Behavior Change Vs' Skills Training

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Behavior Change Vs. Skills Training

• Two Goals for Serious Games

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All Games Train and Change Behaviors

• Most games have one of these as a goal, and the
  other as a side effect
• We think behavior change Vs. skills training is a
  useful distinction when games are being designed
• We are going to show you why, and how the
  distinction impacts two games in particular

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This Is Not New
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Games are an attractive media for skills
training/behavior change

• Behavior change design features
• Repetition
• Gather data
• Manipulate time
• Improve self efficacy

• Training design features
• Manipulate time
• Repetition
• Specific skills
• Exposure to unacceptable danger
• Gather data
• Prove mastery

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Influences Skills Training Games
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Drivers Skills Training Games

• Need for a more skilled workforce
• Cost Savings
• Safety improvements
• Weakness of certain aspects of the current
  educational system
• Strength of games for certain kinds of training

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Influences Behavior Change Games

• Game like behavior change exercises
• Lots of behavior change is based around reward
  and reaction, and so are lots of games

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Drivers Behavior Change Games

• Peer review research
• Needs that are not met by standard therapies
• Or that are too expensive to treat with standard
  therapies
• A better understanding of the brain
• Some really innovative people who were prepared
  to take a risk

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On to the Games Themselves

• This is where one of you two starts.

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self efficacy
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Warm-up. Changing behavior is not easy

• Quickly, name the colors of the following words
• This is the Stroop Test

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Three key areas of expertise for Behavior Change
Neuroscience - Neuropediatrics
neuropsychology - Functional Magnetic Resonance
Imaging
Game IT development - Game interface design -
System development
Training program - Individualized treatment
plan - Exercises/Software - Coaching -
Motivational program
Therapy delivery - Coaching motivation -
Technology support
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Changing Behaviors Design Implications
RoboMemo ADD/ ADHD
DriveFit Driving
Measure objective

• Safer driving
• Cognitive skills, such as divided attention,
  visual search, reaction time
• 16-21 exercises overall
• Back-end algorithms
• Individualized Program
• Stretched practise
• Pass the Driving Test, Insurance reasons, Job
  selection process

• Teacher and Parent Ratings
• Working Memory
• Spatial, visual, each with 4-5 different
  activities
• Back-end algorithms
• Individualized Program
• Maximum Stretch practise
• Coaching for kids. Metrics for adults. Reward
  game

Assess and Train bottleneck
Design for Cross-training
Think Exercise, not Games
Ensure Compliance
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A Serious Solution for a Serious Problem
ADD/ ADHD
5 millions kids and 1 million adults are
diagnosed with Attention Deficits Disorders, a
medical condition which in many cases prevents
them from a succesful academic, social and
professional life. The neurobiological substrate
for the problem seems to be Frontal Lobe/
Executive Function Deficit, specifically Working
Memory Deficit. Working memory is the ability to
keep information online during a short period of
time and to be able to manipulate this
information. Computer-based Cognitive Training
has been used in areas such as military fighter
pilot training and stroke recovery, and is now
being offered in hospitals and clinician offices
in Europe and the US to people with ADD/ ADHD.
Working Memory
Cognitive Training
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An example RoboMemo

• Five 30-40 minute sessions per week x 5 weeks
  25 sessions
• Cogmed Working Memory Training is the first
  proven non-medication intervention for people
  with ADD/ ADHD. Research published in
  peer-reviewed journals (Nature Neuroscience,
  Journal American Academy of Children and
  Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Neuropsychology )
• Theres a 98 compliance with the intervention.
  90 of effects on tests remain after 3 months
• 80 in both research and the clinical setting
  see effects
• working memory/ attention
• impulse inhibition
• complex reasoning
• Parent rating scales show significant improvement
  on attention/ behavioral change
• Clinical evaluations show evident transfer to
  daily life situations, e.g. school

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1) Measure Behavior Change objective

• Children say
• that they are able to concentrate better in
  school
• that they perform better on exams
• that they find it easier to learn things
• Parents say
• that their child listens better
• that their child needs less probes/reminders to
  carry out a task
• that their child can work more independently with
  e.g homework
• Teachers say
• That the pupil is calmer and can sit down and
  work/listen longer
• That the pupil is more concentrated
• That the pupil finds it easier to learn things

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2) Assess and Train Bottleneck

• Working memory is the ability to keep information
  online during a short period of time and to be
  able to manipulate this information
• 1. Working memory deficits is a core problem in
  ADHD and attention deficits.
• 2. Working memory can be improved by intense and
  systematic training.
• 3. Cogmed Working Memory Training is the first
  scientifically proven product for working memory
  training showing significant effects on
  attention.

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3) Cross-Train, 4) Think Exercise, 5) Compliance

• 3) A combination of verbal and visuo-spatial
  exercises, changing over training period
• 4) Systematic training of 30-45 minutes per day
  over a five week period
• The complexity level is dynamically adapted to
  improving skill
• 5) Reward game at the end
• Metrics

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Contact us Thanks for your attention

• For any question, please contact
  alvaro_at_sharpbrains.com
• kevin_at_terris-hill.com
• thunter_at_compassrosegames.com
• Sites
• www.sharpbrains.com
• www.terris-hill.com
• www.compassrosegames.com
• Blog www.sharpbrains.com/blog