Personalized Game-Based Content and Performance: A Pilot Study on a Digital Intervention for Children with ADHD.

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Psychology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Mobile-based digital interventions are increasingly used for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Understanding user emotional responses, like enjoyment and perceived difficulty, is crucial for effective ADHD digital interventions.
• Research is needed on how these factors influence performance in game-based digital content for children with ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of perceived difficulty and enjoyment on the performance of children with ADHD in game-based digital interventions.
• To analyze how emotional responses and difficulty adjustments affect content manipulation ability in this population.

Main Methods:

• Correlation analysis was performed on children diagnosed with ADHD.
• Key variables analyzed included correct rate, decision time, difficulty, touch time, and time limit.
• Data was collected while participants engaged with game-based digital content.

Main Results:

• Enjoyment level showed statistically significant differences in correct rate (p=0.0040), decision time (p=0.0302), difficulty (p<0.0001), and touch time (p=0.0249).
• Difficulty level also showed significant differences in correct rate (p=0.0011), decision time (p=0.0158), and difficulty (p<0.0001).
• No significant correlations were found between engagement metrics (correct rate, decision time, etc.) and enjoyment or difficulty levels.

Conclusions:

• Digital interventions for children with ADHD should focus on core therapeutic objectives.
• Enhancing interest through flashy visuals or difficulty adjustments may not be the most effective strategy.
• Further research is warranted to explore the relationship between psychological states and performance in digital content for ADHD.