What Children and Adolescents Do During Video Game Play and What They Think They Do

• In Event: Digital Video Game Play in Children’s Learning and Cognitive Development

Abstract

To date, little is known about the problem-solving skills that children and adolescents use during recreational video game play, an activity in which they often and freely, engage (See Rideout, Foehr, & Roberts, 2010). Given the strong appeal of these games, researchers have shown linkages between recreational video game play and cognitive skill development (see Squires, 2006; Gee, 2003). For example, research with college-age adolescents and adults has also shown that playing video games can contribute to enhanced metacognition (VanDeventer & White, 2002), inductive (Greenfield, et al., 1994) and spatial reasoning (Okagaki & Frensch, 1994), and visual selective attention (Green & Bavelier, 2006a; 2006b). Surprisingly, few studies have examined this linkage among elementary or middle school children (De Lisi & Wolford, 2002; Papastergiou, 2009).
This paper will provide an overview of two studies designed to examine the problem-solving skills and strategies that elementary or middle school student players identify during recreational video game play and their perceptions of the similarities and differences between skill usage in recreational play and school learning. For example, in one study, we highlight the use of think-aloud protocols to elicit 5th-7th graders’ problem-solving strategies while playing a novel video game. Students self-identified as either frequent (played 3 or more times a week) or infrequent (played 2 or fewer times a week) video game players. Among the findings were that 5th-6th graders made greater reference to process goals during game play as opposed to 7th graders. In fact, the 7th graders seemed more attuned to specific actions they were executing during game play. Independent of grade, frequent players made greater reference to outcome goals, and fewer references to game strategies than infrequent players.
In a second study, we discuss the use of focus groups to further elucidate children and adolescents’ impressions of similarities and differences between video game play and school work. Specifically, two focus groups for each of grades 4-8 groups were convened. Within each grade, one group was comprised of frequent game players and one of infrequent game players, to the extent possible. All students noted seeking help as a way to avoid impasses in video game play and in school-based tasks. All students also cited trial and error as the optimal strategy for learning to play video games. Notably, 7th- and 8th - grade frequent players viewed video games as more similar than different from school activities. Frequent players cited more sources for help seeking when resolving game and school-based learning impasses than infrequent players. Collectively, these findings provide an initial view of developmental differences in how children and adolescents approach and construe the skills and approaches used during video game play.

Authors

• Fran C. Blumberg, Fordham University

• Elizabeth Altschuler, Fordham University