Using a Serious Game to Assess Spatial Memory in Children and Adults

Abstract

Short-term spatial memory has traditionally been assessed using visual stimuli, but not auditory stimuli. In this paper, we design and test a serious game with auditory stimuli for assessing short-term spatial memory. The interaction is achieved by gestures (by raising your arms). The auditory stimuli are emitted by smart devices placed at different locations. A total of 70 participants (32 children and 38 adults) took part in the study. The outcomes obtained with our game were compared with traditional methods. The results indicated that the outcomes in the game for the adults were significantly greater than those obtained by the children. This result is consistent with the assumption that the ability of humans increases continuously during maturation. Correlations were found between our game and traditional methods, suggesting its validity for assessing spatial memory. The results indicate that both groups easily learn how to perform the task and are good at recalling the locations of sounds emitted from different positions. With regard to satisfaction with our game, the mean scores of the children were higher for nearly all of the questions. The mean scores for all of the questions, except one, were greater than 4 on a scale from 1 to 5. These results show the satisfaction of the participants with our game. The results suggest that our game promotes engagement and allows the assessment of spatial memory in an ecological way.

Measuring spatial navigation during locomotion in children: A systematic review

“…Motor inhibition, mental flexibility and control of impulse responses were exhibited. Auditory spatial memory test Karotz Rabbits test [ 70 ] 9.5 32 TD ___ ___ Children at these ages did not demonstrate this competence. [ 71 ] 1.3 46 TD ___ Rotational angles 18-month-olds used a self-reference system, modulating searches in conjunction with directions and distances.…”

“…Most studies focused on children from four years of age, four of them on children from six to twelve years old [ 10 , 66 , 63 , 70 ] and most of the studies included in this review considered participants from preschool to twelve years old. From five years onwards, spatial memory starts to improve.…”

Game-Based Assessment of School Readiness Domains of 3-8-year-old-children: A Scoping Review

“…For external assessment, the students were provided with MCQ or interviews after the GBA. Three studies compared the effectiveness of GBA and traditional tests, Hsu et al (2011), Loachamín-Valencia et al (2018 and Neumann and Neumann (2019). These studies concluded that GBA is better than pen and paper formats.…”