Game-style training led children to do more extra practice, but not to improve more

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   26 children aged 8 to 13 with ADHD took part in a German study. Eight were girls, and seven were taking ADHD medicine. The two groups were matched, not chosen by chance.

2. 02

   What they did

   Both groups did four short sessions, spaced over two to three weeks. In each, children switched between two simple decision tasks. One group did the tasks plainly; the other did them inside a game-style story, with animated characters, feedback cards and upgrades.

3. 03

   What happened

   The game group chose about 3.5 extra blocks on average, against about 0.1 for the plain group, and rated their interest higher. Neither switching nor holding back improved more than in the plain group, though both groups got better during training. The game group also showed slightly more ADHD symptoms during training, a difference that was only just clear.

What the study found

1. HelpedGoals

   Making training a game got children to choose more extra practice blocks than plain training did.

   • Rule: Make it enjoyabletested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Very small trial, groups not picked at random of 26 children with ADHD in a German study · vs the same training with no game features · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

2. HelpedMotivation

   Children rated the game version higher for interest and for how well they felt they were doing.

   • Rule: Make it enjoyabletested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Very small trial, groups not picked at random of 26 children with ADHD in a German study · vs the same training with no game features · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

3. MixedOther outcomes

   Game-style training did not help children switch or hold back better; ADHD symptoms rose a little, not clearly.

   • Rule: Make it enjoyabletested
   • Rule: Get feedback on your progresstested

   Very small trial, groups not picked at random of 26 children with ADHD in a German study · vs the same training with no game features · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ summary claims more than the results show

Source