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Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Cognitive tasks are typically viewed as effortful, frustrating, and repetitive, which often leads to participant disengagement. This, in turn, may negatively impact data quality and/or reduce intervention effects. However, gamification may provide a possible solution. If game design features can be incorporated into cognitive tasks without undermining their scientific value, then data quality, intervention effects, and participant engagement may be improved. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to explore and evaluate the ways in which gamification has already been used for cognitive training and assessment purposes. We hope to answer 3 questions: (1) Why have researchers opted to use gamification? (2) What domains has gamification been applied in? (3) How successful has gamification been in cognitive research thus far? METHODS: We systematically searched several Web-based databases, searching the titles, abstracts, and keywords of database entries using the search strategy (gamif* OR game OR games) AND (cognit* OR engag* OR behavi* OR health* OR attention OR motiv*). Searches included papers published in English between January 2007 and October 2015. RESULTS: Our review identified 33 relevant studies, covering 31 gamified cognitive tasks used across a range of disorders and cognitive domains. We identified 7 reasons for researchers opting to gamify their cognitive training and testing. We found that working memory and general executive functions were common targets for both gamified assessment and training. Gamified tests were typically validated successfully, although mixed-domain measurement was a problem. Gamified training appears to be highly engaging and does boost participant motivation, but mixed effects of gamification on task performance were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Heterogeneous study designs and typically small sample sizes highlight the need for further research in both gamified training and testing. Nevertheless, careful application of gamification can provide a way to develop engaging and yet scientifically valid cognitive assessments, and it is likely worthwhile to continue to develop gamified cognitive tasks in the future.
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TL;DR
This systematic review identified 33 studies covering 31 gamified cognitive tasks and found 7 reasons researchers gamify cognitive assessment or training. Gamified tasks generally improved motivation and engagement, but evidence for improved data quality was lacking, and effects on task performance were mixed.
Key findings
- The review included 33 relevant studies and 31 gamified cognitive tasks; working memory and general executive functions were common targets for both gamified assessment and training.
- Gamified assessments were typically validated successfully, with sample intertask correlations of 0.45–0.60 in some simpler validation studies, but mixed-domain measurement was a problem.
- Gamified training appeared highly engaging and boosted participant motivation, but mixed effects on task performance were reported; 21 of 33 studies compared a gamelike task directly against a nongamified counterpart.
- The authors found no evidence that gamified tests improve data quality and some indications they may worsen it, while positive training findings were tentative due to methodological problems.
Methods
- Systematic search of PsycInfo, Medline, ETHOS, EMBASE, PubMed, IBSS, Francis, Web of Science, and Scopus using `(gamif* OR game OR games) AND (cognit* OR engag* OR behavi* OR health* OR attention OR motiv*)`, limited to English papers from January 2007 to October 2015.
- Inclusion required primary empirical research on a novel gamelike task designed to assess or train cognition and either validated or piloted; non–peer-reviewed papers, education/health-promotion/rehabilitation gamification, and non-gamelike VR/3D environments were excluded.
- Papers were screened by one reviewer (JL) in three stages, with a second reviewer (EE) rescreening 20% from the title stage onward; inter-rater agreement was moderate (k=.526, 95% CI 0.416–0.633, P<.001).
Limitations
- The paper states that the review required a narrow scope focused on cognitive training and testing, which led to some papers being excluded on the subjective basis of not being “cognitive research,” and that many included studies were preliminary, making findings tentative.
- The paper states that sample sizes were small in nearly all reviewed studies and only 5 of 33 papers described a power calculation.
- Evident from the text: many training games used only a gamified task, so the effect of gamification could not be dissociated from the intervention effect, and validation standards were heterogeneous.
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“Gamified tests were typically validated successfully”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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In the paper
“We found that working memory and general executive functions were common targets for both gamified assessment and training.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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In the paper
“although mixed-domain measurement was a problem”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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In the paper
“mixed effects of gamification on task performance were reported”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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In the paper
“We identified 7 reasons for researchers opting to gamify their cognitive training and testing.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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In the paper
“Three of the 6 games were very simplistic, with only a few specific game mechanics and carefully designed nongame controls, to make the effects of the game mechanics on the data as apparent as possible.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
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In the paper
“we found 11 studies (8 games) that used gamification to reduce participant dropout rates over a protracted testing or training programme.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
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In the paper
“Six studies cited evidence that playing video games can be cognitively beneficial and/or stimulating as a key factor in their decision to gamify.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“Five other games were aimed at young children, and reframed the cognitive assessment as a game, to test the children under optimal mental conditions [41].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [41] source
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In the paper
“Eleven tasks were gamified specifically to enhance appeal with a given age group”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
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- It may state two separate claims as one. 44
- Probably not a substantial claim. 19
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In the paper
“Gamified training appears to be highly engaging and does boost participant motivation”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Our review identified 33 relevant studies, covering 31 gamified cognitive tasks used across a range of disorders and cognitive domains.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Results
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In the paper
“we found 16 studies that explicitly used gamified tasks to measure or train cognition in a more motivating manner, and the majority (10 of 16) of these studies were assessment studies.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
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In the paper
“Heterogeneous study designs and typically small sample sizes”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Abstract > Conclusions
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In the paper
“Many of these games were used in an unobserved, nonlaboratory setting; therefore, the tasks made use of motivational features that made the training and testing intrinsically more appealing and less of a burden to perform on a regular basis.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
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In the paper
“One game, Watermons [38], was designed, using Self Determination Theory [50,51], to maximize participant intrinsic motivation and make any motivational effects of game mechanics as apparent as possible.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
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In the paper
“Again, working memory was a popular target, closely followed by EF and inhibitory control training.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
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In the paper
“Many games tested several cognitive domains and/or general EF, highlighting the difficulty of examining gamification effects on specific cognitive domains (and therefore comparing performance to standard cognitive tasks).”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
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In the paper
“It is also worth noting that the numbers of studies investigating cognitive testing (17) and training (15) were very similar”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
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In the paper
“General executive function (EF), attention, and inhibition were also commonly tested domains.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
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“The Great Brain Experiment aimed to keep task sessions below 5 minutes in duration and found that the shortest task, the Stop Signal Task, was the most popular mini game.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
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In the paper
“We found comparable numbers of games used for cognitive testing (17) and training (13), with one game that can be used for both testing and training”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
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In the paper
“these games tended to build simple game-archetypes, such as space invaders or whack-a-mole, around an existing cognitive task; with the goal of encouraging self-motivation, improving participant enjoyment, and even reducing test anxiety [17].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [17] McPherson, J, 2007, Behav Res Methods source
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In the paper
“For example, use of exploratory factor analysis showed that Whack-a-Mole’s primary output measure was correlated with 2 of the 3 EFs of interest: inhibition (r (22)=.60, P<.001) and updating (r (22) = .35, P<.05) [33].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [33] source
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In the paper
“Validation studies varied in their design, and some studies reported complex correlations between gamified and nongamified tasks with multiple outputs.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
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In the paper
“There is a smaller overlap in domains covered by cognitive training tasks; test batteries tend to test a wide range of domains, whereas training focuses on 1 or 2 domains exclusively.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
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In the paper
“The initial study was successful, with Space Code’s output measure correlating well with a conventional measure of processing speed (r (58)=.55, P<.001).”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
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In the paper
“The Continuous Performance Task-II detected more commission errors from the ADHD adults as expected (mean [M]=56, standard deviation [SD]=13 vs M=46, SD=10), but Retirement Party did not (M=14.4, SD=5.8 vs M=13.2, SD=4.3)”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
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In the paper
“We saw several games aimed at training and testing people with ADHD, and overall, these games appear highly engaging to users, in some cases, even increasing the time spent training.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Principal Results
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In the paper
“Indeed, gamification was reported as both motivational and positive by study authors and participants alike.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Conclusions
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In the paper
“Our review found no evidence to support that gamified tests can be used to improve data quality, either by reducing between-subject noise or by improving participant performance”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Conclusions
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In the paper
“3D graphics were quite prevalent, as was the use of avatars, points, levels, and dynamically growing game worlds”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Differences Between Training and Assessment Tasks
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In the paper
“In contrast, assessment games were simpler, predominantly using 2D graphics, sound effects, score, and theme to create the appearance of a game.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Differences Between Training and Assessment Tasks
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In the paper
“Training games typically contained many features and were similar in appearance to commercial video games.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Differences Between Training and Assessment Tasks
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- Rests on an assumption: Cognitive training normally requires several sessions to be effective.
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In the paper
“Papers were only included in the review on the agreement of both JL and EE.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Methods > Screening
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In the paper
“We used Cohen K to assess inter-rater reliability of paper inclusion at the 20% data check stage (7590 papers checked). There was moderate agreement between the 2 reviewers (k=.526, 95% CI, 0.416 to 0.633, P<.001).”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Search Results
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In the paper
“Furthermore, using games as a vehicle to deliver cognitive training may also be advantageous simply because video games appear to have positive effects on a number of outcomes, including working memory, attentional capacity, problem solving, motivation, emotional control, and prosocial behaviors [6].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [6] source
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In the paper
“A second reviewer (EE) rescreened 20% of the papers from the title stage onward to ensure that no relevant papers were missed.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Methods > Screening
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In the paper
“In a similar vein, cognitive assessment has been accused of being ecologically invalid [60].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [60] source
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Furthermore, patients with ADHD react differently from controls to rewards and feedback: they prefer strong reinforcement and immediate feedback, as well as clear goals and objectives, all of which can easily be delivered in a gamelike environment [22,24,62].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“There is good evidence that video game players outperform nongamers on tests of working memory [52] visual attention [53,54] and processing speed [55,56].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This is likely due to its ease of testing and also because working memory deficit is a common symptom in many disorders.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Working memory deficit is a common symptom in many disorders.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“As Dunbar et al explain [8], games are uniquely suited to some forms of cognitive training as they give the player freedom to make choices and experience feedback on the effects of those choices; in other words, they provide opportunities for experiential learning [61].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [8] source
- Not checked yetcites [61] Kolb, D, 1984, Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development
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A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“the slightly smaller proportion of games used to deliver cognitive training is likely explained by the relative recency of the field.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > What Are the Application Areas of Gamification?
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds.
In the paper
“Gamification aims to increase engagement with tasks that might otherwise be perceived as demotivating [48]”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [48] ErikssonBMusialikMWagnerJStudent essay20120862016-07-08Gamification - Engaging the Future https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/30037
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“Commercial gamification is often used to create long-term interest around a user experience, product, or event [13].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Why Do Researchers Use Gamification?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [13] source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Broadly speaking, these were well-designed and well-powered studies, and together, they provide encouraging evidence that cognitive tests can be gamified and still be useful as a research tool.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Such a performance boost resulting from gamelike elements is a disadvantage when performing cognitive assessment but is likely to be desirable in a cognitive training scenario.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The fact that Space Code was thought to be a fairly pure measure in one study and then was shown to be mixed-domain in the next highlights the fact that designing gamified cognitive tasks is difficult, and multiple, well-powered validation studies may be required to ensure a task is measuring what is intended.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
Tests✓ Asserted: passes? Checkable: unclear✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Given the relatively large combined sample size of these studies (N=200), they provide good evidence that game mechanics can be included in cognitive tests without invalidating the data and with the desired effect of increasing motivation.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [9] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The dopaminergic system is thought to be abnormal in ADHD [66,67].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Principal Results
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [66] source
- Not checked yetcites [67] 1996, Mol Psychiatry
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Gamified tasks may be valuable for assessing ADHD patients as computer games are particularly appealing to them: with rapid rewards, immediate feedback, and time-pressure being exactly the type of stimulus the ADHD brain craves [64,65].”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Principal Results
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [64] Kok, A, 2002, Autism source
- Not checked yetcites [65] WebMD20122016-04-19Video Games and ADHD: What's the Link? http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/features/adhd-and-video-games-is-there-a-link?print=true
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The Great Brain Experiment [39] and GAME [46] both showed gamelike tasks to be appropriate for measuring and training working memory.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“McNab and Dolan showing that data collected from 2 very different gamified and nongamified tasks could fit similar models of working memory capacity.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [39] source
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:correlational· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Children in the gamelike condition were also more engaged and enjoyed the training more, as measured by “absence time.””
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [24] source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“They found that these gamelike features increased the effect of training, reducing reaction times and switch costs, compared against a non–gamelike version of the training.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Results > Does Gamification Work?
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [38] source
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“An additional consideration is that many of the studies reviewed were of a preliminary nature, and as such, the findings reported here should be considered tentative.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Limitations
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“thus making the participant experience less effortful and potentially reducing drop-outs in longitudinal studies.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Conclusions
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Tasks of this nature represent gamification at its simplest, but they were well received by users, implying that minimal gamification is better than no gamification.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Differences Between Training and Assessment Tasks
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The simplicity of gamification employed is likely due to the constant tension between creating an engaging task and the risk of undermining the task’s scientific validity: including unknown game mechanics might have deleterious effects on the data collected.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Differences Between Training and Assessment Tasks
Strength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“and served to sustain engagement over a long period.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Differences Between Training and Assessment Tasks
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“papers were only included in the review on consensus from both reviewers (JL and EE), and a 20% selection check was performed by EE on papers from the title-screening stage onward.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Limitations
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“However, Katz et al [34] and Miranda and Palmer [36] highlight that this can be difficult balancing act, with several game mechanics having unforeseen deleterious effects on performance.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Principal Results
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The results of references [9,17,18,38], show that gamified tasks can be used to improve motivation, while still maintaining a scientifically valid task.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Principal Results
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Many training games used a gamified task only, meaning the effect of gamification cannot be dissociated from the effect of the intervention.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Validating Gamified Tasks
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“this may improve player performance and motivation.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Principal Results
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Gamelike tasks may also reduce feelings of test anxiety and allow alternative interfaces to cognitive tests that would otherwise be difficult to deliver in certain populations.”
§ Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy > Discussion > Conclusions
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
Cognitive tasks are typically viewed as effortful, frustrating, and repetitive.
“Cognitive tasks are typically viewed as effortful, frustrating, and repetitive, which often leads to participant disengagement.”
The paper relies on this without support.
To the authors' knowledge, there have been no systematic reviews of gamification in cognitive research.
“To our knowledge, there have been no systematic reviews of gamification in cognitive research.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The highly repetitive nature of cognitive tasks means they are ripe for improvement.
“the highly repetitive nature of cognitive tasks means they are ripe for improvement.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Cognitive tests are typically a one-off measure, and replayability is not a requirement.
“Cognitive tests are typically a one off measure, and replayability is not a requirement.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Working memory deficit is a common symptom in many disorders.
“working memory deficit is a common symptom in many disorders.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Cognitive training normally requires several sessions to be effective.
“Cognitive training normally requires several sessions to be effective”
The paper relies on this without support.
Engagement will be the key to collecting high-quality data as cognitive research moves out of the laboratory and onto personal computers and mobile devices.
“As cognitive research begins to move out of the laboratory and onto personal computers and mobile devices, engagement will be the key to collecting high-quality data.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Those authors found improvements in time management and planning/organization, and a reduction in hyperactivity symptoms in a group of students with ADHD who received an SG intervention.”
From Serious Games and Their Effect Improving Attention in Students with Learning Disabilities (2019) · cites this paper as [16]
In the citing paper
“These results are in line with previous research stating that playing videogames can increase concentration and other cognitive variables, such as processing speed or visual discrimination [12,13,14,15,16].”
From Serious Games and Their Effect Improving Attention in Students with Learning Disabilities (2019) · cites this paper as [16]
Statistics that don’t add up
Each reported p-value recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom.
p-value fits an unstated one-tailed test: r (22) = .35, p < .05
MinorThe paper reports p < .05 here; recomputing from the test statistic and its degrees of freedom gives p = .094 (two-tailed). The reported value is what a one-tailed test gives, but the paper does not say near this result that a one-tailed test was used.
Reported p < .05 · recomputed p = .094
“r (22) = .35, P<.05”
p-value fits an unstated one-tailed test: r (22)=.60, p < .001
MinorThe paper reports p < .001 here; recomputing from the test statistic and its degrees of freedom gives p = .002 (two-tailed). The reported value is what a one-tailed test gives, but the paper does not say near this result that a one-tailed test was used.
Reported p < .001 · recomputed p = .002
“r (22)=.60, P<.001”
Statistics recomputed
Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.
- Doesn’t add upr(22) = 0.6reported p < .001 · recomputed p = .002
“r (22)=.60, p < .001”
- Doesn’t add upr(22) = 0.35reported p < .05 · recomputed p = .094
“r (22) = .35, p < .05”
- Consistentr(58) = 0.55reported p < .001 · recomputed p < .001
“r (58)=.55, p < .001”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Trapp study has conflicting publication years
MinorTable 1 dates the Trapp et al study to 2008, while its matching reference lists BMC Psychiatry 2013.
“| Trapp et al, 2008 [19] | Cognitive remediation improves cognition and good cognitive performance increases time to relapse—results of a 5-year catamnestic study in schizophrenia patients | Xcog | Training |”
“19. Trapp W Landgrebe Michael Hoesl Katharina Lautenbacher Stefan Gallhofer Bernd Günther Wilfried Hajak Goeran Cognitive remediation improves cognition and good cognitive performance increases time to relapse--results of a 5 year catamnestic study in schizophrenia patients BMC Psychiatry 2013 13 184”
Ninaus finding points to a different reference
MinorThe text attributes the working-memory performance finding to Ninaus et al but cites reference 48, which is an essay by Eriksson and colleagues. The Ninaus study is listed as reference 46.
“With Ninaus et al, presenting evidence that gamification can improve overall participant performance in a working memory training task [48]”
“48. Eriksson B Musialik M Wagner J Student essay 2012 08 6 2016-07-08 Gamification - Engaging the Future”
Citations
Cites
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68 · Cited by 54,599 · cited 1×
“One game, Watermons [38], was designed, using Self Determination Theory [50,51], to maximize participant intrinsic motivation and make any motivational effects of game mechanics as apparent as possible.”
Method(1983) · Cited by 33,192
Moral Identity and Developmental Theory
Lapsley, D. K. (2015) · Human Development · doi:10.1159/000435926 · Cited by 3,843
The motivational pull of video games: a self-determination theory approach
Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-006-9051-8 · Cited by 3,332 · cited 1×
“One game, Watermons [38], was designed, using Self Determination Theory [50,51], to maximize participant intrinsic motivation and make any motivational effects of game mechanics as apparent as possible.”
MethodReality is Broken Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
(2012) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.49-6095 · Cited by 2,933 · cited 1×
“By their nature, games present users with difficult challenges to overcome and use narrative structure, complex graphics, strategic elements, and intuitive rules to engage the user [3].”
BackgroundEysenbach, G. (2005) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.7.1.e11 · Cited by 2,524 · cited 1×
“This is a particular problem for Web-based studies where participants can simply close the browser window and drop out of the study the moment they decide it is not worth their time [5].”
BackgroundIs working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review
Melby-Lervåg, M., & Hulme, C. (2013) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0028228 · Cited by 1,782 · cited 1×
“Cognitive training has often suffered from a lack of transferability [57-59].”
BackgroundVideo game training enhances cognitive control in older adults
Anguera, J. A., Boccanfuso, J., Rintoul, J. L., Al-Hashimi, O., Faraji, F., Janowich, J., Kong, E., Larraburo, Y., Rolle, C., Johnston, E., et al. (2013) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature12486 · Cited by 1,666 · cited 2×
“…of treated cases with bulimia nervosa Fagundo et al, 2013 [29] Training Neuroracer Video game training enhances cognitive control in older adults Anguera et al, 2013 [30] Training Braingame Brian A pilot study of the efficacy of a computerized executive functioning remediation training with…”
BackgroundBoyle, E. A., Hainey, T., Connolly, T. M., Gray, G., Earp, J., Ott, M., Lim, T., Ninaus, M., Ribeiro, C., & Pereira, J. (2016) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.003 · Cited by 1,133 · cited 1×
“Furthermore, using games as a vehicle to deliver cognitive training may also be advantageous simply because video games appear to have positive effects on a number of outcomes, including working memory, attentional capacity, problem solving, motivation, emotional control, and prosocial behaviors [6].”
MethodDopamine and the regulation of cognition and attention
Nieoullon, A. (2002) · Progress in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/s0301-0082(02)00011-4 · Cited by 1,131 · cited 1×
“However, it is thought that playing video games can facilitate the release of extrastriatal dopamine, which plays a role in focusing attention and heightening arousal [68,69]; this may improve player performance and motivation.”
Background
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 71 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Gamberini, L, 2010, Stud Health Technol Inform, 154, 29
- 1996, Mol Psychiatry, 1, 121
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A systematic review of gamification in e-Health
Sardi, L., Idri, A., & Fernández‐Alemán, J. L. (2017) · Journal of Biomedical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2017.05.011 · Cited by 1,041
Pallavicini, F., Ferrari, A., & Mantovani, F. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02127 · Cited by 238
“Although several excellent reviews and meta-analyses have investigated the effect of video games training as tools for enhancing individuals well-being, in particular regarding cognitive and emotive enhancement (e.g., Boyle et al., 2016; Lumsden et al., 2016), most of them specifically focused on the effects of digita…”
BackgroundThe Effects of Gamification in Online Learning Environments: A Systematic Literature Review
Antonaci, A., Klemke, R., & Specht, M. M. (2019) · Informatics · doi:10.3390/informatics6030032 · Cited by 237
The effects of gamification on computerized cognitive training: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Vermeir, J. F., White, M. J., Johnson, D., Crombez, G., & Van Ryckeghem, D. M. L. (2020) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/18644 · Cited by 172
“Gamification was defined and operationalized as the use of digital game elements (eg, points, avatars) in nonentertainment settings to increase motivation and engagement [10,11].”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialPotential Applications of Social Robots in Robot-Assisted Interventions for Social Anxiety
Rasouli, S., Gupta, G., Nilsen, E. S., & Dautenhahn, K. (2022) · International Journal of Social Robotics · doi:10.1007/s12369-021-00851-0 · Cited by 159
Peñuelas‐Calvo, I., Jiang-Lin, L. K., Serrano, B. G., Delgado‐Gómez, D., Navarro-Jimenez, R., Baca‐García, E., & Porras‐Segovia, A. (2020) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-020-01557-w · Cited by 148
The Potential Role for Cognitive Training in Sport: More Research Needed
Walton, C. C., Keegan, R. J., Martin, M., & Hallock, H. (2018) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01121 · Cited by 131
Antonopoulou, H., Halkiopoulos, C., Gkintoni, E., & Katsimpelis, A. (2022) · International Journal of Learning Teaching and Educational Research · doi:10.26803/ijlter.21.5.19 · Cited by 132
“…as the process of incorporating game elements (e.g., a scoring system, a leaderboard, and a badge) into nongame contexts (e.g., education, business, and cognitive tasks), is one of the most influential and promising approaches for increasing motivation in repetitive tasks (Lumsden et al., 2016).”
BackgroundMethodLaMonica, H. M., Davenport, T. A., Roberts, A., & Hickie, I. B. (2021) · JMIR Aging · doi:10.2196/21461 · Cited by 108
Serious Games and Their Effect Improving Attention in Students with Learning Disabilities
García-Redondo, P., García, T., Areces, D., Núñez, J. C., & Rodríguez, C. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16142480 · Cited by 112
A Bibliometric Analysis of Gamification Research
Trinidad, M., Ruiz, M., & Calderón, A. (2021) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2021.3063986 · Cited by 129
A Gamification Framework for Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: Qualitative Study
Khaleghi, A., Aghaei, Z., & Mahdavi, M. A. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/21900 · Cited by 110
“However, participants often view them as monotonous and boring since they have a repetitive nature and are rigidly presented [8,9,19-23].”
BackgroundInfluentialWarsinsky, S., Schmidt-Kraepelin, M., Rank, S., Thiebes, S., & Sunyaev, A. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/30390 · Cited by 108
Effective Gamification of the Stop-Signal Task: Two Controlled Laboratory Experiments
Friehs, M. A., Dechant, M., Vedress, S., Frings, C., & Mandryk, R. L. (2020) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/17810 · Cited by 75
Krohn, S., Tromp, J., Quinque, E. M., Belger, J., Klotzsche, F., Rekers, S., Chojecki, P., de Mooij, J., Akbal, M., McCall, C., et al. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/16724 · Cited by 75
“These features touch upon a gamification approach to cognitive assessment [41,42], and this represents one aspect in which VR is particularly capable of playing off its strengths against the classical neuropsychological assessments.”
BackgroundNavarro-Mateos, C., López, I. J. P., & Femia, P. (2021) · Retos · doi:10.47197/retos.v42i0.87384 · Cited by 80
“En estrecha relación con ello, es preciso destacar que el concepto de gamificación suele confundirse con otros términos que tienen también el juego como referencia, en parte debido a las pobres definiciones de los términos existentes (Lumsden et al., 2016).”
BackgroundMoulaei, K., Sharifi, H. P., Bahaadinbeigy, K., & Dinari, F. (2024) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-05563-z · Cited by 85
“In the other hand, the emotional and psychological involvement elicited by games can contribute significantly to their effectiveness [77, 78].”
BackgroundIndividualized gamification elements: The impact of avatar and feedback design on reuse intention
Jahn, K., Kordyaka, B., Machulska, A., Eiler, T. J., Gruenewald, A., Klucken, T., Brueck, R., Gethmann, C. F., & Niehaves, B. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.106702 · Cited by 82
Lumsden, J., Skinner, A., Woods, A. T., Lawrence, N., & Munafo, M. R. (2016) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.2184 · Cited by 61
Self-citationWan, B., Wang, Q., Su, K., Dong, C., Song, W., & Pang, M. (2021) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2021.3053621 · Cited by 66
“behavior, and found that video games have a positive effect on many cognitive abilities, including working memory, attention, processing speed, motivation, emotional control, etc [5].”
BackgroundInfluentialAssessing fraction knowledge by a digital game
Ninaus, M., Kiili, K. J. M., McMullen, J. A., & Moeller, K. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.01.004 · Cited by 66
Ferreira-Brito, F., Fialho, M., Virgolino, A., Neves, I., Miranda, A. C., Sousa-Santos, N., Caneiras, C. S. G., Carriço, L. M., Verdelho, A., & Santos, O. (2019) · Journal of Biomedical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2019.103287 · Cited by 72
Bhavnani, S., Mukherjee, D., Dasgupta, J., Verma, D., Parameshwaran, D., Divan, G., Sharma, K. K., Thiagarajan, T. C., & Patel, V. (2019) · Global Health Action · doi:10.1080/16549716.2018.1548005 · Cited by 66
“However, there is increasing evidence that gamification of assessments enhances participant engagement and thus, there has been a thrust to develop ‘ serious games ’ which aim at cognitive assessment in children [29].”
BackgroundLumsden, J., Skinner, A., Coyle, D., Lawrence, N., & Munafo, M. R. (2017) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.8473 · Cited by 59
“Points are a common feature of gamified tasks [25] and are classed as “1st Step” gamification [57].”
Self-citationEmerging trends in gamification for clinical reasoning education: a scoping review
Lee, C.-Y., Lee, C.-H., Lai, H.-Y., Chen, P.-J., Chen, M.-M., & Yau, S.-Y. (2025) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-025-07044-7 · Cited by 60
“In one of the most gamified professional environments— healthcare education—where academic success is directly linked to patient outcomes, gamification has been recognized for its potential to improve clinical reasoning skills among trainees and practitioners [4, 5].”
InfluentialPromising technological innovations in cognitive training to treat eating-related behavior
Forman, E. M., Goldstein, S. P., Flack, D., Evans, B. C., Manasse, S. M., & Dochat, C. (2017) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.04.011 · Cited by 63
Computerized neurocognitive training for improving dietary health and facilitating weight loss
Forman, E. M., Manasse, S. M., Dallal, D. H., Crochiere, R. J., Loyka, C. M., Butryn, M. L., Juarascio, A. S., & Houben, K. (2019) · Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s10865-019-00024-5 · Cited by 53
“Some limited evidence exists that gamification increases enjoyment and adherence (Boendermaker et al., 2013; Lumsden et al., 2016).”
Vinichenko, M. V., Melnichuk, A. V., & Karácsony, P. (2020) · Journal of Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues · doi:10.9770/jesi.2020.7.4(9 · Cited by 59
Gray, S. I., Robertson, J., Manches, A., & Rajendran, G. (2018) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2018.08.004 · Cited by 65
Ninaus, M., Moeller, K., McMullen, J. A., & Kiili, K. J. M. (2017) · International Journal of Serious Games · doi:10.17083/ijsg.v4i3.176 · Cited by 53
“[17][45]; for a reviews see [18][46][47]).”
Gamification in MOOCs to enhance users' goal achievement
Antonaci, A., Klemke, R., Stracke, C. M., & Specht, M. M. (2017) · IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) · doi:10.1109/educon.2017.7943070 · Cited by 52
“[28], have been conducted with the purpose of investigating gamification empirical evidence.”
BackgroundInfluentialDigital Games for Creativity Assessment: Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities
Rafner, J. F., Biskjær, M. M., Zana, B., Langsford, S., Bergenholtz, C., Rahimi, S., Carugati, A., Noy, L., & Sherson, J. F. (2021) · Creativity Research Journal · doi:10.1080/10400419.2021.1971447 · Cited by 56
“This can mitigate unintended physiological effects, such as test anxiety, or researcher effect and in turn may result in data with higher ecological validity (Lumsden, Edwards, Lawrence, Coyle, & Munafò, 2016; Shute & Kim, 2014).”
BackgroundRuiz, M., Moreno, M., Serrano, B. G., Díaz-Oliván, I., Muñoz, L. J., González‐Garrido, C., & Porras‐Segovia, A. (2022) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-022-01314-7 · Cited by 54
No Pain, no Gain? Investigating motivational mechanisms of game elements in cognitive tasks
Bernecker, K., & Ninaus, M. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106542 · Cited by 60
“This may also explain the heterogeneity in the effects of gamification on performance reported in the literature (Lumsden et al., 2017; Lumsden, Edwards, Lawrence, Coyle, & Munaf ` o, 2016; Ninaus et al., 2015).”
BackgroundCoelho, F., Rando, B., Aparício, D., Ribeiro, P. C. P. S. V., Gonçalves, D. J. V., & Abreu, A. M. (2025) · Journal of Computers in Education · doi:10.1007/s40692-025-00366-x · Cited by 88
“…et al., 2023; Smiderle et al., 2020; van Roy & Zaman, 2018), and cognitive processes such as learning and executive functions (Coelho & Abreu, 2025; Lumsden et al., 2016; Vermeir et al., 2020; Wouters et al., 2013)—shows promise but identifies several limitations, including: (1) Lack of…”
Game elements from literature review of gamification in healthcare context
Muangsrinoon, S., & Boonbrahm, P. (2019) · Journal of Technology and Science Education · doi:10.3926/jotse.556 · Cited by 48
Cohavi, O., & Levy‐Tzedek, S. (2022) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2022.102775 · Cited by 49
He, F., Qi, Y., Zhou, Y., Cao, A., Yue, X., Fang, S., & Zheng, Y. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1054831 · Cited by 49
“Multiple studies showed that video games can improve cognition by promoting the formation and restructuring of neurobiological pathways (51, 52), and other studies have provided support for the clinical benefit of digital therapeutics for depression and anxiety in ADHD (53, 54).”
BackgroundAschentrup, L., Steimer, P. A., Dadaczynski, K., McCall, T., Fischer, F., & Wrona, K. J. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17517-3 · Cited by 45
“Previous reviews which, however, did not concentrate on health promotion and disease prevention, underline our findings in a very general way [11, 12, 40, 41].”
ResultGamified Cognitive Bias Modification Interventions for Psychiatric Disorders: Review
Zhang, M. W., Ying, J., Song, G., Fung, D. S. S., & Smith, H. E. (2018) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/11640 · Cited by 42
“Lumsden et al [17] synthesized the evidence for gamification for cognitive assessment and training.”
Game-based learning environments affect frontal brain activity
Kober, S. E., Wood, G. M. D. O., Kiili, K. J. M., Moeller, K., & Ninaus, M. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0242573 · Cited by 60
The Feasibility and Expediency of Gamification Activities in Higher Education
Vinichenko, M. V., Ridho, T. K., Karácsony, P., Li, N. P., Narrainen, G. S., & Чуланова, О. (2019) · International Journal of Education and Practice · doi:10.18488/journal.61.2019.74.459.468 · Cited by 46
“Other problems are associated with the introduction of gamification include age and gender (Martí-Parreño International Journal of Education and Practice et al. , 2016; Hudson et al. , 2019), IT security and data privacy issues (Baxter et al. , 2016), and cognitive learning (Lumsden et al. , 2016).”
BackgroundTziraki, C., Berenbaum, R. L. J., Gross, D., Abikhzer, J., & Ben‐David, B. M. (2017) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/games.6514 · Cited by 44
“Such games may also be a good way to assess cognitive status of PwD in a nonthreatening way [119-123].”
BackgroundSupporting primary students' learning of fraction conceptual knowledge through digital games
Zhang, L., Shang, J., Pelton, T. W., & Pelton, L. F. (2020) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.12422 · Cited by 44
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality on Attention Training for Elementary School Students
Tarng, W., Pan, I.-C., & Ou, K.-L. (2022) · Systems · doi:10.3390/systems10040104 · Cited by 43
“As game-based learning technology evolves, many researchers have combined game elements with attention training in a digital way [19].”
Gamified working memory training in overweight individuals reduces food intake but not body weight
Dassen, F. C. M., Houben, K., van Breukelen, G., & Jansen, A. T. M. (2017) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.009 · Cited by 44
Gamification of Enterprise Systems
Nah, F. F., Eschenbrenner, B., Claybaugh, C. C., & Koob, P. B. (2019) · Systems · doi:10.3390/systems7010013 · Cited by 57
“Because of the lack of use or practicing what they had learned, users may forget how to use the functions or execute certain tasks that they had previously been trained to do because of these delays [111].”
BackgroundMcWilliams, E. C., Barbey, F. M., Dyer, J., Islam, M. N., McGuinness, B., Murphy, B., Nolan, H., Passmore, P., Rueda‐Delgado, L. M., & Buick, A. R. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.574482 · Cited by 36
“Similarly, for use at home over repeated sessions, EEG/ERP tasks as used in research may not be particularly exciting or motivational for the user, but applying gamification can make these tasks more engaging and rewarding for participants (56) and gamified cognitive tasks can facilitate global data gathering on an un…”
BackgroundSafiee, L., Rough, D. J., & Whitford, H. (2022) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/39689 · Cited by 42
“The screening process was conducted by the first author in line with previous studies [60,61] and with the help of the research team and a professional librarian using the following steps: 1.”
Gamification and Serious Games in a Healthcare Informatics Context
Croon, R. D., Wildemeersch, D., Wille, J., Verbert, K., & Abeele, V. V. (2018) · IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics (ICHI) · doi:10.1109/ichi.2018.00014 · Cited by 42
“Heterogeneous study designs and typically small sample sizes highlight the need for further research in both gamified training and testing [50].”
BackgroundKarapapas, C., & Goumopoulos, C. (2021) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app11178184 · Cited by 40
“In the relevant literature, one can find numerous references to studies where serious games are utilized to support cognitive screening [12] or even rehabilitation [13] in a more engaging and fun way [14].”
BackgroundBiagianti, B., Fisher, M., Howard, L., Rowlands, A., Vinogradov, S., & Woolley, J. D. (2017) · Schizophrenia Research Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.scog.2017.07.003 · Cited by 36
“, 2015), motivational interviewing (Medalia and Saperstein, 2011), and gamification techniques to make the program more enjoyable (Lumsden et al., 2016).”
BackgroundBégel, V., Seilles, A., & Bella, S. D. (2018) · Music & Science · doi:10.1177/2059204318794369 · Cited by 49
Gamification in Health Behavior Change Support Systems - A Synthesis of Unintended Side Effects
Schmidt-Kraepelin, M., Thiebes, S., Stepanovic, S., Mettler, T., & Sunyaev, A. (2019) · SERVAL (Université de Lausanne) · Cited by 40
Construction and validation of a game-based intelligence assessment in minecraft
Peters, H., Kyngdon, A., & Stillwell, D. J. (2021) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2021.106701 · Cited by 46
Using virtual reality to train inhibitory control and reduce binge eating: A proof-of-concept study
Manasse, S. M., Lampe, E. W., Juarascio, A. S., Zhu, J., & Forman, E. M. (2020) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2020.104988 · Cited by 36
The Making and Evaluation of Digital Games Used for the Assessment of Attention: Systematic Review
Wiley, K., Robinson, R., & Mandryk, R. L. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/26449 · Cited by 40
“There has been considerable research interest in the use of gamification (ie, the use of game elements in nongame contexts [24]) on cognitive tasks, which has been synthesized in several review papers [25,26].”
BackgroundImmersive Virtual Reality-Based Methods for Assessing Executive Functioning: Systematic Review
Kirkham, R., Kooijman, L., Albertella, L., Myles, D., Yücel, M., & Rotaru, K. (2024) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/50282 · Cited by 40
“Recognized as a crucial aspect of cognitive assessment, engagement can be improved through gamification, thereby improving task performance [41].”
BackgroundGamification as a Supportive Tool for School Children with Dyslexia
Dymora, P., & Niemiec, K. (2019) · Informatics · doi:10.3390/informatics6040048 · Cited by 39
“However, the authors in [15,16], explored seven games elements (story, goals, levels, points, awards, achievements, and opinions) as the basis for the application to play dyslexia.”
Using a serious game to measure executive functioning: Response inhibition ability
Tong, T., Chignell, M., & DeGuzman, C. A. (2019) · Applied Neuropsychology Adult · doi:10.1080/23279095.2019.1683561 · Cited by 35
Harvey, P. D., Balzer, A. M., & Kotwicki, R. J. (2019) · Schizophrenia Research Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.scog.2019.100150 · Cited by 33
“It had been suggested that it would be possible to increase training engagement by adding game-like features to make the training procedures compelling (Fleming et al., 2017; Lumsden et al., 2016).”
Monitoring Health Status in Long Term Care Through the Use of Ambient Technologies and Serious Games
Wilkinson, A., Tong, T., Zare, A., Kanik, M., & Chignell, M. (2018) · IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics · doi:10.1109/jbhi.2018.2864686 · Cited by 32
“games and gamified tasks relating to cognitive assessment and training, see [27]).”
BackgroundFeasibility of a Cognitive Training Game in Parkinson’s Disease: The Randomized Parkin’Play Study
van de Weijer, S. C. F., Duits, A., Bloem, B. R., et al. (2020) · European Neurology · doi:10.1159/000509685 · Cited by 34
van de Weijer, S. C. F., Hommel, A. L. A. J., Bloem, B. R., Nonnekes, J. H., & de Vries, N. M. (2017) · Parkinsonism & Related Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2017.09.002 · Cited by 33
White, B. K., Martin, A., & White, J. A. (2022) · The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific · doi:10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100528 · Cited by 34
Riedmann, A., Schäper, P., & Lugrin, B. (2022) · AI & Society · doi:10.1007/s00146-022-01514-y · Cited by 40
“Research in the application of gamifi-cation in educational environments often lacks a theoretical basis (Nacke and Deterding 2017; Seaborn and Fels 2015) or applies insufficient methodologies (Dicheva et al. 2015) and uses small sample sizes (Lumsden et al. 2016).”
A Review of Research on Gamification Approach in Education
Kocakoyun, S., & Özdamlı, F. (2018) · InTech eBooks · doi:10.5772/intechopen.74131 · Cited by 35
It’s about time: The role of temporal variability in improving assessment of executive functioning
McKinney, T. L., Euler, M. J., & Butner, J. (2019) · The Clinical Neuropsychologist · doi:10.1080/13854046.2019.1704434 · Cited by 36
Castellano‐Tejedor, C., & Cencerrado, A. (2024) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph21080990 · Cited by 45
“This approach is high-lighted for its effectiveness in treating anxiety disorders and phobias through gradual and controlled exposure that enhances patient coping mechanisms in a safe environment [20].”
BackgroundRetractedMahncke, H. W., Kim, S., Rose, A., Stasio, C., Buckley, P. F., Caroff, S. N., Duncan, E., Yasmin, S., Jarskog, L. F., Lamberti, J. S., et al. (2019) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2019.03.006 · Cited by 30
“Because of substantial interest in the use of gamification techniques to make cognitive training more engaging and compelling (Fleming et al., 2017; Lumsden et al., 2016), for the current study a “game wrapper” was developed specifically for people with schizophrenia.”
Gielis, K., Abeele, M.-E. V., Verbert, K., Tournoy, J., Vos, M. D., & Abeele, V. V. (2021) · Digital Biomarkers · doi:10.1159/000514105 · Cited by 31
Smart Textiles for Improved Quality of Life and Cognitive Assessment
Oatley, G., Choudhury, T., & Buckman, P. (2021) · Sensors · doi:10.3390/s21238008 · Cited by 32
“However, it must be ensured that the scientific value of the test is not compromised through its gamification [64].”
BackgroundMethodDoulou, A., Pergantis, P., Drigas, A. S., & Skianis, C. (2025) · Multimodal Technologies and Interaction · doi:10.3390/mti9010008 · Cited by 36
“…of the daily life and emotional Another study focused only on intervention in speci fi c cognitive symptoms, such as a tt ention, without delving into ADHD and without covering other aspects of the daily life and emotional development of these children [92]. development of these children [92].”
Mukherjee, D., Bhavnani, S., Swaminathan, A., Verma, D., Parameshwaran, D., Divan, G., Dasgupta, J., Sharma, K. K., Thiagarajan, T. C., & Patel, V. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01202 · Cited by 26
Digital Technologies and their Impact on the Social and Psychological Characteristics of Adolecsents
Kamenskaya, V., & Tomanov, L. (2022) · Experimental Psychology · doi:10.17759/exppsy.2022150109 · Cited by 28
“145 поколения, подчеркивается эффект общего тренирующего и мотивирующего воздействия на игроков [44; 49; 50].”
Recommendations for the Use of ICT in Elderly Populations with Affective Disorders
Gros, A., Bensamoun, D., Manera, V., Fabre, R., Zacconi-Cauvin, A.-M., Thümmler, S., Benoît, M., Robert, P. H., & David, R. (2016) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2016.00269 · Cited by 31
“More generally, the gamification of cognitive assessment tools and cognitive trainings is likely an interesting way to increase patients’ motivation and engagement (Lumsden et al., 2016).”
BackgroundThe AttentionTrip: A game-like tool for measuring the networks of attention
Klein, R. M., Hassan, T., Wilson, G., Ishigami, Y., & Mulle, J. (2017) · Journal of Neuroscience Methods · doi:10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.07.008 · Cited by 28
Mouchabac, S., Maatoug, R., Conejero, I., Adrien, V., Bonnot, O., Millet, B., Ferreri, F., & Bourla, A. (2021) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci11111454 · Cited by 33
Barbey, F. M., Farina, F. R., Buick, A. R., Danyeli, L. V., Dyer, J., Islam, M. N., Krylova, M., Murphy, B., Nolan, H., Rueda‐Delgado, L. M., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Digital Health · doi:10.3389/fdgth.2022.944753 · Cited by 27
“One challenge with repeated neurocognitive testing protocols is maintaining participant engagement over extended periods (25, 26), as has been investigated more extensively in purely behavioral testing (27–32).”
BackgroundNotebaert, L., Grafton, B., Clarke, P., Rudaizky, D., Chen, N. T. M., & MacLeod, C. (2018) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/10993 · Cited by 30
“This contrasts markedly with real-world settings, which generally require individuals to engage in patterns of attentional scanning and tracking within a complex and dynamic environment [37].”
BackgroundBignardi, G., Dalmaijer, E. S., Anwyl-Irvine, A. L., & Astle, D. E. (2020) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-020-01503-3 · Cited by 28
The Role of Serious Video Games in the Treatment of Disordered Eating Behaviors: Systematic Review
Tang, W. S. W., Ng, T. J. Y., Wong, J. Z. A., & Ho, C. S. H. (2022) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/39527 · Cited by 21
“…situation where the inclusion of serious gamification elements such as player scores may XSL • FO RenderX inadvertently cause additional stress or cognitive load because of the participant’s drive to do well in the game and distract participants from the therapeutic intentions of the game [83,84].”
How Points and Theme Affect Performance and Experience in a Gamified Cognitive Task
Wiley, K., Vedress, S., & Mandryk, R. L. (2020) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3313831.3376697 · Cited by 26
“Though many tasks have been gamified [39], few studies isolate individual game elements to understand their effects on data quality; rather, tasks are often gamified by applying several elements at once.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialRandriambelonoro, M., Franck, C. P., Herrmann, F. R., Carmona, G. A., Geissbühler, A., Graf, C. E., & Frangos, E. (2022) · JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies · doi:10.2196/39543 · Cited by 26
“A similar observation has been found in the use of gamification for cognitive assessment and cognitive training [39].”
BackgroundIdriss, M., Tannous, H., Istrate, D., Perrochon, A., Salle, J., Tho, M. H. B., & Dao, T. T. (2017) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/games.7284 · Cited by 24
“The main limitation of the 2 developed games is the lack of evident cognitive actions, which could maximize the effect of game outcomes to better manage the functional rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders with cognitive impairment [34,35].”
BackgroundBiagianti, B., Fisher, M., Brandrett, B. D., Schlosser, D. A., Loewy, R. L., Nahum, M., & Vinogradov, S. (2019) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2019.01.047 · Cited by 23
Dietel, F. A., Möbius, M., Steinbach, L., Dusend, C., Wilhelm, S., & Buhlmann, U. (2018) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.07.003 · Cited by 25
Randriambelonoro, M., Perrin, C., Blocquet, A., Kozak, D., Fernandez, J. T., Marfaing, T., Bolomey, E., Benhissen, Z., Frangos, E., Geissbühler, A., et al. (2020) · Journal of Population Ageing · doi:10.1007/s12062-020-09274-7 · Cited by 24
“Furthermore, the possibility to increase the game level tailored to the patient’s ability gives a sense of challenge followed by a feeling of satisfaction when achieving the task (Lumsden et al. 2016).”
BackgroundAssessing Children’s Fine Motor Skills With Sensor-Augmented Toys: Machine Learning Approach
Brons, A., de Schipper, A. W., Mironcika, S., Toussaint, H. M., Schouten, B. A. M., Bakkes, S. C. J., & Kröse, B. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/24237 · Cited by 22
“The systematic review of Lumsden et al [12] shows that many gamified cognitive assessments have been validated successfully.”
BackgroundInfluentialIllustrating a narrative: A test of game elements in game‐like personality assessment
Harman, J. L., & Brown, K. D. (2022) · International Journal of Selection and Assessment · doi:10.1111/ijsa.12374 · Cited by 26
Hu, Y. Z., Wei, H. T., & Chignell, M. (2023) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2023.107952 · Cited by 26
Gielis, K., Abeele, M.-E. V., Croon, R. D., Dierick, P., Ferreira-Brito, F., Assche, L. V., Verbert, K., Tournoy, J., & Abeele, V. V. (2021) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/18359 · Cited by 25
“First, by offering an interactive and immersive audiovisual experience, serious games can be considered to be more engaging than classical tests [23,51,53].”
BackgroundKuck, N., Dietel, F. A., Nohr, L., Vahrenhold, J., & Buhlmann, U. (2022) · Internet Interventions · doi:10.1016/j.invent.2022.100521 · Cited by 25
Phonological memory training and its effect on second language vocabulary development
Καρούσου, Α., & Nerantzaki, T. (2020) · Second language Research · doi:10.1177/0267658319898514 · Cited by 23
“Taking into consideration the young age of the participants, and aiming at increasing their active involvement and, therefore, the effectiveness of the intervention (Lumsden et al., 2016), a playful character was given to all activities.”
BackgroundPedersen, M. K., Díaz, C. M. C., Wang, Q. J., Alba‐Marrugo, M. A., Amidi, A., Basaiawmoit, R. V., Bergenholtz, C., Christiansen, M. H., Gajdacz, M., Hertwig, R., et al. (2023) · Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/cogs.13308 · Cited by 26
Colombo, G., Minta, K., Grübel, J., Tai, W. L. E., Hölscher, C., & Schinazi, V. R. (2024) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2024.108349 · Cited by 25
Exploring the Touch and Motion Features in Game-Based Cognitive Assessments
Intarasirisawat, J., Ang, C. S., Efstratiou, C., Dickens, L., & Page, R. A. (2019) · Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies · doi:10.1145/3351245 · Cited by 20
“We believe that the entertaining nature of game-based assessments can better motivate users to maintain interest during the test and promote engagement with frequent assessments over time [10, 26, 27, 47].”
BackgroundInfluentialVugts, M. A. P., Zedlitz, A. M. E. E., Joosen, M. C. W., & Vrijhoef, H. J. (2019) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/14766 · Cited by 21
“Games or virtual reality have motivational qualities that may support the extinction of phobias, distraction from pain, repetitive physical or cognitive training, or learning about cognitive antecedents (eg, self-efficacy) of health behavior [52-54].”
FISHERMAN: A Serious Game for Executive Function Assessment of Older Adults
Wang, P., Fang, Y., Qi, J.-Y., & Li, H. (2022) · Assessment · doi:10.1177/10731911221105648 · Cited by 23
“Therefore, the monotonous, repetitive, and noninteractive nature of these tasks may undermine the motivation of participants and then negatively affect the quality of data (Lumsden et al., 2016a).”
BackgroundInfluentialAn Open-Source Cognitive Test Battery to Assess Human Attention and Memory
Adolphe, M., Sawayama, M., Maurel, D., Delmas, A., Oudeyer, P., & Sauzeon, H. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.880375 · Cited by 17
“Including the character, the platform was implemented as a gamified interface to keep participants’ motivation high (Clement et al., 2013; Lumsden et al., 2016; Hosokawa et al., 2019).”
Method
Metadata
- Authors
- Lumsden, J., Edwards, E. A., Lawrence, N. S., Coyle, D., & Munafò, M. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Bristol (GB)
- Queen Mary University of London (GB)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- University College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Lumsden, Jim
- Venue
- JMIR Serious Games
- Publisher
- JMIR Publications Inc.
- Published
- 2016-07-15
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- e11
- ISSN
- 2291-9279 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4967181
- OpenAlex
- W2465353856
- Semantic Scholar
- 4f2c6684a94d57d5dc731e41341a6b0109778428
- Cited by
- 555
- References
- 71
- Citations by year
- 2026: 57 · 2025: 77 · 2024: 74 · 2023: 52 · 2022: 61 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 6
- FWCI
- 6.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- JMIR Serious Games (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (acceptedVersion)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Research Repository UCD (University College Dublin) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Wellcome Trust (092731)
- United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration
- Cancer Research UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR-IPF-16-10-04)
- British Heart Foundation
- University of Bristol (092731, MC_UU_12013/6)
- Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12013, MR/K023195/1, 092731, MC_UU_12013/6)
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/G007489/1, 1325188)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- gamification, cognitive assessment, cognitive training, participant engagement, working memory, executive function, game elements, task validation, motivation, neuropsychological assessment
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