Using a virtual serious game (Deusto-e-motion1.0) to assess the theory of mind in primary school children: observational descriptive study

Resumen
Background: Given the interactive media characteristics and intrinsically motivating appeal, virtual serious games are often praised for their potential for assessment and treatment. Objective: This study aims to validate and develop normative data for a virtual serious game (Deusto-e-motion1.0) for the evaluation of emotional facial expression recognition and social skills, both of which are components of the theory of mind. Methods: A total of 1236 children took part in the study. The children were classified by age (8-12 years old), gender (males=639, females=597), and educational level (between the third and sixth years of Primary Education). A total of 10 schools from the Basque Country and 20 trained evaluators participated in this study. Results: Differences were found in Deusto-e-motion1.0 scores between groups of children depending on age and gender. Moreover, there was a moderately significant correlation between the emotional recognition scores of Deusto-e-motion1.0 and those of the Feel facial recognition test. Conclusions: Deusto-e-motion1.0 shows concurrent validity with instruments that assess emotional recognition. Results support the adequacy of Deusto-e-motion1.0 in assessing components of the theory of mind in children.
Palabras clave
Children
Facial emotion recognition
Serious game
Theory of mind
Descripción
Materias
Cita
Lázaro, E., Amayra, I., López-Paz, J. F., Martínez, O., Alvarez, M. P., Berrocoso, S., Al-Rashaida, M., García, M., Luna, P., Pérez-Núñez, P., Rodriguez, A. A., Fernández, P., Fernández, P. P., & Oliva-Macías, M. (2020). Using a virtual serious game (Deusto-e-motion1.0) to assess the theory of mind in primary school children: observational descriptive study. JMIR Serious Games, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.2196/12971
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