Digital games, cognitive skills, and motivation: : children’s perception in the school context

In addition to entertainment, games have been recognized as enhancers of cognition and associated with increased motivation in the school learning context. The possibility of immersion and active player participation is considered a distinguished aspects of game design. Therefore, this study proposed the application of Brain School’s digital games using tablets during a school year, with weekly interventions of 50 minutes in a class of the second year of elementary school. Twenty-five students were analyzed with an average of eight years old. At the end of the interventions, the evaluation was carried out through individual interviews. The results revealed that most of children felt motivated to participate in the games activities. However, there was no association between level of motivation and cognitive skills investigated (attention and problem solving), nor between preferred games and cognitive skills trained. However, qualitative data showed that children liked using games and acknowledged that the activity contributed with the exercise of their abilities. In general, this research contributed to reinforcing the importance of the diversification of methodological strategies which include the use of digital games in education

Adaptação e estudos psicométricos de medidas de funções executivas em pré-escolares e adultos

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia, Florianópolis, 2021.O objetivo dessa dissertação foi adaptar transculturalmente e investigar as propriedades psicométricas de instrumentos para avaliação das Funções Executivas (FE) em crianças pré-escolares e adultos no Brasil. As Funções Executivas (FE) são consideradas um conjunto ?guarda-chuva? de habilidades cognitivas recrutadas na regulação dos pensamentos, emoções e ações, em situações nas quais uma resposta já aprendida não é considerada a mais adequada. No Estudo 1, com foco em pré-escolares, foi realizada a adaptação transcultural das tarefas Dimensional Change Card Sort e Gift Wrap Task, a partir de recomendações internacionais para adaptação de instrumentos previamente desenvolvidos e validados em outros idiomas. No Estudo 2, com foco na população adulta com e sem Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH), foram investigadas as propriedades psicométricas do Inventário de Dificuldades em Funções Executivas, Regulação e Aversão ao Adiamento para Adultos (IFERA-II), em formato de avaliação remota. O presente estudo conduz e relata o processo de adaptação de dois instrumentos para população pré-escolar para futura investigação de suas propriedades psicométricas; e apresenta índices de fidedignidade e evidências de validade a partir da estrutura interna e com base na relação com variáveis externas do Inventário de Dificuldades em Funções Executivas, Regulação do Estado e Aversão ao Adiamento para Adultos na versão remota em amostra com e sem TDAH. Indica-se que sejam realizados novos estudos que deem seguimento à disponibilização dessas medidas no contexto nacional.Abstract: This dissertation adapted cross-culturally and investigated the psychometric properties of instruments for the assessment of Executive Functions (EF) in preschool children and adults in Brazil. Executive Functions (EF) are considered an ?umbrella? set of cognitive skills recruited in the regulation of thoughts, emotions and actions, in situations in which an already learned response is not considered the most adequate. In Study 1, focusing on preschoolers, the cross-cultural adaptation of the Dimensional Change Card Sort and Gift Wrap Task tasks was performed, based on international recommendations for the adaptation of instruments previously developed and validated in other languages. In Study 2, focusing on the adult population with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the psychometric properties of the Difficulties in Executive Functions, Regulation and Postponement Aversion Inventory for Adults (IFERA-II) were investigated in remote assessment format. The present study conducts and reports the adaptation process of two instruments for preschool populations for future investigation of their psychometric properties; and presents reliability indices and validity evidence from the internal structure and based on the relationship with external variables of the Inventory of Difficulties in Executive Functions, State Regulation and Delay Aversion for Adults in the remote version in a sample with and without ADHD. It is recommended that further studies be carried out to follow up on the availability of these measures in the national context