Lu Ming-Hsin, Lin Weijane, Yueh Hsiu-Ping
Department of Bio-Industry Communication and Development, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Department of Library and Information Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Front Psychol. 2017 Oct 17;8:1837. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01837. eCollection 2017.
In the research field of cognitive aging, games have gained attention as training interventions to remediate age-related deficits. Cognitive training games on computer, video and mobile platforms have shown ample and positive support. However, the generalized effects are not agreed upon unanimously, and the game tasks are usually simple and decontextualized due to the limitations of measurements. This study adopted a qualitative approach of design-based research (DBR) to systematically review and pragmatically examine the regime, presentation and feedback design of a cognitive training game for older adults. An overview of the literature of cognitive aging and training games was conducted to form the theoretical conjectures of the design, and an iterative cycle and process were employed to develop a mobile game for older adults who are homebound or receiving care in a nursing home. Stakeholders, i.e., elderly users and institutional administrators, were invited to participate in the design process. Using two cycles of design and evaluation, a working prototype of an iPad-based app that accounted for the needs of elderly adults in terms of form, appearance and working function was developed and tested in the actual contexts of the participants' homes and an assisted living facility. The results showed that the cognitive training game developed in this study was accepted by the participants, and a high degree of satisfaction was noted. Moreover, the elements of the interface, including its size, layout and control flow, were tested and found to be suitable for use. This study contributes to the literature by providing design suggestions for such games, including the designs of the cognitive training structure, interface, interaction, instructions and feedback, based on empirical evidence collected in natural settings. This study further suggests that the effectiveness of cognitive training in mobile games be evaluated through field and physical testing on a larger scale in the future.
在认知衰老的研究领域，游戏作为一种补救与年龄相关缺陷的训练干预手段受到了关注。计算机、视频和移动平台上的认知训练游戏已得到充分且积极的支持。然而，其普遍效果并未得到一致认可，并且由于测量的局限性，游戏任务通常简单且脱离情境。本研究采用基于设计的研究（DBR）的定性方法，系统地回顾并务实检验一款针对老年人的认知训练游戏的机制、呈现方式和反馈设计。对认知衰老和训练游戏的文献进行了综述，以形成设计的理论推测，并采用迭代循环和过程为居家或在养老院接受护理的老年人开发一款手机游戏。邀请利益相关者，即老年用户和机构管理人员参与设计过程。通过两个设计和评估周期，开发出了一款基于iPad应用程序的工作原型，该原型在形式、外观和功能方面考虑了老年人的需求，并在参与者的家中和辅助生活设施的实际环境中进行了测试。结果表明，本研究开发的认知训练游戏为参与者所接受，且满意度较高。此外，对界面元素，包括其大小、布局和控制流程进行了测试，发现其适合使用。本研究基于在自然环境中收集的实证证据，为这类游戏提供了设计建议，包括认知训练结构、界面、交互、说明和反馈的设计，从而为相关文献做出了贡献。本研究进一步表明，未来应通过更大规模的实地和实际测试来评估手机游戏中认知训练的有效性。
