Serious Games Can Support Psychotherapy of Children and Adolescents
Computers and video games are a normal part of life for millions of children. However, due to the association between intensive gaming and aggressive behavior, school failure, and overweight, video games have gained negative publicity. While most reports
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Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zürich University, Switzerland 2 Computer Aided Architectural Design, ETH Zürich, Switzerland [email protected]
Abstract. Computers and video games are a normal part of life for millions of children. However, due to the association between intensive gaming and aggressive behavior, school failure, and overweight, video games have gained negative publicity. While most reports centre upon their potential negative consequences, little research has been carried out with regard to the innovative potentials of video games. ‘Treasure Hunt’, the first psychotherapeutic computer game based on principles of behavior modification, makes use of children’s fascination for video games in order to support psychotherapy. This interactive adventure game for eight to twelve year old children is not meant to substitute the therapist, but to offer attractive electronic homework assignments and rehearse basic psycho-educational concepts that have been learnt during therapy sessions. While psychotherapeutic computer games may prove to be a useful tool in the treatment of children and adolescents, unrealistic expectations with regard to such games should be discussed. Keywords: psychotherapy, childhood disorders, computer-based treatment, cognitive behavior therapy, serious games.
1 Introduction Computers and internet are a normal part of life for millions of children. Every year, more than 30 million children use the internet, more than any other age group [1]. Daily video-gaming is reported for toddlers [2], school children [3] and adolescents [4]. With regard to computers, the generation of adults – parents and teachers – has been labeled ‘digital immigrants’, whereas children and adolescents are considered to be ‘native speakers’ [5]. However, in the scientific community commercial computer games for children have gained mainly negative publicity due to the reported association between intensive gaming and aggressive behavior, game addiction, school failure and overweight [6-8]. In fact, most reports on the effects of video games appear to centre upon their potential negative consequences [9], with a substantial part of research focusing exclusively on the use of violent games [10-12]. On the other hand, surprisingly little research has been carried out with regard to the innovative potentials of computer games [13]. Yet, these potentials exist. A. Holzinger (Ed.): USAB 2007, LNCS 4799, pp. 357–364, 2007. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007
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V. Brezinka and L. Hovestadt
Computer games improve spatial performance in children, adolescents and adults [14]. Action-video-game playing with so called first person shooters has been reported to alter a range of visual skills and to enhance visuospatial attention [15]. Studies also show that commercial computer games can be used innovatively at school [16]. Civil engineering students enjoy game-based learning and profit at least as much as from traditional learning methods [17]. In the medical sector, computer games have b
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