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Designing and utilizing biofeedback games for emotion regulation: The case of nevermind
Repost from Google Scholar - 07-05-2016Abstract Biofeedback games have the potential to make gaming a deeply personal experience by linking the gamespace to each player's physiological state. First, this paper describes the psycho-educational potential of the horror-themed biofeedback game Nevermind. In Nevermind, players' heart rate is continuously read into the game which in turn adapts to the player's momentary levels of negative affective arousal. Greater negative arousal causes the game and its horror-themed settings to become more disturbing. As a ...
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DEEP: A biofeedback virtual reality game for children at-risk for anxiety
Repost from Google Scholar - 07-05-2016Abstract Anxiety disorders are among the most frequently diagnosed mental health problems in children, leading to potentially devastating outcomes on a personal level and high costs for society. Although evidence-based interventions are readily available, their outcomes are often disappointing and variable. In particular, existing interventions are not effective long-term nor tailored to differences in individual responsiveness. We therefore need a new approach to the prevention and treatment of anxiety in children and a ...
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An Introduction to the Wide World of Gaming
Adam Lobel - 26-04-2016We have witnessed nothing less than a cultural genesis in the rise of video games. Over the last twenty to thirty years, gaming has gone from fringe to mainstream entertainment. As an industry, it now rivals Hollywood in budgets and revenue, and like Hollywood, it commands a large, diverse audience. In its evolution, gaming has created cultural icons, spawned social controversies, become heralded as an art form, and created diverse cultures of gamers. This post is my attempt to concisely and objectively get people up to speed on what the wide world of video gaming looks like.
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A randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of an immersive 3D video game for anxiety prevention among adolescents
Repost from Google Scholar - 27-01-2016Abstract Adolescent anxiety is debilitating, the most frequently diagnosed adolescent mental health problem, and leads to substantial long-term problems. A randomized controlled trial (n= 138) was conducted to test the effectiveness of a biofeedback video game (Dojo) for adolescents with elevated levels of anxiety. Adolescents (11–15 years old) were randomly assigned to play Dojo or a control game (Rayman 2: The Great Escape). Initial screening for anxiety was done on 1,347 adolescents in five high schools; only adolescents who scored ...
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The promise of applied video games for the prevention of anxiety and depression in youth
Repost from Google Scholar - 01-01-2016[no description available]
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The Violent Gaming Debate Through the Perspective of Self Determination Theory
Adam Lobel - 17-11-2015I was recently invited to contribute to an article about “10 groundbreaking findings in Psychology and their applicability to (serious) game design”. This is what I had to contribute. 9 others will contribute a discussion of similar length, and we hope to be submitting our work shortly. I’ll keep this blog updated on the paper’s status.
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DEEP De-Briefing: Lessons for Collecting Data out in the Field
Adam Lobel - 31-10-2015Last week, my colleague Marieke van Rooij and myself ran and managed a study in the midst of Cinekid’s Medialab. This project turned out to be more ambitious than we had anticipated, but I think we pulled it off quite well. That said, I think a moment of reflection is warranted to go over all the choices and good fortune which facilitated our project’s success. All the materials mentioned here are available for download.
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Faces of DEEP
Adam Lobel - 31-10-2015Just a collection of shots I took of people playing DEEP.
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A Pilot Study Evaluating "Dojo" a Videogame Intervention for Youths with Externalizing and Anxiety Problems
Repost from Google Scholar - 01-10-2015Abstract Objective: Externalizing problems, which are the main reason for youth referrals to mental health agencies, are highly persistent and predict a range of negative outcomes. Youths with externalizing problems are also frequently comorbid with anxiety. Among the most widely recognized evidence-based treatments is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Although CBT principles seem to be sound, effect sizes remain moderate, suggesting improvements could be made to this conventional treatment approach. The main premise ...
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The effect of the video game MindLight on anxiety symptoms in children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Repost from Google Scholar - 01-07-2015Background In the clinical setting, a large proportion of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience anxiety symptoms. Because anxiety is an important cause of impairment for children with an ASD, it is necessary that effective anxiety interventions are implemented for these children. Recently, a serious game called MindLight has been developed that is focused on decreasing anxiety in children. This approach is based on recent research suggesting that video games might be suitable as an intervention vehicle ...