Damage Caused by Addiction to Violent Computer Games on Children Aged ۵-۷ in Shiraz, Iran: A Mixed Method Study

Introduction: Computer games today are widely used to improve cognitive performance. Selective attention is one of the cognitive skills whereby individuals can process certain events from among several driving factors and neglect others. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the first-person shooting (FPS) computer game style on the level of selective attention (visual focus).Materials and Methods: This study was an experimental study with experimental (n = ۱۵) and control (n = ۱۵) groups. The game was designed in the style of a first person sniper controlled by the eye tracker as an input tool. Data analysis was performed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups before the study (P ≤ ۰.۵۰۲). After participating in the study, the visual concentration in the control group did not change significantly (P ≤ ۰.۰۰۱), meaning that the game scores improved after the intervention.Conclusion: It seems that the FPS computer game using an eye-tracking tool improves visual focus through a cognitive-rehabilitation process.

Keywords:

Eye tracker , First person sniper game , Eye gestures , Visual focus