Assessing the validity of computer-game-like tests of processing speed and working memory

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Human Computer Interaction

Background:

• Processing speed (Gs) and working memory (WM) are crucial cognitive functions linked to complex performance.
• Traditional Gs and WM tasks can be repetitive, potentially confounding results with motivation and anxiety.
• Computer-game-like assessments offer a novel approach to measure these cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the concurrent and predictive validity of game-like tests for Gs and WM.
• To investigate the Space Code (Gs) and Space Matrix (WM) computer-game tests.
• To examine potential confounding factors like motivation and anxiety in cognitive testing.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted with university (N=70) and school-aged (N=94) samples.
• Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing game-like test scores with established cognitive measures.
• Predictive validity was examined by correlating test scores with academic performance (school grades).

Main Results:

• Space Matrix demonstrated concurrent validity as a measure of working memory (WM) in both experiments.
• Space Matrix also showed predictive validity, forecasting school grades in the school-aged sample.
• Space Code showed mixed results for processing speed (Gs), appearing to measure multiple abilities, and was less encouraging overall.

Conclusions:

• Game-like assessments, particularly Space Matrix, show promise for measuring working memory (WM) effectively.
• Processing speed (Gs) measures like Space Code require further refinement to ensure they capture specific cognitive abilities.
• Future research should explore the impact of game-like features on cognitive test validity and reliability.