Abstract
The design and implementation of a serious game (SG) concerning inhibition skills in children are presented. The SG consists of a set of activities, each eliciting the tendency to respond in an immediate and inappropriate (wrong) way. The SG is based on the Dual Pathway Model of ADHD proposed by Sonuga-Barke and on the Unity/Diversity model of executive functions proposed by Miyake. In the SG children must block impulsive tendencies, reflect upon the situation, inhibit irrelevant thoughts and find the non-immediate solution. A study was carried out by testing the SG on typically developing primary school children (30 children, 16 boys; age: M = 9.30 yrs., SD = 0.87) to verify that it measures the same variables addressed by tests usually employed to assess attention ability in children and to diagnose ADHD. Three standardized tasks belonging to the Italian Battery for ADHD were administered, as well as an ad hoc questionnaire devised to check the acceptability, usability and comprehensibility of the SG. Positive correlations between impulsiveness as measured by standard tests and impulsiveness scores in the SG emerged. These findings support the notion that skills associated with the control of impulsivity are involved in the SG. Furthermore, self-report ratings in the questionnaire showed that the SG is easy to be understood, is engaging and elicits positive reactions in children.
Highlights
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V; American Psychiatric Association, 2013)
Within BIA tests, we found that scores in the Ranette test were positively correlated to the interference errors in the Number Stroop test
There was a negative correlation between errors in MF and time of the performance
Summary
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). ADHD is characterized by inattention and hyperactivity. Such symptoms involve the core of executive functions (EFs) (Miyake et al, 2000; Diamond, 2013), namely:. Inhibition is defined as the deliberate overriding of a dominant or assertive response (Miyake and Friedman, 2012). Inhibition is a multicomponential construct itself and comprehends different abilities such as managing impulses and interferences (Nigg et al, 2004; Diamond, 2013). Impulsivity is often linked with a multitude of behaviors or responses that are poorly conceived, premature, or inappropriate and that frequently result in unwanted or deleterious outcomes (Daruna and Barnes, 1993)
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