Personalization of serious videogames for occupational engagement for elderly

Abstract

Recently, the use of video games has been extended to attenuate the cognitive deterioration in elderly. However, not all interventions based on videogames have shown benefits, and very limited research has been made on the design and evaluation of serious videogames that promote a change of attitude in the players, along with entertainment, to properly develop cognitive skills. To this end we have developed a serious videogame prototype to support occupational engagement, based on personalization, that incorporates strategies to encourage and reward with a more meaningful and well-defined purpose for the elderly, and validated it by an expert in cognitive psychology. As a result, although it is needed to adjust levels of competitiveness and provide a positive reward to player achievements, such videogame can support elderly behaviors to social participation that is considered a relevant issue in Chilean society, as it raises challenging issues for cognitive stimulation. © Springer International Publishing 2013.