Older Adults' Engagement With a Video Game Training Program

The current study investigated older adults' level of engagement with a video game training program. Engagement was measured using the concept of flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975 Csikszentmihalyi, M. 1975. Beyond boredom and anxiety, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [Google Scholar]). Forty-five older adults were randomized to receive practice with an action game (Medal of Honor), a puzzle-like game (Tetris), or a gold-standard useful field of view (UFOV) training program. Both Medal of Honor and Tetris participants reported significantly higher flow ratings at the conclusion, relative to the onset of training. Participants are more engaged in games that can be adjusted to their skill levels and that provide incremental levels of difficulty. This finding was consistent with flow theory (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975 Csikszentmihalyi, M. 1975. Beyond boredom and anxiety, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [Google Scholar]).