Publication Date

4-2016

School

School of Behavioral Sciences

Major

Psychology: Human Services Counseling

Keywords

selective attention, street youth, orphans, game-based intervention, Zambia

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Cognition and Perception | Cognitive Psychology | Developmental Psychology | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Multicultural Psychology

Abstract

The following study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a game-based intervention in the form of a card game, Blink, on selective attention for a sample of street youth in Zambia, Africa. Based on previous research suggesting that selective attention and executive functioning may be modified by game-based interventions in various populations and contexts, this study sought to employ a card game intervention for selective attention. The study was conducted with a repeated measures design, with a paired sample within-groups t-test adapted from the TEA-Ch Sky Search measure of selective attention, and the card game Blink as a selective attention intervention. The participants (n = 8) showed a significant increase in selective attention skills after playing Blink for a duration of roughly two weeks t(7) = -3.135, p = 0.016, d = 1.11, supporting the research hypothesis that a game-based intervention can be a useful tool for improving selective attention. The implication of the study was that it may be feasible to implement further educational and cognitive interventions for the target population through cost-effective game-based interventions.

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