Vol . 20 No . 3 , 2002 Education and Health 49
Players assume the role of characters who demonstrate good diabetes care practices while working to save a summer camp for children with diabetes from rats and mice who have stolen the supplies .
It is vital that we continue to develop the positive potential of videogames while remaining aware of possible unintended negative effects when game content is not prosocial . help adolescents learn impulse control . A videogame was used for four weeks with four subjects ( 11 to 17 years ) diagnosed with impulse control problems . After the experimental trial , the participants became more enthusiastic and co-operative about treatment .
Brain-wave biofeedback
New ( as yet unpublished ) research 23 suggests videogames linked to brain-wave biofeedback may help children with attention deficit disorders . Biofeedback teaches patients to control normally involuntary body functions such as heart rate by providing real-time monitors of those responses . With the aid of a computer display , attention-deficit patients can learn to modulate brain waves associated with focusing . With enough training , changes become automatic and lead to improvements in grades , sociability , and organizational skills . Following on from research involving pilot attentiveness during long flights , a similar principle has been developed to help attention-deficit children stay focused by rewarding an attentive state of mind . This has been done by linking biofeedback to commercial videogames .
In their trial , Pope 24 selected half a dozen ‘ Sony PlayStation ’ games and tested 22 girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 13 who had attention deficit disorder . Half the group got traditional biofeedback training , the other half played the modified video games . After 40 one-hour sessions , both groups showed substantial improvements in everyday brain-wave patterns as well as in tests of attention span , impulsiveness , and hyperactivity .
Parents in both groups also reported that their children were doing better in school . The difference between the two groups was motivation . The video-game group showed fewer no-shows and no dropouts . The researchers do warn that the ‘ wrong kinds of videogame ’ may be detrimental to children with attention disorders . For instance , ‘ shoot ‘ em up ’ games may have a negative effect on children who already have a tendency toward short attention and impulsivity . They also state that the technique is an adjunct to drug therapy and not a replacement for it .
Videogames and health care
Videogames have also been used to improve children ’ s health care . Several games have been developed specifically for children with chronic medical conditions . One of the best-studied is an educational game called ‘ Packy and Marlon ’. 25 This game was designed to improve self-care skills and medical compliance in children and adolescents with diabetes . Players assume the role of characters who demonstrate good diabetes care practices while working to save a summer camp for children with diabetes from rats and mice who have stolen the supplies . ‘ Packy and Marlon ’ is now available through ‘ Click Health ’ ( www . clickhealth . com ), along with two additional health-related software products , ‘ Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus ’ ( for asthma self-management ) and ‘ Rex Ronan ’ ( for smoking prevention ).
In a controlled study using ‘ Packy and Marlon ’, 26 8- to 16-year olds were assigned to either a treatment or control group . All participants were given a ‘ Super Nintendo ’ game system . The treatment group was given ‘ Packy and Marlon ’ software , while the control subjects received an entertainment videogame . In addition to more communication with parents and improved self-care , the treatment group demonstrated a significant decrease in urgent medical visits .
Rehabilitation
There are also several case reports describing the use of videogames for rehabilitation . In one application , an electronic game was used to improve arm control in a 13 year old boy with Erb ’ s palsy . 27 The authors concluded that the game format capitalized on the child ’ s motivation to succeed in the game and focused attention away from potential discomfort .
Electronic games have also been used to enhance adolescents ’ perceived self-efficacy in HIV / AIDS prevention programs . 28 Using a time travel adventure game format , information and opportunities for practice discussing prevention practices were provided to high-risk adolescents . Game-playing resulted in significant gains in factual information about safe sex practices , and in the participants ’ perceptions of their ability to successfully negotiate and implement such practices with a potential partner .
Concluding remarks
It is vital that we continue to develop the positive potential of videogames while remaining aware of possible unintended negative effects when game content is not prosocial . At the present time , the most popular games are usually violent . Given current findings , it is reasonable to be concerned about the impact of violent games on some children and adolescents . Game developers need support and encouragement to put in the additional effort necessary to develop interesting games which do not rely heavily on violent actions .