Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Serious Games
Date Submitted: Jul 1, 2020
Date Accepted: Nov 13, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
A Cognitive-Based Board Game with Augmented Reality for the ‘Next Generation’ Seniors: Development and Usability Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Senior citizens in Taiwan are suggested to adopt regular physical and social activities for the maintenance of their cognitive and physical health. Games offer a means of engaging seniors in these activities. For this study, a collaborative cognitive health game, ‘Nostalgic Seekers,’ was designed and developed with Augmented Reality (AR) technology with the goal of supporting cognitive engagement for seniors.
Objective:
A user study of the board game was conducted to understand how the game facilitates communication, problem-solving, and emotional response in older players, and whether AR technology is a suitable application in game design for seniors.
Methods:
Twenty-three participants aged 50-59 were recruited to play and evaluate the game. In each session, participants’ interactions were observed and recorded, then analyzed through Bales’ Interaction Process Analysis. Following each session, participants were interviewed and provided feedback on their experience.
Results:
The analysis results showed that the participants engaged in task-oriented communication more frequently than social-emotional communication during the game, and that there is a significant positive correlation between task-oriented acts and the game score. AR technology was widely accepted by participants and provided effective engagement in the game.
Conclusions:
‘Nostalgic Seekers’ provided cognitive exercise and social engagement to players, and demonstrates positive potential of integrating AR technology into cognitive games for seniors. Future game designs could explore strategies for regular and continuous engagement.
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