Poster #20 - Gaming the Cognitive System: Enhancing Adolescents' Executive Function Skills Through a Game-Based Digital Intervention

• In Event: 77.059 - MTCC Tuesday Poster Session 18
  In Poster Session: 77.059-2 - Game-Based Learning Environments and Elements of Gamification

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a three-week intervention examining outcomes of a digital game intervention designed to train executive function (EF) skills. Participants (N = 86) between the ages of 10-17 (M = 12.9, SD = 2.18) were randomly assigned to either one of two treatment conditions, where they played a game that targeted development of a specific EF skill ( inhibitory control or task-switching), or to the control condition, which they played a commercial game. Participants played six 20-minute computer-sessions of a game, before and after which they completed cognitive assessments to measure EF. Results indicated pretest scores interacted with treatment to affect posttest scores. These findings may guide further inquiry to comprehensively understand the effectiveness of cognitive training games.

Authors

• Teresa M. Ober, Graduate Center of the City University of New York

• Jessica Elena Brodsky, The City University of New York

• Corinne Brenner, New York University

• Maya Rose

• Charles Raffaele, City College of New York - CUNY

• Jan L. Plass, New York University

• Bruce Douglas Homer, City College of New York - CUNY