14 DAY TRIAL // The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has recently awarded scientists at the North Carolina State University (NC State) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) a $1.2-million grant to study the effects that playing games would have on the senior segment of the population. The researchers' main goal is to find out if games can boost the memory and thinking skills in the elderly, and also what kind of titles are most appropriate for doing this. The investigation, which is financed from funds obtained through the recently passed stimulus package, will take place in two phases.
In the first one, the researchers will try to figure out if certain qualities that appear in video games can be used to improve cognitive skills in seniors. This refers to boosting their memory, problem-solving abilities, critical thinking patterns, as well as a host of other mental skills. “What qualities does a game need to contain to improve cognition? We want to determine the components an effective game should have,” NC State Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Anne McLaughlin explains about the main question driving the new research. She is also the principal investigator (PI) for the grant.
In the second phase of the investigation, the researchers, armed with the knowledge obtained in part one, will attempt to create a set of guidelines that would explain to game designers the exact requirements of creating titles for the elderly. Additionally, the team itself will have to contribute to this effort, so as to ensure that the most appropriate games are created. The entire project spans some four years, from September 2009 to August 2013. According to McLaughlin, the team already has some ideas as to what may help the seniors improve their cognitive skills.
In previous researches, she says, attentional demand, novelty and social interaction have been proven to be determining factors in capturing the imagination of elderly people playing them, so most likely the team will start from here. Novelty is “also be relevant, because existing research shows that novelty is a catalyst for learning,” the researcher stresses. Additionally, she states, social interaction is one of the main catalysts in keeping elderly people in tune with the game, as they tend to give more attention and effort towards solving their goal if they play with others, even as a team.
“For example, if we find that novelty and attentional demand improve cognition, we’ll then develop a game that focuses on that,” McLaughlin says. Creating such a game “will allow us to see if we can get greater benefits that might transfer to real-world outcomes such as remembering to take medication,” NC State Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Jason Allaire, who is also the co-principal investigator for the research, concludes.