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Platform, modality, and gamification effects on digit span task performance
Soner Türüdü1,2, Ezgi Büşra Aktaş3,4, Mehmet Can5
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Iscience
|May 29, 2026
Summary
Standard online cognitive tests are as valid as onsite assessments. Gamification boosts performance generally, not specifically for executive functions, indicating reliable remote cognitive testing.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Web-based cognitive assessments require validation against traditional onsite methods.
- The impact of gamification on cognitive performance and its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychometric equivalence of online versus onsite cognitive tests.
- To examine the effects of gamification on cognitive performance, specifically digit span.
- To explore the interaction between platform, stimulus modality, and task difficulty.
Main Methods:
- A within-subject design with 32 participants compared onsite, standard online, and gamified online digit span tests.
- Stimulus modality (auditory vs. visual) and task direction (forward vs. backward) were manipulated.
Main Results:
- Standard online and onsite digit span scores were equivalent, validating remote testing.
- An auditory superiority effect was observed across all platforms.
- The gamified platform enhanced overall performance but did not selectively improve executive functions.
Conclusions:
- Standardized online digit span tests are psychometrically sound alternatives to onsite assessments.
- Gamification offers a general performance enhancement rather than targeted executive function improvement.
- Remote cognitive assessment platforms demonstrate good test-retest reliability without practice effects.
