PopCap Games and University of Massachusetts Amherst psychology researcher Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D. have released the results of a survey targeting the habits of older and younger gamers. The survey included more than 10,000 adults in the U.S. and looked into using PopCap’s Bejeweled Blitz as a cognitive training tool for older adults. Of the survey sample, 83 percent of respondent were female, and 41 percent were over the age of 50.
Of those who play Bejeweled Blitz on a regular basis, 47 percent of adults over 50 reported feeling “sharper” while performing other tasks. 23.9 percent of adults over 65 felt that their pattern recognition improved. The survey is the first in a series looking into the value of gaming for older audiences.
“I believe the work Dr. Whitbourne and her colleagues are doing, using Bejeweled Blitz, is both critical and exciting, and that more research like this needs to be done exploring not only the types of games that bring about cognitive benefits, but also the types of games older adults are willing to play and why. The best cognitive aging intervention in the world is useless if older adults aren’t willing and able to engage in it. By investigating attitudes and perceived benefits of video game interventions, this research has the potential to discover game interventions that are both effective and enjoyable,” said Dr. Walter Boot, director of the Attention and Training Lab of the Department of Psychology at Florida State University.
Do you love your parents or grandparents? Get them playing some games then!
