that "maybe" they could be beneficial educational tools. Games on all nutrition topics were welcome, with preference for computers and smartphone apps. After a lengthy presentation on the new genre of technology-based nutrition games, registered dietitians reported that they are open to using technology-based nutrition education apps and feel they could have some benefit in educating the public about nutrition, even though dietitians presently have little experience with them. The talk was successful in informing dietitians about this new game genre, and their suggestions for topics, target ages, and tech platforms will be helpful to nutrition game developers and designers.

Video games as a complementary therapy tool in mental disorders: PlayMancer, a European multicentre study

PubMed Central

Fernández-Aranda, Fernando; Jiménez-Murcia, Susana; Santamaría, Juan J.; Gunnard, Katarina; Soto, Antonio; Kalapanidas, Elias; Bults, Richard G. A.; Davarakis, Costas; Ganchev, Todor; Granero, Roser; Konstantas, Dimitri; Kostoulas, Theodoros P.; Lam, Tony; Lucas, Mikkel; Masuet-Aumatell, Cristina; Moussa, Maher H.; Nielsen, Jeppe; Penelo, Eva

2012-01-01

Background: Previous review studies have suggested that computer games can serve as an alternative or additional form of treatment in several areas (schizophrenia, asthma or motor rehabilitation). Although several naturalistic studies have been conducted showing the usefulness of serious video games in the treatment of some abnormal behaviours, there is a lack of serious games specially designed for treating mental disorders. Aim: The purpose of our project was to develop and evaluate a serious video game designed to remediate attitudinal, behavioural and emotional processes of patients with impulse-related disorders. Method and results: The video game was created and developed within the European research project PlayMancer. It aims to prove potential capacity to change underlying attitudinal, behavioural and emotional processes of patients with impulse-related disorders. New interaction modes were provided by newly developed components, such as emotion recognition from speech, face and physiological reactions, while specific impulsive reactions were elicited. The video game uses biofeedback for helping patients to learn relaxation skills, acquire better self-control strategies and develop new emotional regulation strategies. In this article, we present a description of the video game used, rationale, user requirements, usability and preliminary data, in several mental disorders. PMID:22548300

Exercise for Children

MedlinePlus

... time running and playing. Parents should limit TV, video game and computer time. Parents can set a good example by being active themselves. Exercising together can be fun for everyone. Competitive sports can help kids stay ...

Problematic game play: the diagnostic value of playing motives, passion, and playing time in men.

PubMed

Kneer, Julia; Rieger, Diana

2015-04-30

Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM-not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily life. Approaches trying to predict problematic tendencies in digital game play have mainly focused on playing time as a diagnostic criterion. However, motives to engage in digital game play and obsessive passion for game play have also been found to predict problematic game play but have not yet been investigated together. The present study aims at (1) analyzing if obsessive passion can be distinguished from problematic game play as separate concepts, and (2) testing motives of game play, passion, and playing time for their predictive values for problematic tendencies. We found (N = 99 males, Age: M = 22.80, SD = 3.81) that obsessive passion can be conceptually separated from problematic game play. In addition, the results suggest that compared to solely playing time immersion as playing motive and obsessive passion have added predictive value for problematic game play. The implications focus on broadening the criteria in order to diagnose problematic playing.

Problematic Game Play: The Diagnostic Value of Playing Motives, Passion, and Playing Time in Men

PubMed Central

Kneer, Julia; Rieger, Diana

2015-01-01

Internet gaming disorder is currently listed in the DSM—not in order to diagnose such a disorder but to encourage research to investigate this phenomenon. Even whether it is still questionable if Internet Gaming Disorder exists and can be judged as a form of addiction, problematic game play is already very well researched to cause problems in daily life. Approaches trying to predict problematic tendencies in digital game play have mainly focused on playing time as a diagnostic criterion. However, motives to engage in digital game play and obsessive passion for game play have also been found to predict problematic game play but have not yet been investigated together. The present study aims at (1) analyzing if obsessive passion can be distinguished from problematic game play as separate concepts, and (2) testing motives of game play, passion, and playing time for their predictive values for problematic tendencies. We found (N = 99 males, Age: M = 22.80, SD = 3.81) that obsessive passion can be conceptually separated from problematic game play. In addition, the results suggest that compared to solely playing time immersion as playing motive and obsessive passion have added predictive value for problematic game play. The implications focus on broadening the criteria in order to diagnose problematic playing. PMID:25942516

How Gamification will change Business Intelligence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hiltbrand, Troy; Burke, Marsha

In 1958, William Higginbotham was part of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) Instrumentation Division. In those days, BNL hosted a visitors day each fall. This was an opportunity for thousands of visitors to come and tour the lab and get a better understanding of the capabilities and operations at a nuclear research facility. William Higinbotham wanted to do something that would impress the audience as well as demonstrate the capabilities of the instrumentation division. Higinbotham came up with an idea that would allow the audience to play a simulated game of table tennis. By utilizing an analog computer and anmore » oscilloscope, Higinbotham created the first publically available video game. The game was very simple and simulated the vertical side of a tennis court, the edge of the floor with the edge of the net perpendicular, on a screen. Each player had a button and a rotating knob. Rotating the knob would change the angle of the bar controlling the ball; pressing the button sent the ball toward the opposite side of the court. If the ball hit the net, it rebounded at an unexpected angle. If the ball went over and was not hit back, it would hit the floor and bounce again at a natural angle. If it disappeared off the screen, a reset button could be pressed, causing the ball to reappear and remain stationary until the user pressed the button to send the ball flying back across the net. Higginbotham recounted that "it was a simple design. Back then, analog computers were used to work out all kinds of mechanical problems. They didn't have the accuracy of digital computers, which were very crude at the time, but then you don't need a great deal of precision to play TV games. " The game was wildly successful and Higinbotham could tell from the crowd’s reaction that he had developed something very special. From the days of Higinbotham’s rudimentary version of the classic game Pong, video games have matured and become much more complex. Not only has the technology advanced, allowing for better graphics, sound and game play, but also significant research has been done in the area of game mechanics. “Game mechanics are rule based systems that facilitate and encourage a user to explore and learn the properties of their possibility space through the use of feedback mechanisms.” (Koster, 2004) As these game mechanics become better understood, they are being applied to areas outside of the realm of video game development. Game mechanics have become the basis for understanding the psychological drivers of users in the digital world. Business Intelligence, part of this digital experience, can learn some great lessons in how to engage users and revolutionize the user experience through the application of these game mechanics. In the tradition of BNL’s innovative spirit and as a sister laboratory in the Department of Energy laboratory complex, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) looks to determine how we can enhance the user experience through the effective application of game mechanics to Business Intelligence to meet the needs of our business.« less

The effect of online violent video games on levels of aggression.

PubMed

Hollingdale, Jack; Greitemeyer, Tobias

2014-01-01

In recent years the video game industry has surpassed both the music and video industries in sales. Currently violent video games are among the most popular video games played by consumers, most specifically First-Person Shooters (FPS). Technological advancements in game play experience including the ability to play online has accounted for this increase in popularity. Previous research, utilising the General Aggression Model (GAM), has identified that violent video games increase levels of aggression. Little is known, however, as to the effect of playing a violent video game online. Participants (N = 101) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions; neutral video game--offline, neutral video game--online, violent video game--offline and violent video game--online. Following this they completed questionnaires to assess their attitudes towards the game and engaged in a chilli sauce paradigm to measure behavioural aggression. The results identified that participants who played a violent video game exhibited more aggression than those who played a neutral video game. Furthermore, this main effect was not particularly pronounced when the game was played online. These findings suggest that both playing violent video games online and offline compared to playing neutral video games increases aggression.

Play-Personas: Behaviours and Belief Systems in User-Centred Game Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canossa, Alessandro; Drachen, Anders

Game designers attempt to ignite affective, emotional responses from players via engineering game designs to incite definite user experiences. Theories of emotion state that definite emotional responses are individual, and caused by the individual interaction sequence or history. Engendering desired emotions in the audience of traditional audiovisual media is a considerable challenge; however it is potentially even more difficult to achieve the same goal for the audience of interactive entertainment, because a substantial degree of control rests in the hand of the end user rather than the designer. This paper presents a possible solution to the challenge of integrating the user in the design of interactive entertainment such as computer games by employing the "persona" framework introduced by Alan Cooper. This approach is already in use in interaction design. The method can be improved by complementing the traditional narrative description of personas with quantitative, data-oriented models of predicted patterns of user behaviour for a specific computer game Additionally, persona constructs can be applied both as design-oriented metaphors during the development of games, and as analytical lenses to existing games, e.g. for evaluation of patterns of player behaviour.

Evaluating the Cognitive Consequences of Playing "Portal" for a Short Duration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Deanne M.; Pilegard, Celeste; Mayer, Richard E.

2016-01-01

Learning physics often requires overcoming common misconceptions based on naïve interpretations of observations in the everyday world. One proposed way to help learners build appropriate physics intuitions is to expose them to computer simulations in which motion is based on Newtonian principles. In addition, playing video games that require…

Unified Quest 2004 Revisits Future War, Volume 6, Issue 3, April-June 2004

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

fought campaign plans with students from the other Senior Level Colleges in a free - play computer-assisted war game. INSIDE THIS ISSUE • Unified...dynamic free - play environment. The exercise, guided by the participants’ own goals and objectives, and not by scripts or the Master Scenario Event

Having mentors and campus social networks moderates the impact of worries and video gaming on depressive symptoms: a moderated mediation analysis.

PubMed

Lee, Jong-Sun; Jeong, Bumseok

2014-05-05

Easy access to the internet has spawned a wealth of research to investigate the effects of its use on depression. However, one limitation of many previous studies is that they disregard the interactive mechanisms of risk and protective factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate a resilience model in the relationship between worry, daily internet video game playing, daily sleep duration, mentors, social networks and depression, using a moderated mediation analysis. 6068 Korean undergraduate and graduate students participated in this study. The participants completed a web-based mental health screening questionnaire including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and information about number of worries, number of mentors, number of campus social networks, daily sleep duration, daily amount of internet video game playing and daily amount of internet searching on computer or smartphone. A moderated mediation analysis was carried out using the PROCESS macro which allowed the inclusion of mediators and moderator in the same model. The results showed that the daily amount of internet video game playing and daily sleep duration partially mediated the association between the number of worries and the severity of depression. In addition, the mediating effect of the daily amount of internet video game playing was moderated by both the number of mentors and the number of campus social networks. The current findings indicate that the negative impact of worry on depression through internet video game playing can be buffered when students seek to have a number of mentors and campus social networks. Interventions should therefore target individuals who have higher number of worries but seek only a few mentors or campus social networks. Social support via campus mentorship and social networks ameliorate the severity of depression in university students.

CMX: The Effects of an Educational MMORPG on Learning and Teaching Computer Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malliarakis, Christos; Satratzemi, Maya; Xinogalos, Stelios

2017-01-01

Computer programming has for decades posed several difficulties for students of all educational levels. A number of teaching approaches have been proposed over the years but none seems to fulfil the needs of students nowadays. Students use computers mainly for playing games and the Internet and as quite a few researchers state this aspect of…

Wusor II: A Computer Aided Instruction Program with Student Modelling Capabilities. AI Memo 417.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Brian

Wusor II is the second intelligent computer aided instruction (ICAI) program that has been developed to monitor the progress of, and offer suggestions to, students playing Wumpus, a computer game designed to teach logical thinking and problem solving. From the earlier efforts with Wusor I, it was possible to produce a rule-based expert which…

The effect of a peer on VO2 and game choice in 6–10 year old children

PubMed Central

Siegmund, Lee A.; Naylor, Jonathan B.; Santo, Antonio S.; Barkley, Jacob E.

2014-01-01

Relative to sedentary video games (e.g., Playstation 2®), playing physically active video games (e.g., Nintendo Wii Sports Boxing®) significantly increases caloric expenditure in children. Studies have demonstrated that the presence of a peer increases physical activity in children. We sought to determine if children would expend more energy and find playing the “exergame” (Wii) more motivating than the sedentary video game (Playstation 2) when with a peer. Seventeen children (age 8.5 ± 0.4 years) rested, played the sedentary video game and “exergame” for 10 min each, in two conditions: one in which the children rested/played the games alone (alone condition) and another in which they played with a peer (peer condition). Oxygen consumption (VO2), and liking (visual analog scale) was assessed for each 10-min condition. After three 10-min resting/gaming conditions, motivation was assessed using a relative reinforcing value task in which children performed computer mouse presses to gain additional access for either the sedentary video game or “exergame.” VO2 was greater (p < 0.001) during “exergame” play (mean = 12.17 ± 4.1 ml·kg−1·min−1) vs. rest (mean = 5.14 ± 1.46 ml·kg−1·min−1) and the sedentary video game (mean = 5.83 ± 2.1 ml·kg−1·min−1). During the peer condition, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in VO2 relative to the alone condition. In an exploratory analysis boys exhibited a greater (p = 0.02) increase in VO2 from rest to “exergame” (Δ 9.0 ± 3.7 ml·kg−1·min−1), relative to girls (Δ 4.9 ± 2.9 ml·kg−1·min−1). Boys showed a significantly greater increase (p = 0.05) in VO2 from the resting condition to “exergame” in the presence of a peer (Δ 11.1 ± 5.3 ml·kg−1·min−1) vs. the alone condition (Δ 6.8 ± 3.1 ml·kg−1 ·min−1). Liking was significantly (p < 0.001) greater for “exergame” (7.7 ± 1.9 cm) and the sedentary video game (8.3 ± 1.3 cm) relative to rest (4.0 ± 2.8 cm). Motivation for “exergame” significantly decreased (p = 0.03) from alone (340.8 ± 106.8 presses) to the peer condition (147.8 ± 81.6 presses). Conclusion: VO2 was greater during “exergame” play relative to the sedentary video game. The presence of a peer did not increase VO2 during “exergame” play. Surprisingly, the presence of a peer decreased children's motivation to play “exergame” vs. the sedentary video game. PMID:24917824

Computer Game Play Reduces Intrusive Memories of Experimental Trauma via Reconsolidation-Update Mechanisms.

PubMed

James, Ella L; Bonsall, Michael B; Hoppitt, Laura; Tunbridge, Elizabeth M; Geddes, John R; Milton, Amy L; Holmes, Emily A

2015-08-01

Memory of a traumatic event becomes consolidated within hours. Intrusive memories can then flash back repeatedly into the mind's eye and cause distress. We investigated whether reconsolidation-the process during which memories become malleable when recalled-can be blocked using a cognitive task and whether such an approach can reduce these unbidden intrusions. We predicted that reconsolidation of a reactivated visual memory of experimental trauma could be disrupted by engaging in a visuospatial task that would compete for visual working memory resources. We showed that intrusive memories were virtually abolished by playing the computer game Tetris following a memory-reactivation task 24 hr after initial exposure to experimental trauma. Furthermore, both memory reactivation and playing Tetris were required to reduce subsequent intrusions (Experiment 2), consistent with reconsolidation-update mechanisms. A simple, noninvasive cognitive-task procedure administered after emotional memory has already consolidated (i.e., > 24 hours after exposure to experimental trauma) may prevent the recurrence of intrusive memories of those emotional events. © The Author(s) 2015.

Computer Game Play Reduces Intrusive Memories of Experimental Trauma via Reconsolidation-Update Mechanisms

PubMed Central

James, Ella L.; Bonsall, Michael B.; Hoppitt, Laura; Tunbridge, Elizabeth M.; Geddes, John R.; Milton, Amy L.

2015-01-01

Memory of a traumatic event becomes consolidated within hours. Intrusive memories can then flash back repeatedly into the mind’s eye and cause distress. We investigated whether reconsolidation—the process during which memories become malleable when recalled—can be blocked using a cognitive task and whether such an approach can reduce these unbidden intrusions. We predicted that reconsolidation of a reactivated visual memory of experimental trauma could be disrupted by engaging in a visuospatial task that would compete for visual working memory resources. We showed that intrusive memories were virtually abolished by playing the computer game Tetris following a memory-reactivation task 24 hr after initial exposure to experimental trauma. Furthermore, both memory reactivation and playing Tetris were required to reduce subsequent intrusions (Experiment 2), consistent with reconsolidation-update mechanisms. A simple, noninvasive cognitive-task procedure administered after emotional memory has already consolidated (i.e., > 24 hours after exposure to experimental trauma) may prevent the recurrence of intrusive memories of those emotional events. PMID:26133572

Artificial intelligence: Learning to see and act

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schölkopf, Bernhard

2015-02-01

An artificial-intelligence system uses machine learning from massive training sets to teach itself to play 49 classic computer games, demonstrating that it can adapt to a variety of tasks. See Letter p.529

When It's Just You After School

MedlinePlus

... Things That Help Feelings Expert Answers Q&A Movies & More for Teens Teens site Sitio para adolescentes ... get home? Are you allowed to watch TV, movies, and videos, or play computer games? If so, ...

Instructional design strategies for developing an interactive video educational program for pregnant teens: a pilot study.

PubMed

Levenson, P M; Morrow, J R; Smith, P

1984-01-01

One hundred forty-six teens attending an urban maternity hospital's prenatal clinic completed a questionnaire designed to assist in the development of educational programs utilizing computer-assisted television instruction or interactive video. Ninety-five percent of the teens agreed that additional information about desirable health behaviors during pregnancy would be helpful. Forty-six percent preferred obtaining information from a health professional at the hospital. Although 90% said that the race of the narrator for a film show was unimportant, responses regarding racial preference corresponded to the racial distribution of participants. Seventy-six percent of the teens preferred the narrator to be younger than 35 years of age, and 54% preferred a female narrator. Race was associated with video game experiences, preferences about the narrator's age and race, and favorite television shows. Age was not associated with responses to any of the questions. Although only 19% had ever used a computer, 98% stated they would like to try a computer with assistance. More than half (55%) knew how to type and 83% had played video games; of those who had played video games, 93% said they enjoyed doing so. Eighty-three percent of the respondents always or sometimes enjoyed cartoons. Favorite television shows and cartoon characters were identified. The design implications of the teens' preferences to the development of instruction using computers coupled with other emerging technologies are discussed.

Psychiatrists' Perceptions of Role-Playing Games.

PubMed

Lis, Eric; Chiniara, Carl; Biskin, Robert; Montoro, Richard

2015-09-01

The literature has seen a surge in research on the mental health impacts of technologies such as Facebook, video games, and massively-multiplayer online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, but little is known regarding the mental health impact of non-video role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons. The present study examines how psychiatrists' perceive role-playing games and whether they play them. Psychiatrists at a tertiary care centre in Canada completed a questionnaire assessing history of playing role-playing games and whether they associate them with psychopathology. Forty-eight psychiatrists responded. Twenty-three percent have played a role-playing game over their lifetimes. Twenty-two percent believed there was an association between psychopathology and role-playing games. A majority of psychiatrists who responded do not associate role-playing games with psychopathology. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Brains on video games.

PubMed

Bavelier, Daphne; Green, C Shawn; Han, Doug Hyun; Renshaw, Perry F; Merzenich, Michael M; Gentile, Douglas A

2011-11-18

The popular press is replete with stories about the effects of video and computer games on the brain. Sensationalist headlines claiming that video games 'damage the brain' or 'boost brain power' do not do justice to the complexities and limitations of the studies involved, and create a confusing overall picture about the effects of gaming on the brain. Here, six experts in the field shed light on our current understanding of the positive and negative ways in which playing video games can affect cognition and behaviour, and explain how this knowledge can be harnessed for educational and rehabilitation purposes. As research in this area is still in its early days, the contributors of this Viewpoint also discuss several issues and challenges that should be addressed to move the field forward.

Non-Digital Game Playing by Older Adults.

PubMed

Mortenson, W Ben; Sixsmith, Andrew; Kaufman, David

2017-09-01

Research on video games' effect on cognition and behaviour has been extensive, yet little research has explored non-digital forms of game playing, especially among older adults. As part of a larger survey on game playing, 886 respondents (≥ age 55) filled out questionnaires about non-digital game play. The study aims were to determine perceived benefits of non-digital game play and to determine socio-demographic factors that might predict perceived benefits. Survey results indicate that non-digital game playing is social in nature and common (73% of respondents) among older adults. Older adults play for fun, but also to help maintain their cognition. Regression analyses indicated various socio-demographic factors - age, education, gender, and race - were independently associated with perceived benefits from game playing. The results thus emphasize the importance of non-digital game playing in this population and suggest that efforts to facilitate game playing may improve social interactions and quality of life.

Someone has to give in: theta oscillations correlate with adaptive behavior in social bargaining.

PubMed

Billeke, Pablo; Zamorano, Francisco; López, Tamara; Rodriguez, Carlos; Cosmelli, Diego; Aboitiz, Francisco

2014-12-01

During social bargain, one has to both figure out the others' intentions and behave strategically in such a way that the others' behaviors will be consistent with one's expectations. To understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these behaviors, we used electroencephalography while subjects played as proposers in a repeated ultimatum game. We found that subjects adapted their offers to obtain more acceptances in the last round and that this adaptation correlated negatively with prefrontal theta oscillations. People with higher prefrontal theta activity related to a rejection did not adapt their offers along the game to maximize their earning. Moreover, between-subject variation in posterior theta oscillations correlated positively with how individual theta activity influenced the change of offer after a rejection, reflecting a process of behavioral adaptation to the others' demands. Interestingly, people adapted better their offers when they knew that they where playing against a computer, although the behavioral adaptation did not correlate with prefrontal theta oscillation. Behavioral changes between human and computer games correlated with prefrontal theta activity, suggesting that low adaptation in human games could be a strategy. Taken together, these results provide evidence for specific roles of prefrontal and posterior theta oscillations in social bargaining. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Accelerating Multiagent Reinforcement Learning by Equilibrium Transfer.

PubMed

Hu, Yujing; Gao, Yang; An, Bo

2015-07-01

An important approach in multiagent reinforcement learning (MARL) is equilibrium-based MARL, which adopts equilibrium solution concepts in game theory and requires agents to play equilibrium strategies at each state. However, most existing equilibrium-based MARL algorithms cannot scale due to a large number of computationally expensive equilibrium computations (e.g., computing Nash equilibria is PPAD-hard) during learning. For the first time, this paper finds that during the learning process of equilibrium-based MARL, the one-shot games corresponding to each state's successive visits often have the same or similar equilibria (for some states more than 90% of games corresponding to successive visits have similar equilibria). Inspired by this observation, this paper proposes to use equilibrium transfer to accelerate equilibrium-based MARL. The key idea of equilibrium transfer is to reuse previously computed equilibria when each agent has a small incentive to deviate. By introducing transfer loss and transfer condition, a novel framework called equilibrium transfer-based MARL is proposed. We prove that although equilibrium transfer brings transfer loss, equilibrium-based MARL algorithms can still converge to an equilibrium policy under certain assumptions. Experimental results in widely used benchmarks (e.g., grid world game, soccer game, and wall game) show that the proposed framework: 1) not only significantly accelerates equilibrium-based MARL (up to 96.7% reduction in learning time), but also achieves higher average rewards than algorithms without equilibrium transfer and 2) scales significantly better than algorithms without equilibrium transfer when the state/action space grows and the number of agents increases.

Helping Video Games Rewire "Our Minds"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pope, Alan T.; Palsson, Olafur S.

2001-01-01

Biofeedback-modulated video games are games that respond to physiological signals as well as mouse, joystick or game controller input; they embody the concept of improving physiological functioning by rewarding specific healthy body signals with success at playing a video game. The NASA patented biofeedback-modulated game method blends biofeedback into popular off-the- shelf video games in such a way that the games do not lose their entertainment value. This method uses physiological signals (e.g., electroencephalogram frequency band ratio) not simply to drive a biofeedback display directly, or periodically modify a task as in other systems, but to continuously modulate parameters (e.g., game character speed and mobility) of a game task in real time while the game task is being performed by other means (e.g., a game controller). Biofeedback-modulated video games represent a new generation of computer and video game environments that train valuable mental skills beyond eye-hand coordination. These psychophysiological training technologies are poised to exploit the revolution in interactive multimedia home entertainment for the personal improvement, not just the diversion, of the user.

Peer bystanders to bullying: who wants to play with the victim?

PubMed

Howard, Anne M; Landau, Steven; Pryor, John B

2014-02-01

Given widespread concern associated with school-based bullying, researchers have looked beyond a dyadic perspective (i.e., bullies and victims only), and now consider the broader social ecology of the peer group. In this research, we examined how the behaviors of peer bystanders influence subsequent reactions to bullies and their victims. Two hundred and six 10- to 15-year-old boys (Mage = 12.46) were invited to play a computer game with three other boys allegedly located at another school. Before the start of the game, participants "met the other players" apparently sitting in a waiting room. These child actors depicted an escalating bullying episode in which the behavior of the bystander was manipulated: aide to the bully, defender of the victim, or passive outsider. Immediately after exposure to the bullying, each participant played a ball toss game (Cyberball) with the three other boys in the video. Individual differences among participants were examined as moderators of the effect of bystander behavior on participants' willingness to include the "victim" in the game. Results indicated that, when exposed to a passive bystander, boys' normative beliefs about aggression, as well as their tendency to morally disengage from observed egregious acts, decreased their willingness to include the victim in the game.

Possible End to an Endless Quest? Cognitive Bias Modification for Excessive Multiplayer Online Gamers.

PubMed

Rabinovitz, Sharon; Nagar, Maayan

2015-10-01

Cognitive biases have previously been recognized as key mechanisms that contribute to the development, maintenance, and relapse of addictive behaviors. The same mechanisms have been recently found in problematic computer gaming. The present study aims to investigate whether excessive massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers (EG) demonstrate an approach bias toward game-related cues compared to neutral stimuli; to test whether these automatic action tendencies can be implicitly modified in a single session training; and to test whether this training affects game urges and game-seeking behavior. EG (n=38) were randomly assigned to a condition in which they were implicitly trained to avoid or to approach gaming cues by pushing or pulling a joystick, using a computerized intervention (cognitive bias modification via the Approach Avoidance Task). EG demonstrated an approach bias for gaming cues compared with neutral, movie cues. Single session training significantly decreased automatic action tendencies to approach gaming cues. These effects occurred outside subjective awareness. Furthermore, approach bias retraining reduced subjective urges and intentions to play, as well as decreased game-seeking behavior. Retraining automatic processes may be beneficial in changing addictive impulses in EG. Yet, large-scale trials and long-term follow-up are warranted. The results extend the application of cognitive bias modification from substance use disorders to behavioral addictions, and specifically to Internet gaming disorder. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Attentional bias and disinhibition toward gaming cues are related to problem gaming in male adolescents.

PubMed

van Holst, Ruth J; Lemmens, Jeroen S; Valkenburg, Patti M; Peter, Jochen; Veltman, Dick J; Goudriaan, Anna E

2012-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether behavioral tendencies commonly related to addictive behaviors are also related to problematic computer and video game playing in adolescents. The study of attentional bias and response inhibition, characteristic for addictive disorders, is relevant to the ongoing discussion on whether problematic gaming should be classified as an addictive disorder. We tested the relation between self-reported levels of problem gaming and two behavioral domains: attentional bias and response inhibition. Ninety-two male adolescents performed two attentional bias tasks (addiction-Stroop, dot-probe) and a behavioral inhibition task (go/no-go). Self-reported problem gaming was measured by the game addiction scale, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fourth edition criteria for pathological gambling and time spent on computer and/or video games. Male adolescents with higher levels of self-reported problem gaming displayed signs of error-related attentional bias to game cues. Higher levels of problem gaming were also related to more errors on response inhibition, but only when game cues were presented. These findings are in line with the findings of attentional bias reported in clinically recognized addictive disorders, such as substance dependence and pathological gambling, and contribute to the discussion on the proposed concept of "Addiction and Related Disorders" (which may include non-substance-related addictive behaviors) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fourth edition. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Frequent computer-related activities increase the risk of neck-shoulder and low back pain in adolescents.

PubMed

Hakala, Paula T; Rimpelä, Arja H; Saarni, Lea A; Salminen, Jouko J

2006-10-01

Neck-shoulder pain (NSP) and low back pain (LBP) increased among adolescents in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000. A potential risk factor for this increase is the use of information and communication technology. We studied how the use of computers, the Internet, and mobile phones, playing digital games and viewing television are related to NSP and LBP in adolescents. Mailed survey with nationally representative samples of 14-, 16-, and 18-year-old Finns in 2003 (n = 6003, response rate 68%). The outcome variables were weekly NSP and LBP. NSP was perceived by 26% and LBP by 12%. When compared with non-users, the risk of NSP was 1.3 (adjusted odds ratios) when using computers > 2-3 h/day, and 1.8 when using 4-5 h/day; 2.5 when using computers > or = 42 h/week, and 1.7 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week. Compared with non-users, the risk of LBP was 2.0 when using computers > 5 h/day, 1.7 when using > or = 42 h/week, 1.8 when using the Internet > or = 42 h/week, and 2.0 when playing digital games > 5 h/day. Times spent on digital gaming, viewing television, and using mobile phones were not associated with NSP, nor were use of mobile phones and viewing television with LBP after adjusting for confounding factors. Frequent computer-related activities are an independent risk factor for NSP and LBP. Daily use of computers exceeding 2-3 h seems to be a threshold for NSP and exceeding 5 h for LBP. Computer-related activities may explain the increase of NSP and LBP in the 1990s and the beginning of 2000.

Why Health Care Needs Design Research: Broadening the Perspective on Communication in Pediatric Care Through Play.

PubMed

Knutz, Eva; Ammentorp, Jette; Kofoed, Poul-Erik

2015-01-01

Today's pediatric health care lacks methods to tap into the emotional state of hospitalized pediatric patients (age 4-6 years). The most frequently used approaches were developed for adults and fail to acknowledge the importance of imaginary experiences and the notion of play that may appeal to children. The scope of this article is to introduce a new design-oriented method of gathering information about the emotional state of pediatric patients using an experimental computer game called the Child Patient game (CPgame). The CPgame was developed at a Danish hospital, and the results of the preliminary tests show that games could serve as a system in which children are willing to express their emotions through play. The results are based on two comparative analyses of the CPgame through which it is possible to identify three different types of players among the patients playing the game. Furthermore, the data reveal that pediatric patients display a radically different play pattern than children who are not in hospital. The inquiry takes an interdisciplinary approach; it has obvious health care-related objectives and seeks to meet the urgent need for new methods within health care to optimize communication with young children. At the same time, design research (i.e., the development of new knowledge through the development of a new design) heavily impacts the method.

Questioning Mechanisms During Tutoring, Conversation, and Human-Computer Interaction

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-10-14

project on the grant, we are analyzing sequences of speech act categories in dialogues between children. The 90 dialogues occur in the context of free ... play , a puzzle task, versus a 20-questions game. Our goal is to assess the extent to which various computational models can predict speech act category N

The Relationships between Online Game Player Biogenetic Traits, Playing Time, and the Genre of the Game Being Played.

PubMed

Kim, Jun Won; Han, Doug Hyun; Park, Doo Byung; Min, Kyung Joon; Na, Churl; Won, Su Kyung; Park, Ga Na

2010-03-01

Psychobiological traits may be associated with excessive Internet use. This study assessed the relationships between biogenetic traits, the amount of time spent in online game playing, and the genre of the online game being played. Five hundred sixty five students who enjoyed one of the four types of games included in this study were recruited. The types of games examined included role playing games (RPG), real-time strategy games (RTS), first person shooting games (FPS), and sports games. Behavioral patterns of game play, academic performance, and player biogenetic characteristics were assessed. The amount of time that the participants spent playing online games was significantly greater on weekends than on weekdays. On weekends, the types of games with the largest numbers of participants who played games for more than three hours were ranked as follows: RPG and FPS, RTS, and sports games. The Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS)score for the RPG group was the highest among the groups of the four types of game players. The time that participants spent playing games on weekdays was negatively associated with academic performance, especially for the RPG and FPS groups. Compared with the other groups, the RPG and RTS groups had higher novelty seeking (NS) scores and self-directedness (SD) scores, respectively. Additionally, the sports game group had higher reward dependency scores than the other groups. These results suggest that RPGs may have specific factors that are attractive to latent game addicts with higher NS scores. Additionally, excessive playing of online games is related to impaired academic performance.

The Relationships between Online Game Player Biogenetic Traits, Playing Time, and the Genre of the Game Being Played

PubMed Central

Kim, Jun Won; Park, Doo Byung; Min, Kyung Joon; Na, Churl; Won, Su Kyung; Park, Ga Na

2010-01-01

Objective Psychobiological traits may be associated with excessive Internet use. This study assessed the relationships between biogenetic traits, the amount of time spent in online game playing, and the genre of the online game being played. Methods Five hundred sixty five students who enjoyed one of the four types of games included in this study were recruited. The types of games examined included role playing games (RPG), real-time strategy games (RTS), first person shooting games (FPS), and sports games. Behavioral patterns of game play, academic performance, and player biogenetic characteristics were assessed. Results The amount of time that the participants spent playing online games was significantly greater on weekends than on weekdays. On weekends, the types of games with the largest numbers of participants who played games for more than three hours were ranked as follows: RPG and FPS, RTS, and sports games. The Young's Internet Addiction Scale (YIAS)score for the RPG group was the highest among the groups of the four types of game players. The time that participants spent playing games on weekdays was negatively associated with academic performance, especially for the RPG and FPS groups. Compared with the other groups, the RPG and RTS groups had higher novelty seeking (NS) scores and self-directedness (SD) scores, respectively. Additionally, the sports game group had higher reward dependency scores than the other groups. Conclusion These results suggest that RPGs may have specific factors that are attractive to latent game addicts with higher NS scores. Additionally, excessive playing of online games is related to impaired academic performance. PMID:20396428

The Importance of Mixing Virtual and Real Information in Games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaonach, H.

2014-12-01

Educational technology is rapidly evolving, today's classrooms are replete with ipads, iphones, interactive white boards, and other Internet tools and gadgets. However we mustn't be diverted by the technology and lose the basic focus on the communication of scientific ideas to the students. What do we want to teach them? I will present new educational kits including games about active volcanoes as well as climates and climate change. These tools have been created for 8-12 year olds who play on teams. The teams use question-cards and basic geographic knowledge to move on a regular play board by answering scientific questions. In addition to learning the science, through interpreting latitudes and longitudes, children will better understand the link between Google map and the world map after such exercises! With their teacher, they will be able to play with traditional pieces but also use tablets or computers to listen to videos as well as obtain additional subject related questions and activities. In this way, the Web is an infinite extension of the regular game played on a table with physical pieces. Let's see how it works!

You(th) & Tobacco

MedlinePlus

... be cool … play sports. Don’t waste (burn) money on tobacco. Spend it on CDs, clothes, computer games, and movies. Get involved: make your team, school, and home tobacco-free; teach others; join community efforts to prevent tobacco ...

Pleasure to play, arousal to stay: the effect of player emotions on digital game preferences and playing time.

PubMed

Poels, Karolien; van den Hoogen, Wouter; Ijsselsteijn, Wijnand; de Kort, Yvonne

2012-01-01

This study investigated how player emotions during game-play, measured through self-report and physiological recordings, predict playing time and game preferences. We distinguished between short-term (immediately after game-play) and long-term (after 3 weeks) playing time and game preferences. While pleasure was most predictive for short-term playing time and game preferences, arousal, particularly for game preferences, was most predictive on the longer term. This result was found through both self-report and physiological emotion measures. This study initiates theorizing about digital gaming as a hedonic consumer product and sketches future research endeavors of this topic.

Virtual rehabilitation in an activity centre for community-dwelling persons with stroke. The possibilities of 3-dimensional computer games.

PubMed

Broeren, Jurgen; Claesson, Lisbeth; Goude, Daniel; Rydmark, Martin; Sunnerhagen, Katharina S

2008-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to place a virtual reality (VR) system, designed to assess and to promote motor performance in the affected upper extremity in subjects after stroke, in a nonhospital environment. We also wanted to investigate if playing computer games resulted in improved motor function in persons with prior stroke. The intervention involved 11 patients after stroke who received extra rehabilitation by training on a computer 3 times a week during a 4-week period. The control group involved 11 patients after stroke who continued their previous rehabilitation (no extra computer training) during this period. The mean age of all was 68 years (range = 47-85) and the average time after stroke 66 months (range = 15-140). The VR training consisted of challenging games, which provided a range of difficulty levels that allow practice to be fun and motivating. An additional group of 11 right-handed aged matched individuals without history of neurological or psychiatric illnesses served as reference subjects. All the participants reported that they were novel computer game players. After an initial introduction they learned to use the VR system quickly. The treatment group demonstrated improvements in motor outcome for the trained upper extremity, but this was not detected in real-life activities. The results of this research suggest the usefulness of computer games in training motor performance. VR can be used beneficially not only by younger participants but also by older persons to enhance their motor performance after stroke. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

It's Just a Game, Right? Types of Play in Foreign Language CMC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Chantelle N.

2004-01-01

This study focuses on the various playful uses of language that occurred during a semester-long study of two German language courses using one type of synchronous network-based medium, the MOO. Research and use of synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) have flourished in the study of second-language acquisition (SLA) since the late…

L2 Immersion in 3D Virtual Worlds: The Next Thing to Being There?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paillat, Edith

2014-01-01

Second Life is one of the many three-dimensional virtual environments accessible through a computer and a fast broadband connection. Thousands of participants connect to this platform to interact virtually with the world, join international communities of practice and, for some, role play groups. Unlike online role play games however, Second Life…

Red gaming in support of the war on terrorism : Sandia Red Game report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Judy Hennessey; Whitley, John B.; Craft, Richard Layne, II

2004-02-01

The Advanced Concepts Group (ACG) at Sandia National Laboratories is exploring the use of Red Teaming to help intelligence analysts with two key processes: determining what a piece or pieces of information might imply and deciding what other pieces of information need to be found to support or refute hypotheses about what actions a suspected terrorist organization might be pursuing. In support of this effort, the ACG hosted a terrorism red gaming event in Albuquerque on July 22-24, 2003. The game involved two 'red teams' playing the roles of two terrorist cells - one focused on implementing an RDD attackmore » on the DC subway system and one focused on a bio attack against the same target - and two 'black teams' playing the role of the intelligence collection system and of intelligence analysts trying to decide what plans the red teams might be pursuing. This exercise successfully engaged human experts to seed a proposed compute engine with detailed operational plans for hypothetical terrorist scenarios.« less

Fish play Minority Game as humans do

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ruey-Tarng; Chung, Fei Fang; Liaw, Sy-Sang

2012-01-01

We report the results of an unprecedented real Minority Game (MG) played by university staff members who clicked one of two identical buttons (A and B) on a computer screen while clocking in or out of work. We recorded the number of people who clicked button A for 1288 games, beginning on April 21, 2008 and ending on October 31, 2010, and calculated the variance among the people who clicked A as a function of time. The evolution of the variance shows that the global gain of selfish agents increases when a small portion of agents make persistent choice in the games. We also carried out another experiment in which we forced 101 fish to enter one of the two symmetric chambers (A and B). We repeated the fish experiment 500 times and found that the variance of the number of fish that entered chamber A evolved in a way similar to the human MG, suggesting that fish have memory and can employ more strategies when facing the same situation again and again.

A review of brain-computer interface games and an opinion survey from researchers, developers and users.

PubMed

Ahn, Minkyu; Lee, Mijin; Choi, Jinyoung; Jun, Sung Chan

2014-08-11

In recent years, research on Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology for healthy users has attracted considerable interest, and BCI games are especially popular. This study reviews the current status of, and describes future directions, in the field of BCI games. To this end, we conducted a literature search and found that BCI control paradigms using electroencephalographic signals (motor imagery, P300, steady state visual evoked potential and passive approach reading mental state) have been the primary focus of research. We also conducted a survey of nearly three hundred participants that included researchers, game developers and users around the world. From this survey, we found that all three groups (researchers, developers and users) agreed on the significant influence and applicability of BCI and BCI games, and they all selected prostheses, rehabilitation and games as the most promising BCI applications. User and developer groups tended to give low priority to passive BCI and the whole head sensor array. Developers gave higher priorities to "the easiness of playing" and the "development platform" as important elements for BCI games and the market. Based on our assessment, we discuss the critical point at which BCI games will be able to progress from their current stage to widespread marketing to consumers. In conclusion, we propose three critical elements important for expansion of the BCI game market: standards, gameplay and appropriate integration.

Role-Playing and Real-Time Strategy Games Associated with Greater Probability of Internet Gaming Disorder.

PubMed

Eichenbaum, Adam; Kattner, Florian; Bradford, Daniel; Gentile, Douglas A; Green, C Shawn

2015-08-01

Research indicates that a small subset of those who routinely play video games show signs of pathological habits, with side effects ranging from mild (e.g., being late) to quite severe (e.g., losing a job). However, it is still not clear whether individual types, or genres, of games are most strongly associated with Internet gaming disorder (IGD). A sample of 4,744 University of Wisconsin-Madison undergraduates (Mage=18.9 years; SD=1.9 years; 60.5% female) completed questionnaires on general video game playing habits and on symptoms of IGD. Consistent with previous reports: 5.9-10.8% (depending on classification criteria) of individuals who played video games show signs of pathological play. Furthermore, real-time strategy and role-playing video games were more strongly associated with pathological play, compared with action and other games (e.g., phone games). The current investigation adds support to the idea that not all video games are equal. Instead, certain genres of video games, specifically real-time strategy and role-playing/fantasy games, are disproportionately associated with IGD symptoms.

Playing It Safe: Risk Management for Games Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halliday, Nancy

1996-01-01

Considering the players, the game, and the environment in which games are played can make games play at camp safer, more successful, and more enjoyable. Presents factors concerning the players, the game, roughhousing, excessive competitiveness, the environment, space, boundaries, weather, time, and overall game objectives that need to be…

Development of a Network Analysis of the Air Force Provisioning Process for an Applied Computer Simulation Exercise.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

everything from strategic force allocations to leadership role-playing; but there are only a few exercises in existence for management gaming. In the... reported that Shade and Paine (1975) found declines in political cynicism were produced more effectively through simulation than through conventional...effectiveness of business games through external validation was unsuccessful. In their study, career success was used as the dependent variable and was

CyberCIEGE Scenario Development Tool User’s Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

also required. Play some sample scenarios and browse the CyberCIEGE Encyclopedia to learn about the game. If game behavior is relevant to the...basic structure of the tool. Then follow the tutorial within this guide to learn some of the mechanics of using the SDT. SDT Layout Reusable... machine keeps crashing. 8) Trigger player feedback You should have noticed the computer was crashing, and maybe you noticed its availability went

Video Game Vision Syndrome: A New Clinical Picture in Children?

PubMed

Rechichi, Caterina; De Mojà, Gilda; Aragona, Pasquale

2017-11-01

To examine a possible relationship between exposure to video games/electronic screens and visual issues in children between 3 and 10 years of age. An observational, cross-sectional study of a population of children using video games was employed. All patients between 3 and 10 years of age were recruited at an outpatient unit accredited by the Italian Regional Health Service. Three hundred twenty children (159 boys and 161 girls; mean age = 6.9 ± 2 years) were observed. Ophthalmological examination included assessment of stereoscopic vision on Lang-Stereotests I and II (LANG-STEREOTEST AG, Küsnacht, Switzerland) and identification of the dominant eye using the Dolman method. Furthermore, a questionnaire was used to record asthenopic symptoms and daily exposure to video games and electronic screens. Two groups of children were examined according to the average amount of time spent playing video games daily: children who played video games for less than 30 minutes per day and not every day (control group) and children who played video games for 30 minutes or more every day (video game group). Both groups were then divided into two subgroups: children using other types of electronic screens (eg, televisions, computers, tablets, and smartphones) for less than 3 hours daily (low electronic use subgroup) and children using other types of electronic screens for 3 hours or more per day (high electronic use subgroup). Asthenopia (especially headache, eyelid tic, transient diplopia, and dizziness), absence of fine stereopsis, and refractive errors were statistically more frequent (mainly in the dominant eye) in children in the video game group. These symptoms were frequent and peculiar in the video game group and might be part of a video game vision syndrome that has not been defined yet. It is important to recognize these signs as possible functional disorders to avoid erroneous diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2017;54(6):346-355.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Tipping the balance: use of advergames to promote consumption of nutritious foods and beverages by low-income African American children.

PubMed

Pempek, Tiffany A; Calvert, Sandra L

2009-07-01

To examine how advergames, which are online computer games developed to market a product, affect consumption of healthier and less healthy snacks by low-income African American children. Cross-sectional, between-subjects examination of an advergame in which children were rewarded for having their computer character consume healthier or less healthy foods and beverages. Children were randomly assigned to 1 of the following 3 conditions: (1) the healthier advergame condition, (2) the less healthy advergame condition, or (3) the control condition. Urban public elementary schools. Thirty low-income, African American children aged 9 to 10 years. Main Exposure Children in the treatment conditions played a less healthy or a healthier version of an advergame 2 times before choosing and eating a snack and completing the experimental measures. Children in the control group chose and ate a snack before playing the game and completing the measures. The number of healthier snack items children selected and ate and how much children liked the game. Children who played the healthier version of the advergame selected and ate significantly more healthy snacks than did those who played the less healthy version. Children reported liking the advergame. Findings suggest that concerns about online advergames that market unhealthy foods are justified. However, advergames may also be used to promote healthier foods and beverages. This kind of social marketing approach could tip the scales toward the selection of higher-quality snacks, thereby helping to curb the obesity epidemic.

"Yes! We Are Playing a Game, and It's Going to Be Fun!"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Kelly

2012-01-01

Games are for playing, more often than not playing a game is a social experience, it is fun, and we all enjoy playing games. Play and playing are ways in which we learn, so how often are games part of the normal activity of the mathematics classroom? The answer, in most cases, has to be--not often. Is it that games just don't seem to fulfil the…

Using game theory to investigate the epigenetic control mechanisms of embryo development. Comment on: ;Epigenetic game theory: How to compute the epigenetic control of maternal-to-zygotic transition; by Qian Wang et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Le; Zhang, Shaoxiang

2017-03-01

A body of research [1-7] has already shown that epigenetic reprogramming plays a critical role in maintaining the normal development of embryos. However, the mechanistic quantitation of the epigenetic interactions between sperms and oocytes and the related impact on embryo development are still not clear [6,7]. In this study, Wang et al., [8] develop a modeling framework that addresses this question by integrating game theory and the latest discoveries of the epigenetic control of embryo development.

A Web-based Game for Teaching Facial Expressions to Schizophrenic Patients.

PubMed

Gülkesen, Kemal Hakan; Isleyen, Filiz; Cinemre, Buket; Samur, Mehmet Kemal; Sen Kaya, Semiha; Zayim, Nese

2017-07-12

Recognizing facial expressions is an important social skill. In some psychological disorders such as schizophrenia, loss of this skill may complicate the patient's daily life. Prior research has shown that information technology may help to develop facial expression recognition skills through educational software and games. To examine if a computer game designed for teaching facial expressions would improve facial expression recognition skills of patients with schizophrenia. We developed a website composed of eight serious games. Thirty-two patients were given a pre-test composed of 21 facial expression photographs. Eighteen patients were in the study group while 14 were in the control group. Patients in the study group were asked to play the games on the website. After a period of one month, we performed a post-test for all patients. The median score of the correct answers was 17.5 in the control group whereas it was 16.5 in the study group (of 21) in pretest. The median post-test score was 18 in the control group (p=0.052) whereas it was 20 in the study group (p<0.001). Computer games may be used for the purpose of educating people who have difficulty in recognizing facial expressions.

Role of virtual reality for cerebral palsy management.

PubMed

Weiss, Patrice L Tamar; Tirosh, Emanuel; Fehlings, Darcy

2014-08-01

Virtual reality is the use of interactive simulations to present users with opportunities to perform in virtual environments that appear, sound, and less frequently, feel similar to real-world objects and events. Interactive computer play refers to the use of a game where a child interacts and plays with virtual objects in a computer-generated environment. Because of their distinctive attributes that provide ecologically realistic and motivating opportunities for active learning, these technologies have been used in pediatric rehabilitation over the past 15 years. The ability of virtual reality to create opportunities for active repetitive motor/sensory practice adds to their potential for neuroplasticity and learning in individuals with neurologic disorders. The objectives of this article is to provide an overview of how virtual reality and gaming are used clinically, to present the results of several example studies that demonstrate their use in research, and to briefly remark on future developments. © The Author(s) 2014.

From boring to scoring - a collaborative serious game for learning and practicing mathematical logic for computer science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schäfer, Andreas; Holz, Jan; Leonhardt, Thiemo; Schroeder, Ulrik; Brauner, Philipp; Ziefle, Martina

2013-06-01

In this study, we address the problem of low retention and high dropout rates of computer science university students in early semesters of the studies. Complex and high abstract mathematical learning materials have been identified as one reason for the dropout rate. In order to support the understanding and practicing of core mathematical concepts, we developed a game-based multitouch learning environment in which the need for a suitable learning environment for mathematical logic was combined with the ability to train cooperation and collaboration in a learning scenario. As application domain, the field of mathematical logic had been chosen. The development process was accomplished along three steps: First, ethnographic interviews were run with 12 students of computer science revealing typical problems with mathematical logic. Second, a multitouch learning environment was developed. The game consists of multiple learning and playing modes in which teams of students can collaborate or compete against each other. Finally, a twofold evaluation of the environment was carried out (user study and cognitive walk-through). Overall, the evaluation showed that the game environment was easy to use and rated as helpful: The chosen approach of a multiplayer game supporting competition, collaboration, and cooperation is perceived as motivating and "fun."

Brains on video games

PubMed Central

Bavelier, Daphne; Green, C. Shawn; Han, Doug Hyun; Renshaw, Perry F.; Merzenich, Michael M.; Gentile, Douglas A.

2015-01-01

The popular press is replete with stories about the effects of video and computer games on the brain. Sensationalist headlines claiming that video games ‘damage the brain’ or ‘boost brain power’ do not do justice to the complexities and limitations of the studies involved, and create a confusing overall picture about the effects of gaming on the brain. Here, six experts in the field shed light on our current understanding of the positive and negative ways in which playing video games can affect cognition and behaviour, and explain how this knowledge can be harnessed for educational and rehabilitation purposes. As research in this area is still in its early days, the contributors of this Viewpoint also discuss several issues and challenges that should be addressed to move the field forward. PMID:22095065

Is poker a game of skill or chance? A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Meyer, Gerhard; von Meduna, Marc; Brosowski, Tim; Hayer, Tobias

2013-09-01

Due to intensive marketing and the rapid growth of online gambling, poker currently enjoys great popularity among large sections of the population. Although poker is legally a game of chance in most countries, some (particularly operators of private poker web sites) argue that it should be regarded as a game of skill or sport because the outcome of the game primarily depends on individual aptitude and skill. The available findings indicate that skill plays a meaningful role; however, serious methodological weaknesses and the absence of reliable information regarding the relative importance of chance and skill considerably limit the validity of extant research. Adopting a quasi-experimental approach, the present study examined the extent to which the influence of poker playing skill was more important than card distribution. Three average players and three experts sat down at a six-player table and played 60 computer-based hands of the poker variant "Texas Hold'em" for money. In each hand, one of the average players and one expert received (a) better-than-average cards (winner's box), (b) average cards (neutral box) and (c) worse-than-average cards (loser's box). The standardized manipulation of the card distribution controlled the factor of chance to determine differences in performance between the average and expert groups. Overall, 150 individuals participated in a "fixed-limit" game variant, and 150 individuals participated in a "no-limit" game variant. ANOVA results showed that experts did not outperform average players in terms of final cash balance. Rather, card distribution was the decisive factor for successful poker playing. However, expert players were better able to minimize losses when confronted with disadvantageous conditions (i.e., worse-than-average cards). No significant differences were observed between the game variants. Furthermore, supplementary analyses confirm differential game-related actions dependent on the card distribution, player status, and game variant. In conclusion, the study findings indicate that poker should be regarded as a game of chance, at least under certain basic conditions, and suggest new directions for further research.

Learning to play Go using recursive neural networks.

PubMed

Wu, Lin; Baldi, Pierre

2008-11-01

Go is an ancient board game that poses unique opportunities and challenges for artificial intelligence. Currently, there are no computer Go programs that can play at the level of a good human player. However, the emergence of large repositories of games is opening the door for new machine learning approaches to address this challenge. Here we develop a machine learning approach to Go, and related board games, focusing primarily on the problem of learning a good evaluation function in a scalable way. Scalability is essential at multiple levels, from the library of local tactical patterns, to the integration of patterns across the board, to the size of the board itself. The system we propose is capable of automatically learning the propensity of local patterns from a library of games. Propensity and other local tactical information are fed into recursive neural networks, derived from a probabilistic Bayesian network architecture. The recursive neural networks in turn integrate local information across the board in all four cardinal directions and produce local outputs that represent local territory ownership probabilities. The aggregation of these probabilities provides an effective strategic evaluation function that is an estimate of the expected area at the end, or at various other stages, of the game. Local area targets for training can be derived from datasets of games played by human players. In this approach, while requiring a learning time proportional to N(4), skills learned on a board of size N(2) can easily be transferred to boards of other sizes. A system trained using only 9 x 9 amateur game data performs surprisingly well on a test set derived from 19 x 19 professional game data. Possible directions for further improvements are briefly discussed.

Home Media and Children's Achievement and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofferth, Sandra L.

2010-01-01

This study provides a national picture of the time American 6- to 12-year-olds spent playing video games, using the computer, and watching TV at home in 1997 and 2003, and the association of early use with their achievement and behavior as adolescents. Girls benefited from computer use more than boys, and Black children benefited more than White…

Analysis of Movement Acceleration of Down's Syndrome Teenagers Playing Computer Games.

PubMed

Carrogi-Vianna, Daniela; Lopes, Paulo Batista; Cymrot, Raquel; Hengles Almeida, Jefferson Jesus; Yazaki, Marcos Lomonaco; Blascovi-Assis, Silvana Maria

2017-12-01

This study aimed to evaluate movement acceleration characteristics in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) and typical development (TD), while playing bowling and golf videogames on the Nintendo ® Wii™. The sample comprised 21 adolescents diagnosed with DS and 33 with TD of both sexes, between 10 and 14 years of age. The arm swing accelerations of the dominant upper limb were collected as measures during the bowling and the golf games. The first valid measurement, verified by the software readings, recorded at the start of each of the games, was used in the analysis. In the bowling game, the groups presented significant statistical differences, with the maximum (M) peaks of acceleration for the Male Control Group (MCG) (M = 70.37) and Female Control Group (FCG) (M = 70.51) when compared with Male Down Syndrome Group (MDSG) (M = 45.33) and Female Down Syndrome Group (FDSG) (M = 37.24). In the golf game the groups also presented significant statistical differences, the only difference being that the maximum peaks of acceleration for both male groups were superior compared with the female groups, MCG (M = 74.80) and FCG (M = 56.80), as well as in MDSG (M = 45.12) and in FDSG (M = 30.52). It was possible to use accelerometry to evaluate the movement acceleration characteristics of teenagers diagnosed with DS during virtual bowling and golf games played on the Nintendo Wii console.

Socially grounded game strategy enhances bonding and perceived smartness of a humanoid robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barakova, E. I.; De Haas, M.; Kuijpers, W.; Irigoyen, N.; Betancourt, A.

2018-01-01

In search for better technological solutions for education, we adapted a principle from economic game theory, namely that giving a help will promote collaboration and eventually long-term relations between a robot and a child. This principle has been shown to be effective in games between humans and between humans and computer agents. We compared the social and cognitive engagement of children when playing checkers game combined with a social strategy against a robot or against a computer. We found that by combining the social and game strategy the children (average age of 8.3 years) had more empathy and social engagement with the robot since the children did not want to necessarily win against it. This finding is promising for using social strategies for the creation of long-term relations between robots and children and making educational tasks more engaging. An additional outcome of the study was the significant difference in the perception of the children about the difficulty of the game - the game with the robot was seen as more challenging and the robot - as a smarter opponent. This finding might be due to the higher perceived or expected intelligence from the robot, or because of the higher complexity of seeing patterns in three-dimensional world.

Learning historical heritage with a serious game: a user study of Heerlen Roman bathhouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Wen

2015-03-01

The advances of computer games have shown their potentials for developing edutainment content and services. Current cultural heritages often make use of games in order to complement existing presentations, to create a memorable exhibition. It offers opportunities to reorganize and conceptualize historical, cultural and technological information or knowledge about the exhibits. To demonstrate the benefits of serious games in terms of facilitating the learning activities, we designed a video game about the Heerlen Roman bathhouse heritage. This paper explains the design considerations of this Roman bathhouse game, with a particular focus on the link between game play and learning. In addition, we have carried out a user study to observe and measure the learning effects of this game. Both quantitative and qualitative data are collected to analyze the performance of the learners. The results have shown that this game indeed can help learners understand the important historical facts and the related knowledge of the heritage being studied. Further directions include converting the first-person game into a third-person or multiple players' game.

A longitudinal study of the association between violent video game play and aggression among adolescents.

PubMed

Willoughby, Teena; Adachi, Paul J C; Good, Marie

2012-07-01

In the past 2 decades, correlational and experimental studies have found a positive association between violent video game play and aggression. There is less evidence, however, to support a long-term relation between these behaviors. This study examined sustained violent video game play and adolescent aggressive behavior across the high school years and directly assessed the socialization (violent video game play predicts aggression over time) versus selection hypotheses (aggression predicts violent video game play over time). Adolescents (N = 1,492, 50.8% female) were surveyed annually from Grade 9 to Grade 12 about their video game play and aggressive behaviors. Nonviolent video game play, frequency of overall video game play, and a comprehensive set of potential 3rd variables were included as covariates in each analysis. Sustained violent video game play was significantly related to steeper increases in adolescents' trajectory of aggressive behavior over time. Moreover, greater violent video game play predicted higher levels of aggression over time, after controlling for previous levels of aggression, supporting the socialization hypothesis. In contrast, no support was found for the selection hypothesis. Nonviolent video game play also did not predict higher levels of aggressive behavior over time. Our findings, and the fact that many adolescents play video games for several hours every day, underscore the need for a greater understanding of the long-term relation between violent video games and aggression, as well as the specific game characteristics (e.g., violent content, competition, pace of action) that may be responsible for this association.

[Violent computergames: distribution via and discussion on the Internet].

PubMed

Nagenborg, Michael

2005-11-01

The spread and use of computer-games including (interactive) depictions of violence are considered a moral problem, particularly if played by children and youths. This essay expresses an opinion on H. Volper's (2004) demand of condemning certain contents by media ethics. At the same time, an overview on the spread and use of "violent games" by children and youths is offered. As a matter of fact, the share of these titles in the complete range must not be estimated too high, certain titles on the other hand are extremely wide-spread. Finally, Fritz's and Fehr's thesis of the cultural conflict "computer game" (2004) is discussed, demonstrated at the example of the discussion on the Internet, and on the basis of this thesis a mediating position between the two cultures including audience ethics (Funiok 1999) is presented.

The Effect of Online Violent Video Games on Levels of Aggression

PubMed Central

Hollingdale, Jack; Greitemeyer, Tobias

2014-01-01

Background In recent years the video game industry has surpassed both the music and video industries in sales. Currently violent video games are among the most popular video games played by consumers, most specifically First-Person Shooters (FPS). Technological advancements in game play experience including the ability to play online has accounted for this increase in popularity. Previous research, utilising the General Aggression Model (GAM), has identified that violent video games increase levels of aggression. Little is known, however, as to the effect of playing a violent video game online. Methods/Principal Findings Participants (N = 101) were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions; neutral video game—offline, neutral video game—online, violent video game—offline and violent video game—online. Following this they completed questionnaires to assess their attitudes towards the game and engaged in a chilli sauce paradigm to measure behavioural aggression. The results identified that participants who played a violent video game exhibited more aggression than those who played a neutral video game. Furthermore, this main effect was not particularly pronounced when the game was played online. Conclusions/Significance These findings suggest that both playing violent video games online and offline compared to playing neutral video games increases aggression. PMID:25391143

Parrondo Games with Two-Dimensional Spatial Dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ethier, S. N.; Lee, Jiyeon

Parrondo games with one-dimensional (1D) spatial dependence were introduced by Toral and extended to the two-dimensional (2D) setting by Mihailović and Rajković. MN players are arranged in an M × N array. There are three games, the fair, spatially independent game A, the spatially dependent game B, and game C, which is a random mixture or non-random pattern of games A and B. Of interest is μB (or μC), the mean profit per turn at equilibrium to the set of MN players playing game B (or game C). Game A is fair, so if μB ≤ 0 and μC > 0, then we say the Parrondo effect is present. We obtain a strong law of large numbers (SLLN) and a central limit theorem (CLT) for the sequence of profits of the set of MN players playing game B (or game C). The mean and variance parameters are computable for small arrays and can be simulated otherwise. The SLLN justifies the use of simulation to estimate the mean. The CLT permits evaluation of the standard error of a simulated estimate. We investigate the presence of the Parrondo effect for both small arrays and large ones. One of the findings of Mihailović and Rajković was that “capital evolution depends to a large degree on the lattice size.” We provide evidence that this conclusion is partly incorrect. A paradoxical feature of the 2D game B that does not appear in the 1D setting is that, for fixed M and N, the mean function μB is not necessarily a monotone function of its parameters.

Design and preliminary evaluation of the FINGER rehabilitation robot: controlling challenge and quantifying finger individuation during musical computer game play.

PubMed

Taheri, Hossein; Rowe, Justin B; Gardner, David; Chan, Vicki; Gray, Kyle; Bower, Curtis; Reinkensmeyer, David J; Wolbrecht, Eric T

2014-02-04

This paper describes the design and preliminary testing of FINGER (Finger Individuating Grasp Exercise Robot), a device for assisting in finger rehabilitation after neurologic injury. We developed FINGER to assist stroke patients in moving their fingers individually in a naturalistic curling motion while playing a game similar to Guitar Hero. The goal was to make FINGER capable of assisting with motions where precise timing is important. FINGER consists of a pair of stacked single degree-of-freedom 8-bar mechanisms, one for the index and one for the middle finger. Each 8-bar mechanism was designed to control the angle and position of the proximal phalanx and the position of the middle phalanx. Target positions for the mechanism optimization were determined from trajectory data collected from 7 healthy subjects using color-based motion capture. The resulting robotic device was built to accommodate multiple finger sizes and finger-to-finger widths. For initial evaluation, we asked individuals with a stroke (n = 16) and without impairment (n = 4) to play a game similar to Guitar Hero while connected to FINGER. Precision design, low friction bearings, and separate high speed linear actuators allowed FINGER to individually actuate the fingers with a high bandwidth of control (-3 dB at approximately 8 Hz). During the tests, we were able to modulate the subject's success rate at the game by automatically adjusting the controller gains of FINGER. We also used FINGER to measure subjects' effort and finger individuation while playing the game. Test results demonstrate the ability of FINGER to motivate subjects with an engaging game environment that challenges individuated control of the fingers, automatically control assistance levels, and quantify finger individuation after stroke.

Experimental study of the differential effects of playing versus watching violent video games on children's aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Polman, Hanneke; de Castro, Bram Orobio; van Aken, Marcel A G

2008-01-01

There is great concern about the effects of playing violent video games on aggressive behavior. The present experimental study was aimed at investigating the differential effects of actively playing vs. passively watching the same violent video game on subsequent aggressive behavior. Fifty-seven children aged 10-13 either played a violent video game (active violent condition), watched the same violent video game (passive violent condition), or played a non-violent video game (active non-violent condition). Aggression was measured through peer nominations of real-life aggressive incidents during a free play session at school. After the active participation of actually playing the violent video game, boys behaved more aggressively than did the boys in the passive game condition. For girls, game condition was not related to aggression. These findings indicate that, specifically for boys, playing a violent video game should lead to more aggression than watching television violence. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

What Is the Key for Older People to Show Interest in Playing Digital Learning Games? Initial Qualitative Findings from the LEAGE Project on a Multicultural European Sample.

PubMed

Diaz-Orueta, Unai; Facal, David; Nap, Henk Herman; Ranga, Myrto-Maria

2012-04-01

Learning digital games can influence both older adults' health condition and their capacity to carry on activities in their actual environment. The goal of the current study was to explore and define the user requirements for developing digital learning games for older Europeans, focusing on types of learning games, motivational and social aspects, and preferences on game controllers. For this initial stage, a qualitative focus group study was performed in three participating countries (Spain, The Netherlands, and Greece) where both games existing in the market and others developed in other European Commission projects like HERMES were presented to them, both on video presentations and also with the possibility to actually test some of them. Challenge, socialization, fun, providing learning opportunities, and escape from daily routine were extracted as the main keys why older people would be interested in playing digital games. Users described themselves as active and participating in many leisure activities, and this level of activity appeared to be related with the contents proposed for digital games, such as physical activity, culture, arts, and other human sciences (history, geography, traveling, foreign languages, music), and daily life skills (cooking, computer use, first aid). The knowledge gathered from the focus groups will be used as input for the design of a learning game that will be largely compatible with the needs and abilities of a wide range of older Europeans.

The Contribution of Game Genre and other Use Patterns to Problem Video Game Play among Adult Video Gamers.

PubMed

Elliott, Luther; Ream, Geoffrey; McGinsky, Elizabeth; Dunlap, Eloise

2012-12-01

AIMS: To assess the contribution of patterns of video game play, including game genre, involvement, and time spent gaming, to problem use symptomatology. DESIGN: Nationally representative survey. SETTING: Online. PARTICIPANTS: Large sample (n=3,380) of adult video gamers in the US. MEASUREMENTS: Problem video game play (PVGP) scale, video game genre typology, use patterns (gaming days in the past month and hours on days used), enjoyment, consumer involvement, and background variables. FINDINGS: Study confirms game genre's contribution to problem use as well as demographic variation in play patterns that underlie problem video game play vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of a small group of game types positively correlated with problem use suggests new directions for research into the specific design elements and reward mechanics of "addictive" video games. Unique vulnerabilities to problem use among certain groups demonstrate the need for ongoing investigation of health disparities related to contextual dimensions of video game play.

The Contribution of Game Genre and other Use Patterns to Problem Video Game Play among Adult Video Gamers

PubMed Central

Ream, Geoffrey; McGinsky, Elizabeth; Dunlap, Eloise

2012-01-01

Aims To assess the contribution of patterns of video game play, including game genre, involvement, and time spent gaming, to problem use symptomatology. Design Nationally representative survey. Setting Online. Participants Large sample (n=3,380) of adult video gamers in the US. Measurements Problem video game play (PVGP) scale, video game genre typology, use patterns (gaming days in the past month and hours on days used), enjoyment, consumer involvement, and background variables. Findings Study confirms game genre's contribution to problem use as well as demographic variation in play patterns that underlie problem video game play vulnerability. Conclusions Identification of a small group of game types positively correlated with problem use suggests new directions for research into the specific design elements and reward mechanics of “addictive” video games. Unique vulnerabilities to problem use among certain groups demonstrate the need for ongoing investigation of health disparities related to contextual dimensions of video game play. PMID:23284310

Energy cost and game flow of 5 exer-games in trained players.

PubMed

Bronner, Shaw; Pinsker, Russell; Noah, J Adam

2013-05-01

To determine energy expenditure and player experience in exer-games designed for novel platforms. Energy cost of 7 trained players was measured in 5 music-based exer-games. Participants answered a questionnaire about "game flow," experience of enjoyment, and immersion in game play. Energy expenditure during game play ranged from moderate to vigorous intensity (4 - 9 MET). Participant achieved highest MET levels and game flow while playing StepMania and lowest MET levels and game flow when playing Wii Just Dance 3(®) and Kinect Dance Central™. Game flow scores positively correlated with MET levels. Physiological measurement and game flow testing during game development may help to optimize exer-game player activity and experience.

Failure to Demonstrate That Playing Violent Video Games Diminishes Prosocial Behavior

PubMed Central

Tear, Morgan J.; Nielsen, Mark

2013-01-01

Background Past research has found that playing a classic prosocial video game resulted in heightened prosocial behavior when compared to a control group, whereas playing a classic violent video game had no effect. Given purported links between violent video games and poor social behavior, this result is surprising. Here our aim was to assess whether this finding may be due to the specific games used. That is, modern games are experienced differently from classic games (more immersion in virtual environments, more connection with characters, etc.) and it may be that playing violent video games impacts prosocial behavior only when contemporary versions are used. Methods and Findings Experiments 1 and 2 explored the effects of playing contemporary violent, non-violent, and prosocial video games on prosocial behavior, as measured by the pen-drop task. We found that slight contextual changes in the delivery of the pen-drop task led to different rates of helping but that the type of game played had little effect. Experiment 3 explored this further by using classic games. Again, we found no effect. Conclusions We failed to find evidence that playing video games affects prosocial behavior. Research on the effects of video game play is of significant public interest. It is therefore important that speculation be rigorously tested and findings replicated. Here we fail to substantiate conjecture that playing contemporary violent video games will lead to diminished prosocial behavior. PMID:23844191

Failure to demonstrate that playing violent video games diminishes prosocial behavior.

PubMed

Tear, Morgan J; Nielsen, Mark

2013-01-01

Past research has found that playing a classic prosocial video game resulted in heightened prosocial behavior when compared to a control group, whereas playing a classic violent video game had no effect. Given purported links between violent video games and poor social behavior, this result is surprising. Here our aim was to assess whether this finding may be due to the specific games used. That is, modern games are experienced differently from classic games (more immersion in virtual environments, more connection with characters, etc.) and it may be that playing violent video games impacts prosocial behavior only when contemporary versions are used. Experiments 1 and 2 explored the effects of playing contemporary violent, non-violent, and prosocial video games on prosocial behavior, as measured by the pen-drop task. We found that slight contextual changes in the delivery of the pen-drop task led to different rates of helping but that the type of game played had little effect. Experiment 3 explored this further by using classic games. Again, we found no effect. We failed to find evidence that playing video games affects prosocial behavior. Research on the effects of video game play is of significant public interest. It is therefore important that speculation be rigorously tested and findings replicated. Here we fail to substantiate conjecture that playing contemporary violent video games will lead to diminished prosocial behavior.

Artificial intelligence: Learning to play Go from scratch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Satinder; Okun, Andy; Jackson, Andrew

2017-10-01

An artificial-intelligence program called AlphaGo Zero has mastered the game of Go without any human data or guidance. A computer scientist and two members of the American Go Association discuss the implications. See Article p.354

Role Play in Blended Learning: A Case Study Exploring the Impact of Story and Other Elements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dracup, Mary

2008-01-01

Role play is an increasingly popular technique in tertiary education, being student centred, constructivist and suitable for a range of subject areas. The choice of formats is wide open, with options ranging from the traditional face to face performance through to multi-user online computer games. Some teachers prefer to take advantage of features…

Playable stories: Making programming and 3D role-playing game design personally and socially relevant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ingram-Goble, Adam

This is an exploratory design study of a novel system for learning programming and 3D role-playing game design as tools for social change. This study was conducted at two sites. Participants in the study were ages 9-14 and worked for up to 15 hours with the platform to learn how to program and design video games with personally or socially relevant narratives. This first study was successful in that students learned to program a narrative game, and they viewed the social problem framing for the practices as an interesting aspect of the experience. The second study provided illustrative examples of how providing less general structure up-front, afforded players the opportunity to produce the necessary structures as needed for their particular design, and therefore had a richer understanding of what those structures represented. This study demonstrates that not only were participants able to use computational thinking skills such as Boolean and conditional logic, planning, modeling, abstraction, and encapsulation, they were able to bridge these skills to social domains they cared about. In particular, participants created stories about socially relevant topics without to explicit pushes by the instructors. The findings also suggest that the rapid uptake, and successful creation of personally and socially relevant narratives may have been facilitated by close alignment between the conceptual tools represented in the platform, and the domain of 3D role-playing games.

Is basic personality related to violent and non-violent video game play and preferences?

PubMed

Chory, Rebecca M; Goodboy, Alan K

2011-04-01

Based on the uses and gratifications perspective, personality was expected to relate to violent video game play frequency and game preferences. Participants completed measures of personality and frequency of violent video game play, and identified their most frequently played video games. Results indicate that individuals higher in openness but lower in agreeableness played violent video games more frequently. In addition, more open and extroverted but less agreeable and neurotic individuals generally preferred to play video games that are more violent. Results suggest personality may be more predictive of violent video game use than traditional media use, though the predictive personality dimensions may be consistent across media types.

Effective seeding strategy in evolutionary prisoner's dilemma games on online social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Bo; Shi, Huibin; Wang, Jianwei; Huang, Yun

2015-04-01

This paper explores effective seeding strategies in prisoner's dilemma game (PDG) on online social networks, i.e. the optimal strategy to obtain global cooperation with minimum cost. Three distinct seeding strategies are compared by performing computer simulations on real online social network datasets. Our finding suggests that degree centrality seeding outperforms other strategies regardless of the initial payoff setting or network size. Celebrities of online social networks play key roles in preserving cooperation.

Media Violence Effects on Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.

PubMed

Anderson, Craig A

2016-07-01

I killed my first Klingon in 1979. It took place in the computer center at Stanford University, where I was playing a new video game based on the Star Trek television series. I was an "early adopter" of the new technology of video games, and continued to be so for many years, first as a fan of this entertainment medium, and later as a researcher interested in the question of what environmental factors influence aggressive and violent behavior.

Game-Based Rehabilitation for Myoelectric Prosthesis Control

PubMed Central

Vujaklija, Ivan; Kayali, Fares; Purgathofer, Peter; Aszmann, Oskar C

2017-01-01

Background A high number of upper extremity myoelectric prosthesis users abandon their devices due to difficulties in prosthesis control and lack of motivation to train in absence of a physiotherapist. Virtual training systems, in the form of video games, provide patients with an entertaining and intuitive method for improved muscle coordination and improved overall control. Complementary to established rehabilitation protocols, it is highly beneficial for this virtual training process to start even before receiving the final prosthesis, and to be continued at home for as long as needed. Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate (1) the short-term effects of a commercially available electromyographic (EMG) system on controllability after a simple video game-based rehabilitation protocol, and (2) different input methods, control mechanisms, and games. Methods Eleven able-bodied participants with no prior experience in EMG control took part in this study. Participants were asked to perform a surface EMG test evaluating their provisional maximum muscle contraction, fine accuracy and isolation of electrode activation, and endurance control over at least 300 seconds. These assessments were carried out (1) in a Pregaming session before interacting with three EMG-controlled computer games, (2) in a Postgaming session after playing the games, and (3) in a Follow-Up session two days after the gaming protocol to evaluate short-term retention rate. After each game, participants were given a user evaluation survey for the assessment of the games and their input mechanisms. Participants also received a questionnaire regarding their intrinsic motivation (Intrinsic Motivation Inventory) at the end of the last game. Results Results showed a significant improvement in fine accuracy electrode activation (P<.01), electrode separation (P=.02), and endurance control (P<.01) from Pregaming EMG assessments to the Follow-Up measurement. The deviation around the EMG goal value diminished and the opposing electrode was activated less frequently. Participants had the most fun playing the games when collecting items and facing challenging game play. Conclusions Most upper limb amputees use a 2-channel myoelectric prosthesis control. This study demonstrates that this control can be effectively trained by employing a video game-based rehabilitation protocol. PMID:28183689

Cracking Bank PINs by Playing Mastermind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Focardi, Riccardo; Luccio, Flaminia L.

The bank director was pretty upset noticing Joe, the system administrator, spending his spare time playing Mastermind, an old useless game of the 70ies. He had fought the instinct of telling him how to better spend his life, just limiting to look at him in disgust long enough to be certain to be noticed. No wonder when the next day the director fell on his chair astonished while reading, on the newspaper, about a huge digital fraud on the ATMs of his bank, with millions of Euros stolen by a team of hackers all around the world. The article mentioned how the hackers had 'played with the bank computers just like playing Mastermind', being able to disclose thousands of user PINs during the one-hour lunch break. That precise moment, a second before falling senseless, he understood the subtle smile on Joe's face the day before, while training at his preferred game, Mastermind.

Modelling the costs of natural hazards in games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bostenaru-Dan, M.

2012-04-01

We will present the application of (socio-)economic models coming from games theory to urban planning and to large scale architectural tasks, the most frequent one presented being that of the church. The importance of games will be seen as a continuation of the role played by toys for the development of skills of the architects. While toys dealt with the development of 3D viewing and more realistic "building" focusing, for example, on details, games use stylized construction management models with "symbols" for resources, being it in a board game or in a computer supported social environment. 22 October 1997 to 31 May 1998 the Canadian Centre of Architecture hosted the exhibition "Toy Town". Apart of architecture toys, a field where principles of city building apply are architecture games. City building games are a subgenre of construction and management games, the best know of each is SimCity. In its initial version of 1989 SimCity included disaster scenarios including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, but also flooding, fire etc. During the further development only the fire remained as well implemented as the initial scenarios. It was a way to look at the role of disasters in urban planning, not only as way for a new begin, but also as mitigation and earthquake management. It is to be noted that disasters represented in SimCity 2000 are converted to such which develop in surface, such as fire and flood. Earthquake damage which occures at random buildings is not modelled. Also, the fight against the consequences of the disaster, fire and flood are done in a realtime first hand action game, not as construction management game. However, there are costs associated to mitigating the disaster, such as the costs for fire fighters. Today such city building games evolved to 3D applications, the semantic enrichment of which involves the economic model. The digital 3D model will be compared with the "hard copy" 3D model which architecture toys represent. Models for SimCity are looked for today, including a development at the University of Torino called SimTorino, which simulates the development of the city in the next 20 years. The connection to another games genre as video games, the board games, will be investigated, since there are games on construction and reconstruction of a cathedral and its tower and a bridge in an urban environment of the middle ages based on the two novels of Ken Follett, "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" and also more recent games, such as "Urban Sprawl" or the Romanian game "Habitat", dealing with the man-made hazard of demolition. A review of these games will be provided based on first hand playing experience. In games like "World without End" or "Pillars of the Earth", just like in the recently popular games of Zynga on social networks, construction management is done through providing "building" an item out of stylised materials, such as "stone", "sand" or more specific ones as "nail". Such approach could be used also for retrofitting buildings for earthquakes, in the series of "upgrade", not just for extension as it is currently in games, and this is what our research is about. "World without End" includes a natural disaster not so analysed today but which was judged by the author as the worst of manhood: the Black Death. The Black Death has effects and costs as well, not only modelled through action cards, but also on the built environment, by buildings remaining empty. On the other hand, games such as "Habitat" rely on role playing, which has been recently recognised as a way to bring games theory to decision making through the so-called contribution of drama, a way to solve conflicts through balancing instead of weighting, and thus related to Analytic Hierarchy Process. The presentation aims to also give hints on how to design a game for the problem of earthquake retrofit, translating the aims of the actors in such a process into role playing. Games are also employed in teaching of urban planning, as in the regional planning curricula at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, including a role playing game based on the Green Revolution Game, which builds the basis for getting data for further project study. This one included natural hazards such as drought, and their costs. They also play a role in building public space, as in case of "Habitat", which was designed to activate the civil society in café. City investigation games may not take only the shape of computer or board games, they may be played in a wider city environment. From activation of public spaces in frame of cultural capitals in Austria, there are models of urban "races" to find landmarks, such as Klosterrallye in Karlsruhe, Germany, also included as a step at another geographic scale in the "Green CCA" game developed at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Simpler games include the use of software such as Flash/Director to identify quiz like aspects related to architecture features, as employed by the Reseau Art Nouveau but also to disasters such as the San Francisco earthquake. We will present how to program such a game.

Physiological Signal Analysis for Evaluating Flow during Playing of Computer Games of Varying Difficulty.

PubMed

Tian, Yu; Bian, Yulong; Han, Piguo; Wang, Peng; Gao, Fengqiang; Chen, Yingmin

2017-01-01

Flow is the experience of effortless attention, reduced self-consciousness, and a deep sense of control that typically occurs during the optimal performance of challenging tasks. On the basis of the person-artifact-task model, we selected computer games (tasks) with varying levels of difficulty (difficult, medium, and easy) and shyness (personality) as flow precursors to study the physiological activity of users in a flow state. Cardiac and respiratory activity and mean changes in skin conductance (SC) were measured continuously while the participants ( n = 40) played the games. Moreover, the associations between self-reported psychological flow and physiological measures were investigated through a series of repeated-measures analyses. The results showed that the flow experience is related to a faster respiratory rate, deeper respiration, moderate heart rate (HR), moderate HR variability, and moderate SC. The main effect of shyness was non-significant, whereas the interaction of shyness and difficulty influenced the flow experience. These findings are discussed in relation to current models of arousal and valence. The results indicate that the flow state is a state of moderate mental effort that arises through the increased parasympathetic modulation of sympathetic activity.

Physiological Signal Analysis for Evaluating Flow during Playing of Computer Games of Varying Difficulty

PubMed Central

Tian, Yu; Bian, Yulong; Han, Piguo; Wang, Peng; Gao, Fengqiang; Chen, Yingmin

2017-01-01

Flow is the experience of effortless attention, reduced self-consciousness, and a deep sense of control that typically occurs during the optimal performance of challenging tasks. On the basis of the person–artifact–task model, we selected computer games (tasks) with varying levels of difficulty (difficult, medium, and easy) and shyness (personality) as flow precursors to study the physiological activity of users in a flow state. Cardiac and respiratory activity and mean changes in skin conductance (SC) were measured continuously while the participants (n = 40) played the games. Moreover, the associations between self-reported psychological flow and physiological measures were investigated through a series of repeated-measures analyses. The results showed that the flow experience is related to a faster respiratory rate, deeper respiration, moderate heart rate (HR), moderate HR variability, and moderate SC. The main effect of shyness was non-significant, whereas the interaction of shyness and difficulty influenced the flow experience. These findings are discussed in relation to current models of arousal and valence. The results indicate that the flow state is a state of moderate mental effort that arises through the increased parasympathetic modulation of sympathetic activity. PMID:28725206

Cue reactivity and its inhibition in pathological computer game players.

PubMed

Lorenz, Robert C; Krüger, Jenny-Kathinka; Neumann, Britta; Schott, Björn H; Kaufmann, Christian; Heinz, Andreas; Wüstenberg, Torsten

2013-01-01

Despite a rising social relevance of pathological computer game playing, it remains unclear whether the neurobiological basis of this addiction-like behavioral disorder and substance-related addiction are comparable. In substance-related addiction, attentional bias and cue reactivity are often observed. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance study using a dot probe paradigm with short-presentation (attentional bias) and long-presentation (cue reactivity) trials in eight male pathological computer game players (PCGPs) and nine healthy controls (HCs). Computer game-related and neutral computer-generated pictures, as well as pictures from the International Affective Picture System with positive and neutral valence, served as stimuli. PCGPs showed an attentional bias toward both game-related and affective stimuli with positive valence. In contrast, HCs showed no attentional bias effect at all. PCGPs showed stronger brain responses in short-presentation trials compared with HCs in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and anterior cingulate gyrus and in long-presentation trials in lingual gyrus. In an exploratory post hoc functional connectivity analyses, for long-presentation trials, connectivity strength was higher between right inferior frontal gyrus, which was associated with inhibition processing in previous studies, and cue reactivity-related regions (left orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum) in PCGPs. We observed behavioral and neural effects in PCGPs, which are comparable with those found in substance-related addiction. However, cue-related brain responses were depending on duration of cue presentation. Together with the connectivity result, these findings suggest that top-down inhibitory processes might suppress the cue reactivity-related neural activity in long-presentation trials. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction Biology © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Play to Learn, Learn to Play: Language Learning through Gaming Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryu, Dongwan

2013-01-01

Many researchers have investigated learning through playing games. However, after playing games, players often go online to establish and participate in the online community where they enrich their game experiences, discuss game-related issues, and create fan-fictions, screenshots, or scenarios. Although these emerging activities are an essential…

Analysis of context dependence in social interaction networks of a massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

PubMed

Son, Seokshin; Kang, Ah Reum; Kim, Hyun-chul; Kwon, Taekyoung; Park, Juyong; Kim, Huy Kang

2012-01-01

Rapid advances in modern computing and information technology have enabled millions of people to interact online via various social network and gaming services. The widespread adoption of such online services have made possible analysis of large-scale archival data containing detailed human interactions, presenting a very promising opportunity to understand the rich and complex human behavior. In collaboration with a leading global provider of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs), here we present a network science-based analysis of the interplay between distinct types of user interaction networks in the virtual world. We find that their properties depend critically on the nature of the context-interdependence of the interactions, highlighting the complex and multilayered nature of human interactions, a robust understanding of which we believe may prove instrumental in the designing of more realistic future virtual arenas as well as provide novel insights to the science of collective human behavior.

Reevaluating the impact of video games.

PubMed

Funk, J B

1993-02-01

The evolution of the video game phenomenon is reviewed and contemporary data are presented. A survey assessing frequency and location of play and game preference was completed by 357 seventh- and eighth-grade students. In this middle-class sample, about two thirds of girls played video games at least one to two hours per week at home, but only 20% played in arcades. About 90% of boys played in the home and about 50% in arcades. Approximately half of preferred games were from one of two categories of violent games, while 2% of preferred games were educational. Parent education about the influence of the media should include recommendations to monitor game playing and influence game selection.

Active and non-active video gaming among Dutch adolescents: who plays and how much?

PubMed

Simons, Monique; de Vet, Emely; Brug, Johannes; Seidell, Jaap; Chinapaw, Mai J M

2014-11-01

The aim of study was to determine prevalence and identify demographic correlates of active and non-active gaming among adolescents. Cross-sectional. A survey, assessing game behavior and correlates, was conducted among adolescents (12-16 years, n = 373), recruited via schools. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine demographic correlates of active gaming (≥ 1 h per week) and non-active gaming (>7h per week). Of all participants (n=373), 3% reported to play exclusively active games, 40% active games and non-active games, 40% exclusively non-active games, and 17% not playing video games at all. Active gaming adolescents played active games on average on 1.5 (sd = 1.2) days per school week for 36 (sd = 32.9)min and 1 (sd = 0.54) day per weekend for 42 (sd = 36.5)min. Non-active gaming adolescents played on average on 3.3 (sd = 1.6) days per school week for 65 (sd = 46.0)min and 1.4 (sd = 0.65) days per weekend for 80 (sd = 50.8)min. Adolescents attending lower levels of education were more likely to play active games ≥ 1 h per week than adolescents attending higher educational levels. Boys and older adolescents were more likely to play non-active games >7h per week, than girls or younger adolescents. Many adolescents play active games, especially those following a lower educational level, but time spent in this activity is relatively low compared to non-active gaming. To be feasible as a public health strategy, active gaming interventions should achieve more time is spent on active gaming at the expense of non-active gaming. Copyright © 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prisoner's dilemma on scale-free networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallos, Lazaros

2005-07-01

In this work, we study via computer simulations the spatial prisoner's dilemma (PD) game for the general case where the distribution of the connections between the individuals playing the game obeys a power law. This distribution has been shown to describe many aspects of social acquaintances, while the PD game is a powerful tool for studying mutual trust and cooperation among individuals. We study this model under different conditions, such as varying degree of connectivity and payoff value. Depending on the exact conditions of the game, we observe a plethora of behaviors for the percentage of cooperating agents. For example, the same network may settle in an equilibrium configuration of either low or high percentage of cooperators, or induce a transition between these two regimes.

The effect of opponent type on human performance in a three-alternative choice task.

PubMed

Lie, Celia; Baxter, Jennifer; Alsop, Brent

2013-10-01

Adult participants played computerised games of "Paper Scissors Rock". Participants in one group were told that they were playing against the computer, and those in the other group were told that they were playing against another participant in the adjacent room. The participant who won the most games would receive a $50 prize. For both groups however, the opponent's responses (paper, scissors, or rock) were generated by the computer, and the distribution of these responses was varied across four blocks of 126 trials. Results were analysed using the generalised matching law for the three possible pairs of alternatives (paper vs. scissors, paper vs. rock, and scissors vs. rock) across all participants in each group. Overall, significantly higher estimates of sensitivity to the distribution of opponent's responses were obtained from participants who were told their opponent was a computer compared to participants who were told their opponent was another participant. While adding to the existing literature showing that the generalised matching law is an adequate descriptor of human three-alternative choice behaviour, these findings show that external factors such as perceived opponent type can affect the efficacy of reinforcer contingencies on human behaviour. This suggests that generalising the results from tasks performed against a computer to real-life human-to-human interactions warrants some caution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The association between information and communication technology exposure and physical activity, musculoskeletal and visual symptoms and socio-economic status in 5-year-olds.

PubMed

Straker, L M; Pollock, C M; Zubrick, S R; Kurinczuk, J J

2006-05-01

Increasing use of computers by children has raised concerns over the potential impact on their cognitive, social, educational, visual and physical development. Despite this concern, there are no large-scale studies relating the use of computers to specific health indicators in children as they reach school age. A cross-sectional analysis of 1600 5-year-old Western Australian children participating in a longitudinal cohort study was conducted to ascertain their computer use, other activities (watching television and videos, playing electronic games, reading and looking at books, drawing on paper and moderate to vigorous physical activity), and specific health indicators. More than half (56%) of the children used computers each week. Computer use was significantly related to TV viewing (OR 1.97 weekday) and electronic game use (console games OR 2.48 weekday, 1.81 weekend; hand-held games OR 1.88 weekend) and negatively associated with vigorous physical activity on weekends (OR 0.72). Computer use was also significantly related to socio-economic indicators such as the mother being older (40+ years, OR 1.70 weekend, 1.73 weekday), tertiary educated (OR 1.63 weekend) and studying (OR 1.52 weekend, 1.41 weekday). Almost 1% children were reported to have complained of tired or sore muscles, and 2.2% had complained of tired or sore eyes, after watching television or using a computer. A substantial proportion of 5-year-old Western Australian children are using computers. Computer use was related to other sedentary activities and less vigorous activity. While musculoskeletal and vision problems are not widespread, their presence and the sedentary nature of computer use is of public health concern.

Effect of playing violent video games cooperatively or competitively on subsequent cooperative behavior.

PubMed

Ewoldsen, David R; Eno, Cassie A; Okdie, Bradley M; Velez, John A; Guadagno, Rosanna E; DeCoster, Jamie

2012-05-01

Research on video games has yielded consistent findings that violent video games increase aggression and decrease prosocial behavior. However, these studies typically examined single-player games. Of interest is the effect of cooperative play in a violent video game on subsequent cooperative or competitive behavior. Participants played Halo II (a first-person shooter game) cooperatively or competitively and then completed a modified prisoner's dilemma task to assess competitive and cooperative behavior. Compared with the competitive play conditions, players in the cooperative condition engaged in more tit-for-tat behaviors-a pattern of behavior that typically precedes cooperative behavior. The social context of game play influenced subsequent behavior more than the content of the game that was played.

Having mentors and campus social networks moderates the impact of worries and video gaming on depressive symptoms: a moderated mediation analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Easy access to the internet has spawned a wealth of research to investigate the effects of its use on depression. However, one limitation of many previous studies is that they disregard the interactive mechanisms of risk and protective factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate a resilience model in the relationship between worry, daily internet video game playing, daily sleep duration, mentors, social networks and depression, using a moderated mediation analysis. Methods 6068 Korean undergraduate and graduate students participated in this study. The participants completed a web-based mental health screening questionnaire including the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and information about number of worries, number of mentors, number of campus social networks, daily sleep duration, daily amount of internet video game playing and daily amount of internet searching on computer or smartphone. A moderated mediation analysis was carried out using the PROCESS macro which allowed the inclusion of mediators and moderator in the same model. Results The results showed that the daily amount of internet video game playing and daily sleep duration partially mediated the association between the number of worries and the severity of depression. In addition, the mediating effect of the daily amount of internet video game playing was moderated by both the number of mentors and the number of campus social networks. Conclusions The current findings indicate that the negative impact of worry on depression through internet video game playing can be buffered when students seek to have a number of mentors and campus social networks. Interventions should therefore target individuals who have higher number of worries but seek only a few mentors or campus social networks. Social support via campus mentorship and social networks ameliorate the severity of depression in university students. PMID:24884864

Video Games: Competing with Machines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Jarice

This study was designed to compare the attitudinal and lifestyle patterns of video game players with the amount of time they play, the number of games they play, and the types of video games they play, to determine whether their personal use of time and attitude toward leisure is different when playing video games. Subjects were 200 individuals…

Play for Play's Sake: Cooperative Games As a Strategy for Integration. Revised Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGill, Judith

This manual makes a case for cooperative (as opposed to competitive) play among disabled and nondisabled children. Part 1, which concerns the philosophy involved, discusses the rationale for cooperative games, the importance of play, cooperative games as an alternative, components of cooperative games, structure of cooperative games, and…

The Role of Structural Characteristics in Problematic Video Game Play: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Daniel L.; Delfabbro, Paul H.; Griffiths, Mark D.

2011-01-01

The research literature suggests that the structural characteristics of video games may play a considerable role in the initiation, development and maintenance of problematic video game playing. The present study investigated the role of structural characteristics in video game playing behaviour within a sample of 421 video game players aged…

Video Games: Research, Ratings, Recommendations. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cesarone, Bernard

This Digest reviews research on the demographics and effects of video game playing, discusses game rating systems, and offers recommendations for parents. The Digest begins by discussing research on the time children spend playing electronic games, which shows that younger children's game playing at home (90% of fourth-graders played at least one…

Drinking game participation among college students: gender and ethnic implications.

PubMed

Pedersen, Eric R; LaBrie, Joseph

2006-11-01

Participation in drinking games by college students has recently sparked research attention. While previous research indicates that women play drinking games at lower frequencies than men, the current study reveals that college women may be playing games at rates similar to college men. In a sample of 105 coed college students, participants completed a 3-month Timeline Followback recording every drinking event and quantity consumed. They then were prompted to identify which drinking events involved drinking games and how much alcohol was consumed during game playing. Both men and women engaged in drinking games at similar rates and consumed more drinks on game playing days than on non-game drinking days. However, drinking game participation was related to alcohol-related consequences in women only. Further, while Caucasian participants played drinking games more often than non-Caucasian participants, an association between game participation and alcohol-related consequences emerged in non-Caucasian participants.

The energy expenditure of an activity-promoting video game compared to sedentary video games and TV watching.

PubMed

Mitre, Naim; Foster, Randal C; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine; Levine, James A

2011-01-01

In the present study we investigated the effect of television watching and the use of activity-promoting video games on energy expenditure in obese and lean children. Energy expenditure and physical activity were measured while participants were watching television, playing a video game on a traditional sedentary video game console, and while playing the same video game on an activity-promoting video game console. Energy expenditure was significantly greater than television watching and playing video games on a sedentary video game console when children played the video game on the activity-promoting console. When examining movement with accelerometry, children moved significantly more when playing the video game on the Nintendo Wii console. Activity-promoting video games have shown to increase movement, and be an important tool to raise energy expenditure by 50% when compared to sedentary activities of daily living.

Verbal Synchrony and Action Dynamics in Large Groups

PubMed Central

von Zimmermann, Jorina; Richardson, Daniel C.

2016-01-01

While synchronized movement has been shown to increase liking and feelings of togetherness between people, we investigated whether collective speaking in time would change the way that larger groups played a video game together. Anthropologists have speculated that the function of interpersonal coordination in dance, chants, and singing is not just to produce warm, affiliative feelings, but also to improve group action. The group that chants and dances together hunts well together. Direct evidence for this is sparse, as research so far has mainly studied pairs, the effects of coordinated physical movement, and measured cooperation and affiliative decisions. In our experiment, large groups of people were given response handsets to play a computer game together, in which only joint coordinative efforts lead to success. Before playing, the synchrony of their verbal behavior was manipulated. After the game, we measured group members’ affiliation toward their group, their performance on a memory task, and the way in which they played the group action task. We found that verbal synchrony in large groups produced affiliation, enhanced memory performance, and increased group members’ coordinative efforts. Our evidence suggests that the effects of synchrony are stable across modalities, can be generalized to larger groups and have consequences for action coordination. PMID:28082944

Investment and repayment in a trust game after ventromedial prefrontal damage.

PubMed

Moretto, Giovanna; Sellitto, Manuela; di Pellegrino, Giuseppe

2013-01-01

Although trust and reciprocity are ubiquitous in social exchange, their neurobiological substrate remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)-a brain region critical for valuing social information-on individuals' decisions in a trust game and in a risk game. In the trust game, one player, the investor, is endowed with a sum of money, which she can keep or invest. The amount she decides to invest is tripled and sent to the other player, the trustee, who then decides what fraction to return to the investor. In separate runs, ten patients with focal bilateral damage to the vmPFC and control participants made decision while playing in the role of either investor or trustee with different anonymous counterparts in each run. A risk game was also included in which the investor faced exactly the same decisions as in the trust game, but a random device (i.e., a computer), not another player, determined the final payoffs. Results showed that vmPFC patients' investments were not modulated by the type of opponent player (e.g., human vs. computer) present in the environment. Thus, vmPFC patients showed comparable risk-taking preferences both in social (trust game) and nonsocial (risk game) contexts. In stark contrast, control participants were less willing to take risk and invest when they believed that they were interacting with people than a computer. Furthermore, when acted as trustee, vmPFC patients made lower back transfers toward investors, thereby showing less reciprocity behavior. Taken together, these results indicate that social valuation and emotion subserved by vmPFC have a critical role in trusting and reciprocity decisions. The present findings support the hypothesis that vmPFC damage may impair affective systems specifically designed for mediating social transaction with other individuals.

Acceptance of Serious Games in Psychotherapy: An Inquiry into the Stance of Therapists and Patients.

PubMed

Eichenberg, Christiane; Grabmayer, Gloria; Green, Nikos

2016-11-01

Serious games are computer or video games that contain elements that are specifically designed for the purpose of education or training. Serious games are increasingly being used within healthcare, but their introduction into and application in psychotherapeutic settings as an e-mental health treatment modality raises questions for both patients and therapists. Current research demonstrates the potential role and effectiveness of serious games within a psychotherapeutic context. However, a limited understanding of patients' and therapists' existing knowledge and experience of serious games, as well as of their readiness to utilize and apply them for the treatment of psychological conditions, requires further investigation. Acceptance, experience, and requirements for the utilization of serious games in therapeutic contexts were assessed through online surveys with German-speaking patients (n = 260) and psychotherapists (n = 234). Respondents' answers were analyzed by a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics by using SPSS. Current knowledge regarding serious games was very limited, with only 10.4% of patients and 11.5% of therapists reporting existing knowledge. However, a general openness toward the concept was observed: 88% of patients and 90% of therapists could envisage a therapeutic use. Patients (rs = 0.169, p = 0.006) who self-rated their level of computer and video game expertise as high were more likely to consider use within psychotherapy, compared with patients who self-rated their expertise as low. Therapists who currently play computer and video games perceive fewer disadvantages of serious game application in a psychotherapeutic context (p = 0.097). Consideration of serious game use was differentiated by the therapeutic approach (p = 0.003), specific mental disorders (highest rated relevant cases: anxiety disorders, affective disorders, disorders regarding impulse control, and adjustment disorders), and patient age (i.e., use with young adults was deemed the most appropriate by 91.8% of therapists). The application of serious games is conceivable for patients and therapists, especially as a complementary element to traditional face-to-face psychotherapy. Acceptance is strongly related to therapeutic context. Only a small number of therapists and patients agree on the possibility of using a serious game instead of face-to-face therapy.

The lone gamer: Social exclusion predicts violent video game preferences and fuels aggressive inclinations in adolescent players.

PubMed

Gabbiadini, Alessandro; Riva, Paolo

2018-03-01

Violent video game playing has been linked to a wide range of negative outcomes, especially in adolescents. In the present research, we focused on a potential determinant of adolescents' willingness to play violent video games: social exclusion. We also tested whether exclusion can predict increased aggressiveness following violent video game playing. In two experiments, we predicted that exclusion could increase adolescents' preferences for violent video games and interact with violent game playing fostering adolescents' aggressive inclinations. In Study 1, 121 adolescents (aged 10-18 years) were randomly assigned to a manipulation of social exclusion. Then, they evaluated the violent content of nine different video games (violent, nonviolent, or prosocial) and reported their willingness to play each presented video game. The results showed that excluded participants expressed a greater willingness to play violent games than nonviolent or prosocial games. No such effect was found for included participants. In Study 2, both inclusionary status and video game contents were manipulated. After a manipulation of inclusionary status, 113 adolescents (aged 11-16 years) were randomly assigned to play either a violent or a nonviolent video game. Then, they were given an opportunity to express their aggressive inclinations toward the excluders. Results showed that excluded participants who played a violent game displayed the highest level of aggressive inclinations than participants who were assigned to the other experimental conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that exclusion increases preferences for violent games and that the combination of exclusion and violent game playing fuels aggressive inclinations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

More than just fun and games: the longitudinal relationships between strategic video games, self-reported problem solving skills, and academic grades.

PubMed

Adachi, Paul J C; Willoughby, Teena

2013-07-01

Some researchers have proposed that video games possess good learning principles and may promote problem solving skills. Empirical research regarding this relationship, however, is limited. The goal of the presented study was to examine whether strategic video game play (i.e., role playing and strategy games) predicted self-reported problem solving skills among a sample of 1,492 adolescents (50.8 % female), over the four high school years. The results showed that more strategic video game play predicted higher self-reported problem solving skills over time than less strategic video game play. In addition, the results showed support for an indirect association between strategic video game play and academic grades, in that strategic video game play predicted higher self-reported problem solving skills, and, in turn, higher self-reported problem solving skills predicted higher academic grades. The novel findings that strategic video games promote self-reported problem solving skills and indirectly predict academic grades are important considering that millions of adolescents play video games every day.

"Save Yourselves": an App to Improve Correct Behaviors in Earth Environmental Emergency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maraffi, S.; Sacerdoti, F. M., Sr.

2017-12-01

Save yourselves is an App from the methodological experience of Learning on Gaming, accredited under a Ph.D. in "Teaching and Learning Processes in the Earth Sciences Education". The Ph.D. project belongs to the School of Science and Technology of Camerino University, Italy, and has developed until now on the application of Learning on Gaming to Digital Game Based Learning, through a Computer Class Role Playing Game (CCRPG). Learning on Gaming is a new teaching approach: to learn while playing, that is different from Edutainment, designed both to educate and entertain, and Gaming to Learn, which consists of playing a game without specific didactic to outcome knowledge. With Learning on Gaming the game "hides" didactic inside the game: this could improve learning processes and, at the same time, renew teaching competences of mentors. Adventure pathways of these CCRPG are focused on Earth Sciences and are interdisciplinary, multilanguage and they are a good example of innovative teaching. As a CCRPG spin-off, "Save Yourselves" is an App for Educators, Trainers, Teachers, Students, Self-Made People …, to know the earthquakes and volcanoes and strategies to reduce the risks associated with these phenomena. The App is intended to provide the most immediate and useful way to behave in the event of a geological emergency, with particular reference to volcanology emergency and seismic emergency. It can be used at school to optimize security education measures, but it can also be a game that is useful to rethink what has been learned. Teaching and educational goals: to know the danger associated with an eruption and the associated risk, to obtain awareness of alert levels and cautionary measures, to adopt correct behavior in case of earthquake. "Save yourselves" is for all ages, because there are versions of the activity for kindergarten, primary school and secondary school and it is multilingual. It takes advantage of Games, ICT (Information and Communication Technologies), Innovative Teaching, to activate digital, scientific and technical skills. It use a language more suitable to students to engage their curiosity and to obtain best outcomes.