Haptic-Driven Serious Card Games for Older Adults: User Preferences Study.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Gerontology
• Game Design

Background:

• Haptic feedback enhances user experience and immersion in serious games by providing tactile input.
• While widely used, research on haptic feedback preferences in mobile serious card games for older adults is limited.
• This technology can supplement audio-visual information and potentially improve cognitive states.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate older adults' preferences for haptic feedback in mobile serious card games.
• To assess the perceived impact of haptic feedback on cognitive abilities and visual information reliance in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive survey was conducted with 250 older adults (average age 64.78 years) in China.
• Data were collected via a mobile app using structured questionnaires, with reliability and validity analyses performed.
• The questionnaire explored understanding of games, mobile integration, and haptic feedback potential.

Main Results:

• 63.2% of older adults preferred slight haptic feedback.
• 78.4% believed haptic feedback would improve cognitive abilities, and 73.6% felt it would reduce visual information reliance.
• Qualitative analysis indicated potential for reduced visual fatigue and engaging cognitive training.

Conclusions:

• Older adults show significant interest in haptic feedback for mobile card games, anticipating cognitive benefits and reduced visual dependence.
• Limitations include sample size, geographic scope, digital literacy variations, self-reported data, and lack of longitudinal assessment.
• Longitudinal studies are recommended to evaluate long-term cognitive effects and inform game developers and rehabilitation institutions.