TAG-ME again: A serious game for measuring working memory.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• The N-Back task is a standard measure of working memory.
• Assessing working memory is crucial for understanding cognitive function.
• Gamified approaches can enhance engagement in cognitive tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce TAG-ME Again, a serious game designed to assess working memory.
• To evaluate the convergent validity of TAG-ME Again with the established N-Back task.
• To explore the reliability of a gamified working memory assessment tool.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted to assess convergent validity.
• Experiment 1 involved 31 adults correlating game performance with N-Back task measures (reaction time, accuracy).
• Experiment 2 involved 66 university students with equated stimulus-response mappings and spatial demands between game and task.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations were found between TAG-ME Again and the N-Back task across both experiments.
• The strongest correlations were observed for the more difficult 3-Back condition.
• Equating task parameters in Experiment 2 yielded significant correlations for 2-Back and 3-Back levels.

Conclusions:

• TAG-ME Again demonstrates convergent validity with the N-Back task.
• The serious game is a reliable and potentially more engaging tool for assessing working memory.
• Gamification can be effectively applied to cognitive assessment tools.