541 research outputs found
The Playing Brain. The Impact of Video Games on Cognition and Behavior in Pediatric Age at the Time of Lockdown: A Systematic Review.
A growing number of children and adolescents play video games (VGs) for long amounts of
time. The current outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has significantly reduced outdoor activities
and direct interpersonal relationships. Therefore, a higher use of VGs can become the response to
stress and fear of illness. VGs and their practical, academic, vocational and educational implications
have become an issue of increasing interest for scholars, parents, teachers, pediatricians and youth
public policy makers. The current systematic review aims to identify, in recent literature, the most
relevant problems of the complex issue of playing VGs in children and adolescents in order to
provide suggestions for the correct management of VG practice. The method used searches through
standardized search operators using keywords related to video games and the link with cognition,
cognitive control and behaviors adopted during the pandemic. Ninety-nine studies were reviewed
and included, whereas twelve studies were excluded because they were educationally irrelevant.
Any debate on the effectiveness of VGs cannot refer to a dichotomous approach, according to which
VGs are rigidly âgoodâ or âbadâ. VGs should be approached in terms of complexity and differentiated
by multiple dimensions interacting with each other
Pokemon GO and Mental Health
Pokémon GO is a new type of game that emphasizes physical activity and social interaction. In the literature, both physical activity and social interactions have been shown to be positively correlated with mental health. Much research has been conducted on the effects of gaming on mental health, but to date no research has been done on the possible correlations of the game Pokémon GO and mental health. The present study was conducted to determine whether Pokémon GO players scored significantly lower than a control group of traditional garners on scales of depression, anxiety, and pathological gaming, and if they reported more positive coping styles. Results indicated that Pokémon GO players did not score significantly lower on depression, anxiety, and pathological gaming inventories, but they did have trends toward better coping skills. Additionally, 39.6% of Pokémon GO players reported that they felt their mental health is either better or much better since playing the game, and 50.5% reported that they felt their physical health is either better or much better. While causation was not determined, the present study could open the door to discovering new coping interventions
Elements of a theory of social competence : socio-cognitive and behavioral contributions in typical development
LâĂȘtre humain Ă©volue quotidiennement au cĆur dâun monde social hautement complexe auquel il est singuliĂšrement adaptĂ© dâun point de vue Ă©volutif. Lâindividu qui navigue de façon adĂ©quate, parmi les situations et les interactions sociales, y parvient grĂące Ă une machinerie cognitive sophistiquĂ©e et spĂ©cialisĂ©e connue sous le terme de « cognition sociale », composĂ©e dâun ensemble de fonctions acquises durant le dĂ©veloppement et permettant la perception, le traitement, lâinterprĂ©tation et la rĂ©action Ă des stimuli sociaux dynamiques et nuancĂ©s. Le dĂ©veloppement social serait sous-tendu par le fonctionnement cognitif global (p. ex. le fonctionnement intellectuel, le langage, la mĂ©moire, lâattention, les habiletĂ©s visuoperceptuelles), ainsi que par des habiletĂ©s sociocognitives spĂ©cifiques (p. ex. la thĂ©orie de lâesprit, lâempathie, la reconnaissance des Ă©motions faciales, la prise de perspective, lâattribution dâintentions, le raisonnement moral), le tout assurĂ© par un ensemble de structures et rĂ©seaux neuronaux connu sous le terme « cerveau social ». MalgrĂ© les connaissances empiriques suggĂ©rant une association entre les facteurs neuronaux, cognitifs et environnementaux du dĂ©veloppement social, notre comprĂ©hension des interactions dynamiques et complexes entre les habiletĂ©s sociocognitives, lâinfluence externe de facteurs environnementaux, ainsi que leurs impacts individuels et combinĂ©s sur le dĂ©veloppement social typique demeure prĂ©liminaire. Lâobjectif gĂ©nĂ©ral de cette thĂšse Ă©tait dâĂ©tudier deux corrĂ©lats principaux qui sous-tendent la compĂ©tence sociale durant le dĂ©veloppement, soient la cognition sociale et le comportement social. Le modĂšle SOCIAL (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2010) est utilisĂ© comme cadre thĂ©orique et empirique pour explorer de multiples facettes du dĂ©veloppement de la compĂ©tence sociale et des liens entre les habiletĂ©s sociocognitives (p.ex. le raisonnement moral et la prise de perspective) et le comportement social global.
La premiĂšre Ă©tude explore la contribution des aspects cognitifs (thĂ©orie de lâesprit) et affectifs (empathie) de la prise de perspective au raisonnement moral et au comportement social des enfants et des adolescents neurotypiques. Un outil novateur dâĂ©valuation du raisonnement moral, le Socio-Moral Reasoning Aptitude Level (So-Moral), fut utilisĂ© pour rehausser la valeur Ă©cologique du construit. Ainsi, des dilemmes sociomoraux quotidiens ont Ă©tĂ© prĂ©sentĂ©s aux participants, qui ont Ă©galement complĂ©tĂ© des mesures de thĂ©orie de lâesprit, dâempathie, et de comportement social. Les rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que les aspects cognitifs (thĂ©orie de lâesprit) et affectifs (empathie) de la prise de perspective contribuent conjointement Ă prĂ©dire la maturitĂ© morale chez les enfants, mais pas chez les adolescents. Par ailleurs, certaines lacunes au plan du raisonnement moral seraient associĂ©es Ă des instances plus frĂ©quentes de comportements externalisĂ©s, mais aucun lien entre la maturitĂ© morale et les comportements prosociaux nâa Ă©tĂ© dĂ©tectĂ©. La thĂ©orie de lâesprit contribuerait de maniĂšre significative Ă la maturitĂ© du raisonnement moral chez les enfants, suggĂ©rant lâimportance dâune Ă©valuation cognitive dâune situation sociomorale. Comme les facteurs prĂ©dictifs du raisonnement moral diffĂ©reraient chez les enfants et les adolescents, il est possible que des mĂ©canismes sous-jacents distincts soient impliquĂ©s.
La deuxiĂšme Ă©tude documente lâassociation entre les facteurs externes, tels quâopĂ©rationnalisĂ©s par le temps hebdomadaire passĂ© Ă jouer Ă des jeux vidĂ©o, et le comportement social. Cette Ă©tude vise Ă©galement Ă comprendre les liens entre lâusage des jeux vidĂ©o, la cognition sociale et lâadaptation sociale chez des enfants du primaire. LâĂ©tude rĂ©vĂšle que les enfants qui passent moins de temps Ă jouer Ă des jeux vidĂ©o par semaine tendent Ă exhiber plus de comportements prosociaux. Toutefois, aucun lien nâa Ă©tĂ© identifiĂ© entre la frĂ©quence dâusage de jeux vidĂ©o et les comportements mĂ©sadaptĂ©s. Il est donc possible que les interactions sociales complexes, rĂ©elles et face-Ă -face soient particuliĂšrement importantes au dĂ©veloppement des compĂ©tences sociales chez les enfants.
De façon globale, les donnĂ©es de la thĂšse contribuent Ă Ă©tablir un portrait plus complet des relations complexes et dynamiques entre la cognition sociale, les expĂ©riences sociales et le comportement social lors du dĂ©veloppement typique. Les rĂ©sultats offrent des pistes novatrices quant Ă lâapprofondissement des connaissances thĂ©oriques, empiriques et cliniques au sujet du dĂ©veloppement social, et fournissent des fondements empiriques pour soutenir lâĂ©laboration de programmes dâintervention et dâoutils dâĂ©valuation de la cognition et de la compĂ©tence sociale.Humans are characterized by species-specific social skills and interactions, which direct much of their behaviors, dictate thought processes and form the foundations of human consciousness and reality. These social abilities are highly complex and intricate, involving a large range of developmentally acquired skills allowing the perception, processing, interpretation and response to dynamic social stimuli. The fine-tuning of these diverse abilities across the lifespan contributes to an individualâs social competence, allowing the navigation of the social world. Smooth and adaptive social development is supported by core cognitive functions (e.g. intellectual ability, language, memory, attention, visual-perceptive skills), as well as by specific skills (e.g. theory of mind, empathy, emotion recognition, perspective taking, intent attribution, moral reasoning) referred to under the umbrella of âsocial cognitionâ and subsumed by neural structures and networks of the âsocial brainâ. Despite strong evidence supporting the associations between neural, cognitive and social functioning, much remains to be learned about the interplay between socio-cognitive abilities during development, the external influence of environmental factors, as well as their individual and additive impact on social behavior. The main objective of this dissertation was to study two manifestations of social competence in typical development, namely, social cognition and social behavior. The SOCIAL model (Beauchamp & Anderson, 2010) is used as the theoretical and empirical framework providing fertile ground for the investigation of multiple facets of the development of social competence and a better understanding of the global interplay of socio-cognitive skills (e.g., moral reasoning and perspective taking) and social behavior more broadly.
The first study explores the contribution of cognitive (theory of mind) and affective (empathy) aspects of perspective taking to moral reasoning and social behavior in typically developing children and adolescents. An innovative neuropsychological tool for assessing moral reasoning, the Socio-Moral Reasoning Aptitude Level (So-Moral), was used to enhance the ecological value of the construct. Everyday socio-moral reasoning dilemmas were presented to children and adolescents to evaluate their moral maturity, and assessments of theory of mind, empathy and social behavior were also completed. Jointly, both aspects of perspective taking (theory of mind and empathy) predicted moral reasoning maturity in children, but not in adolescents. Poorer moral reasoning skills were associated with more externalizing behavior problems across the age span, but no associations were found with respect to prosocial behavior. Theory of mind skills were independent predictors of moral reasoning, suggesting that a cognitive understanding of the situation may be especially useful when children are asked to reason about a moral conflict. Contributing factors to moral reasoning differed in children and adolescents, suggesting differential underlying mechanisms.
The second study investigates the contribution of external influences, as operationalized by time spent playing video games, to social behavior. A secondary objective was to add to the growing body of literature exploring associations between video game playing, social cognition and social behavior, in an age group less frequently focused on (elementary school-aged children). The main results of the study indicate that children who spend less time per week playing video games have greater prosocial tendencies, but no association was found with behavior problems. Findings highlight the possibility that real-life, complex, and nuanced social interactions outside screen-based play may be central to fostering social competence skills in children.
Overall, the results of the studies presented in this dissertation contribute to building a more comprehensive picture of the complex interplay between social cognition, social experience and social competence during typical development. Findings offer new avenues for improving theoretical, empirical and clinical knowledge of social development and provide an empirical basis for the development of social skills intervention programs as well as social cognition assessment tools
Parental perceptions of technology and technology-focused parenting: Associations with youth screen time
In the present study we propose a model linking parental perceptions of technology to technology-related parenting strategies to youth screen time, and, finally, to internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. Participants were 615 parents drawn from three community samples of families with children across three developmental stages: young childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. The model was tested at each stage with the strongest support emerging in the young childhood sample. One component of parental perceptions of technology, perceived efficacy, was related to technology-related parenting strategies across developmental stages. However, the association of these strategies to child screen time and, in turn, problem behaviors, diminished as children increased in age. Implications for intervention are considered
Two-play game: Playing casual video games with outgroup members reduces prejudice towards that outgroup
Video games have traditionally held a dubious reputation in the media and have been linked to many antisocial behaviors. A large amount of research has borne out some of these concerns, linking video games with addiction and particularly aggression. However, recent work in this area has begun to examine the positive aspects of video gaming. In this work, we examine how playing casual, low-involvement video games with an outgroup member may reduce prejudice. In Study 1, participants played cooperatively or competitively with a (trivial) outgroup member or alone. In Studies 2 and 3, a meaningful social identity was used: studentsâ university affiliation. Participants played either cooperatively with a rival university student against the computer, or alone. Analyses of all three studies showed that attitudes toward the outgroup were more positive after playing with an outgroup member compared with control conditions. How these findings may be applied to real world groups and extensions for future research are then discussed
The Influence of Recreation Engagement on Adolescent Health-Risk Behaviors
The number of adolescents who engage in suicidality is staggering. Adolescence is a unique developmental period where engagement in health-risk behaviors is prominent. Factors influencing engagement in suicidality are vast and occur both internally and externally in the adolescent. Substance use during adolescence has shown an association with increased suicidality. Similarly, bullying, both cyberbullying and in-person bullying, have contributed to adolescent suicidality. Alternatively, recreation engagement has yielded benefits in both psychosocial and physical health for adolescents. However, limited research has identified that engaging in recreation can minimize suicidality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how substance use, age, race, recreation engagement, and bullying can influence suicidality in high school students. The study employed quantitative methods for each aim. Conditional process analyses were used to identify the mechanisms which operate within and outside of the adolescent and their environments that affect suicidality in high school students. Results revealed that suicidality is associated with alcohol and opioid use, and adolescent sex and sexual identity. Cyberbullying is more prevalent than in-person bullying but both are significant for high school students. Conversely, neither form of bullying influenced suicidality. Additionally, female and male students engaged on more sports teams with a reduction in suicidality. Implications for practice include the use of recreation as a program to support adolescents engaged in health-risk behaviors (e.g., substance use and suicidality). Another implication for practice is the need to identify barriers to engagement in recreation programs, and more diverse recreation programs for the unique needs of all adolescents. Opportunities for future research include identifying evidenced-based recreation that can promote a reduction to adolescent health-risk behavior engagement, intervention-based research on adolescents who are engaging in health-risk behaviors, and recreation opportunities and barriers to engagement for diverse adolescent communities
Recommended from our members
Unmasking a potential crisis: an exploration of gaming addiction and depression in adolescents and young adults through a cross-sectional survey
Introduction: Gaming disorder is defined as a pattern of gaming behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming, prioritisation of gaming over other activities to the point where gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and persistence or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences. Given the increasing global interest in videogames, particularly among adolescents and young adults, this study investigated the prevalence of gaming disorder and its associated factors among Sri Lankan adolescents and young adults, with a focus on factors associated with gaming addiction.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 401 Sri Lankan adolescents and young adults who played video games, through an anonymous online survey using snowball sampling. The survey comprised four sections: demographic data, influencing factors for game playing, the seven-item Game Addiction Scale and a validated depression scale (nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire). SPSS IBM (version 27) was used for data analysis, which includes means, standard deviations, frequencies, percentages, Pearsonâs correlation and chi-square tests.
Results: A total of 401 gamers participated, comprising adolescents (10-18 years; 9.5%) and young adults (19-35 years; 90.5%). The majority were non-gaming addicts (71.57%), and among the gaming addicts, 8.48% were classified as monothetic gaming addicts, while 19.5% were classified polythetic gaming addicts. Slightly more males were game addicts (52.63%) than females. There was a low positive correlation between videogame addiction and depression (r=0.321). More than half of the sample believed that visual triggers (58.6%) and frequent reward systems (56.1%) influenced their gameplay. There was a significant association (p <0.05) between gaming addiction and the three observed characteristics: visual triggers, audio triggers, and frequent rewards.
Conclusions: Just under one-tenth of the study population sampled was classified as having a gaming addiction, with males having a slightly higher prevalence than females. The positive correlation between gaming disorder and depression suggests a consequential and potentially life-threatening outcome, wherein depression emerges as a serious consequence of addiction to gaming. When the structural characteristics of videogames, such as auditory, visual and frequent reward systems were considered, game addicts were more influenced by them
A critical review on the moderating role of contextual factors in the associations between video gaming and well-being
The appeal of video gaming has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. In view of its increasing popularity, lay people and researchers alike have taken an interest in the psychological consequences of video gaming. However, there seems to be a paradox associated with the effect of video gaming on gamers' well-beingânamely, while most video game players cite âfunâ as their motivation to play video games, video games continue to hold a notorious reputation among some researchers for being detrimental to mental health and emotional well-being as measured by indicators such as happiness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. We suggest that a significant contributor to the mixed literature is the oversight of contextual factors that may moderate this relationship. The current review highlights five important contextual factors that should be considered when studying the associations between the frequency of video gaming and well-being. Specifically, we suggest that unless the social context (who), type (what), motivation (why), time and day (when), and amount (how much) of video gaming activities are adequately considered, examinations of well-being outcomes in relation to video gaming will remain incomplete
Adolescent potential to harm and prevailing antecedents: exposure to mass media, substance use, and self-evaluation, 2000
This study examined the potential to commit harm by youth aged 11-16 in relation to the mass media, substance use, and self-evaluation. A questionnaire was designed to examine selected variables associated with youth who commit harm to others. The research sample consisted of 186 students who attended an elementary school and a middle school located in a southern metropolitan area. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the data collected. The research indicated that two of the three hypotheses tested were statistically significant including substance use and self-evaluation. There was no statistically significant relationship for self-evaluation and mass media. Although there was not a statistically significant relationship regarding mass media, it can be concluded from the data that adolescents' behaviors are somewhat affected by their daily viewing of television. An important implication of this study is not just the need for further research, but also the need for an enhanced focus on practical solutions to reverse the observed potential to harm others. Previous literature on adolescents and their potential to harm others has explored an array of factors; however, a decrease in youth violence continues to be a most challenging goal for all involved in juvenile rehabilitation and resocialization
- âŠ