Benefits and Barriers of Older Adults’ Digital Gameplay

David Kaufman

, Louise Sauvé

, Lise Renaud

and Emmanuel Duplàa

Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

UER Éducation, Téléuniversité, Québec City, Canada

Départmentement de communication sociale et publique, Université de Québec á Montréal, Montreal, Canada

Faculty of Education,

University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

Key

words: Digital Games, Videogames, Older Adults, Seniors, Aging, Survey, Social, Socio-emotional.

Abstract: Gerontology researchers have demonstrated that cognitive and social factors are keys that may sometimes

outweigh physical conditions in determining life satisfaction. Social interaction and cognitive challenge are

consistently identified as key elements to enhance older adults’ quality of life. Digital games can offer many

potential benefits to older adults in a motivating and playful way, such as increased social interaction and

maintenance of cognitive functioning. This paper describes some key results regarding socio-emotional and

cognitive benefits as well as barriers reported from an early survey of 463 Canadian older adults who play

digital games. The results demonstrate that a diverse group of older adults are actively playing digital games

on a regular basis and that players report numerous socio-emotional and cognitive benefits and few

difficulties. These results are promising and will be followed up with a variety of experimental studies.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

The proportion of people age 60 and over is growing

faster than any other age group and is predicted to

grow to two billion by 2050 (Aalbers et al., 2011;

WHO, 2002). Aging older adults face declining

physical and cognitive capacities, shifts from career

or family focus to different interests and activities,

loss of long-term companions and social supports,

changed living arrangements, and increasing

likelihood of chronic and debilitating illness

(Kaufman, 2013).

Successful aging - maintaining an independent,

positive, independent, healthy, and meaningful

quality of life - is a continual challenge for older

adults, yet it is essential for older adults and their

societies, which benefit both from older adults’

continuing contributions and from reduced social

and care costs (Kaufman, 2013).

Although a single clear definition has not been

established for “successful aging” (Lee, Lan and

Wen, 2011), gerontology researchers have

demonstrated that cognitive and social factors are

keys that may sometimes outweigh physical

conditions in determining life satisfaction. Social

interaction and support are consistently identified as

key aspects of older adults’ quality of life

(Reichstadt, Sengupta, Depp et al., 2010). Declining

social capacities are linked with declines in physical,

cognitive and emotional functions (WHO, 2002) and

their associated implications for disease,

dependence, and poorer life quality. Digital games

offer many potential benefits to older adults for

improving social functions in a motivating and

playful way. Using a positive psychology approach,

Astell (2013) argues that games can contribute to

older adults’ happiness and life satisfaction through

social interaction, cognitive exercise, and physical

activity that motivates them to positively manage

their lives. It is well known that games are engaging

and promote flow experience (Csikszentmihalyi,

1990), support learning through graduated levels of

practice, and offer opportunities for social

interaction through group or online play (Kaufman

and Sauvé, 2010).

As people get older, the social circle they

developed through a lifetime will change and

sometimes diminish. People who continue to

maintain close friendship and find other ways to

interact socially have reduced risk of mental health

issues such as depression and live longer than those

who become isolated. The psychological effects of

social support in older adults have received a

213

Kaufman D., Sauvé L., Renaud L. and Duplàa E..

Beneﬁts and Barriers of Older Adults’ Digital Gameplay.

DOI: 10.5220/0004792302130219

In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU-2014), pages 213-219

ISBN: 978-989-758-020-8

 2014 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

substantial amount of attention during the last two

decades. A consensus view has been reached that the

more opportunities an individual has to interact with

other people, the more social support will be

available, which, in turn, will have a beneficial

effect on general wellbeing. For example, Glass, et

al.’s study (2006) found that higher levels of social

support were associated with lower levels of

depression.

A study conducted by Forsman et al. (2012)

showed the effectiveness and subjective importance

of social activities for the maintenance of mental

health and well-being among older adults.

Individuals derive positive outcomes and resources

from personal relationships and interpersonal

contact.

Maintaining older adults’ vitality, independence

and quality of life well into old age helps both older

adults themselves and their societies. The potential

for technology to support older adults to live well

and experience the things that make life worth living

has received much less attention than the physical,

mental and social challenges they face. However,

evidence suggests that technology can provide

people with meaningful and engaging activities that

are stimulating, enjoyable and fun (Sixsmith et al.,

2007). In particular, technology-based games

promise many benefits to older adults, but research

evidence is sparse about whether and how these can

be realized. The evidence and guidelines for practice

that will result are expected to benefit not only

individual older adults, but also their families,

communities and societies-at-large.

1.2 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this survey was to explore the

opinions and experiences of older adults (55 years

and older) who play non-digital and digital games. It

explored issues such as which games they play, with

whom they are playing, how frequently they play,

the reasons they play, and their perceived benefits

and barriers. There also were questions about their

ratings of social, emotional and cognitive changes

through game play. Older adults’ backgrounds and

patterns of use were examined and compared with

their opinions and experiences to search for

relationships.

The survey will help to inform future studies that

may investigate the use of digital games as a way to

stimulate cognitive functioning and enhance

psychosocial aspects that may help individuals to

age more successfully.

1.3 Research Questions

1. What are the patterns of digital gameplay

reported by older adults?

2. What are the socio-emotional and cognitive

benefits of digital gameplay reported by older

adults?

3. What are the difficulties in digital gameplay

reported by older adults?

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Social Interaction and Successful

Aging

It is well established that social engagement is seen

as an important component of successful aging

(Ristau, 2011; Von Faber et al, 2001). Prior

epidemiological, cross-sectional and longitudinal

research has shown that older adults with high

engagement in social interaction report more

positive wellbeing. Glei et al. (2005) examined how

changes in cognition over time are related to social

participation and the extent of social networks. Data

draw from this population-based, longitudinal study

revealed that respondents who engaged in one or

two social activities failed 13% fewer cognitive

tasks than those with no social activities, and those

who participated in three or more activities failed

33% fewer cognitive tasks. Glei et al. (2005) also

indicated that social interaction outside the family

may have a bigger impact on cognitive function than

social contacts with family. In addition, social

engagement provides opportunities for older adults

to deal with stress and receive social support and

connect with friends. Eisenberger et al.’s (2007)

study with 30 participants yielded supportive

evidence that individuals with regular social

interaction during 10 days showed diminished

neuroendocrine stress responses and distress of

social separation.

2.2 Cognitive Functioning and

Successful Aging

While physical and cognitive decline is generally

thought to be a natural trend of aging, emerging

evidence from social and cognitive neuroscience

suggest that appropriate training or therapeutic

techniques could not only slow, but also actually

reverse this trend (Green & Bavelier, 2006). For

example, Ball et al. (2002) examined the

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214

effectiveness of three cognitive training

interventions on the mental abilities and daily

functioning in independent-living older adults. In

comparison to baseline, participants in experiment

groups exhibited immediately improvement in

processing speed, reasoning and verbal episodic

memory after 19-month intervention period, which

were maintained at the two-year follow-up.

Empirical evidence suggests that cognitive decline

that is part of the natural aging process could be

slowed or reversed by getting the elderly involved as

active users of video games. Basak, Boot, Voss, and

Kramer (2008) reported the use of a real-time

strategy video game for the enhancement of

executive control processes of older adults. They

found that after a period of 23.5 hours game playing

participants in the experiment group improved

significantly more than participants in control group

in executive control functions, such as task

switching, working memory, visual short-term

memory, and improving. Maillot, Perrot and Hartley

(2011) assessed the potential of physically simulated

sport games that could have cognitive benefits for

older adults. The experimental group participated in

a total of 24 hours of game training. In comparison

to the control group, the experimental group

underwent significant changes in executive control

and processing speed.

Although these studies suggest that video games

could be a powerful tool in slowing or reversing the

age-related declines in perceptual, motor, and

cognitive skills among older adults, some

contradictory findings have been reported.

2.3 Digital Games and Older Adults

Older adults use many leisure activities offered by

Information and Communications Technologies

(ICTs), one of which is digital games (e.g. video,

computer, and online games). DeSchutter (2011)

investigated the use of digital games among 124

older gamers. He found that 16.1% are heavy

gamers who play digital games more than 2.5 hours

a day; 29.5% are moderate gamers who play 1 to 2.5

hours a day; 44.4% are light gamers whose time of

digital game playing is less than one hour a day. The

mean playing time is 1.45 hour a day (SD=1.14). In

2005, 18% of gamers (about 1.7 million) in UK were

aged between 51 and 65 (Pratchett et al., 2005).

Both heavy and light gamers are significant in this

age group. In 2011, 29% game players in America

were aged 50 and over (Entertainment Software

Association, 2013).

Digital games hold a significant promise for

enhancing the lives of older adults (Ijsselsteijn et al.,

2007). Games that require progressively more

accurate and more challenging judgments at higher

speed, and the suppression of irrelevant information

can drive positive neurological changes in the brain

systems that support these behaviors. Also, in most

digital games, hand-eye coordination, sustained

attention to the task, as well as the ability to quickly

locate a proper area of the screen is required. As the

players practice and become proficient at these

tasks, it is expected that their visual-spatial skills

will be developed. What’s more, digital game

playing is increasingly becoming a means for social

interaction (Mahmud et al., 2010). It has been

hypothesized that digital game holds great promise

for enhancing the quality of life in older people by

improving their subjective well-being, enhancing

their social connectedness, and offering an enjoyable

way of spending time (Whitcomb, 1990).

Older adults have recently begun to experience

the benefits of online communities as a medium for

fun social interactions. In two studies of online

communities, the majority of posts were part of

online social games, including cognitive,

associative, and creative games (Nimrod, 2010,

2011). He concluded that because online

communities offer both leisure activity and an

expanded social network, participation in these

settings may contribute to the well-being of older

adults. Recent research suggests that training in

technology use can enhance older adults’ cognitive

functions as well as facilitate their social interaction

and support. Astell (2013) suggests that games and

social/interaction technologies offer both cognitive

stimulation and social connection, particularly for

older adults with dementia. Many older adults are

already active technology users and should be able

to readily learn and use digital games. (Pew Internet

and American Life Project, 2011). ELDERGAMES

(Gamberini et al, 2006) and HERMES (Buiza et al,

2009) show promise for improving cognitive

function, although we are not aware of controlled

studies measuring their impact. Regarding older

adults’ social interactions, Whitcomb (1990)

identified several early studies in which older adults

had positive social experiences when playing

computer games. Participants in the ELDERGAMES

project identified social interaction, defined as the

“opportunity to create and maintain new

relationships” as that game’s biggest benefit.

Researchers agree that much additional work is

needed to establish whether and in what forms

digital games can best and most efficiently benefit

older adults. This issue has been addressed by

BenefitsandBarriersofOlderAdults'DigitalGameplay

215

Ijsselsteijn et al. (2007), who identified four

potential areas for games to contribute to improving

the quality of life for older people: (1) relaxation and

entertainment, (2) socializing, (3) sharpening the

mind, and (4) more natural ways of interacting. The

socializing and cognitive areas represent two of the

three foci of this study. Very few rigorous

experiments have been conducted, and our current

knowledge of older adults’ needs suggests that

today’s commercial games pose usability challenges

for many older adults (Buiza et al, 2009; De

Schutter, 2011). Yet new platforms such as the iPad

and mobile devices offer great opportunities for ease

of use (e.g., ipadnewsupdates.com)

Conclusions are difficult to draw from current

empirical studies because inconsistency is related to

many factors, including the demographic

information of participants (e.g., age, education

level, etc), the ratio of male vs. female, research

design, the wide variety of outcome measures used,

control variables in multivariable models,

appropriateness of the selected video games, training

interventions, etc. For example, Laver et al.’s (2011)

study recruited 21 participants, 86% of whom were

female. The large proportion of female participants

may lead to the preference of conventional therapy

programs over Wii Fit programs because there are

more male gamers than female gamers

(Entertainment Software Association, 2011;

Entertainment Software Association, 2012). One

tangible way to assess the effects of video games on

the motor and cognitive functions in older adults is

through the incorporation of outcome measures

across available quantitative studies and taking into

account the methodological characteristics and

various outcome measures by conducting several

moderate analyses (Borenstein et al., 2009).

3 RESEARCH METHOD

3.1 Participants

The population that was targeted comprised older

adults, age 55 or more, who play digital games. We

included both those who have and those who haven’t

retired since many people work part- time, or do

voluntary jobs after retirement. Also a non-retired

older adult group added an interesting comparative

group. This involved 891 participants recruited from

assisted living and community centres, shopping

malls, and other public venues as needed. 463 of

these responded to the digital gameplay section of

the survey and are the focus of this paper.

3.2 Instrument

This study used a print-based, mainly closed-ended,

questionnaire that consisted of questions that asked

older adult gamers about their background

characteristics, demographics, patterns of use,

opinions, and experiences. A small number of open-

ended questions were asked to gain a deeper

understanding of some issues. The survey asked

about background information, digital game playing

patterns and experiences, and opinions regarding

social, psychological, cognitive and educational

aspects. Respondents required 15-20 minutes to

complete the survey and received a $5 coffee card

for their participation.

3.3 Recruitment and Data Collection

Recruitment occurred through four methods. Firstly,

a number of older adults’ independent/assisted living

centres were targeted. Secondly, centre directors

were contacted to assist in recruitment in local

community centres and older adult centres. Thirdly,

directors of local shopping malls were approached

for permission. Finally, directors of independent and

assisted living facilities were contacted. Each

potential participating organization was sent a

Recruitment letter and if they agreed, they replied in

writing by email or letter. As recompense for the

time involved, participants were offered a gift

certificate of $5 for their participation, and offered

entry into a draw for three chances to win $100 upon

completion. If they agreed, respondents were given a

separate postcard to provide their contact

information in order to maintain their anonymity.

Respondents also were asked whether they would be

willing to be contacted later for a short interview.

Six months after the draw was completed and the

prizes awarded, all cards were shredded.

3.4 Data Analysis

The data were analyzed using the SPSS software

(version 19). The descriptive statistics are reported

below.

4 FINDINGS

A total of 463 completed questionnaires were

received from older adults who play digital games.

Selected findings from the analysis of their

responses are reported below.

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4.1 Participant Backgrounds (N=463)

1. Sex: Male, 39%; Female, 63%

2. Age: 55-64, 37%; 65-74, 36%; 75+, 25%

3. Where do you live?: Home, 83%; Assisted

living, 8%; Nursing home, 0%; Other, 9%

4. Are you retired? Yes, 80%; No, 20%

Almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents were

females; respondents ranged in age from 55 to 89

years and were fairly balanced across the three age

categories. Most (83%) lived at home and 80% were

retired.

4.2 Participant Gameplay Patterns

(N=463)

1. How many years have you been playing

digital games?

Less than 1 year. 20%

1-4 years, 30%

5-10+ years, 50%

2. Have you played digital games in the past

month?

Yes, 84%

No, 16%

3. During the past month, during how many

days per week on average have you played

digital games?

0 days, 12%

1-4 days, 54%

5-7 days, 34%

4. During the past month, when you played

digital games, how many hours per day on

average did you play?

1 hour or less, 0%

2-5 hours, 92%

6-8+ hours, 8%

5. Have you played social games online with

other players? (e.g., bridge, chess, scrabble,

Facebook games)

Yes, 27%

No, 73%

About half (50%) have played for 5 years or more.

Most (88%) reported that they had played at least

one day or more per week on average. It is

interesting to note that almost all respondents (88%)

played digital games every day or every other day

and almost all (92%) played between 2-5 hours per

day when they did play. More than one-quarter

(27%) had played social games with other players.

4.3 Reported Social Benefits (N=463)

Table 1 lists the greatest benefits of playing digital

games reported by participants.

Table 1: Greatest benefits of playing digital games.

Benefi

% Selecting

Mental exercise 83

Social interaction 26

Enjoyment, fun 71

Escape from dail

life 26

Othe

Respondents could select more than one benefit.

Most (83%) of respondents reported that ‘mental

exercise’ was the greatest benefit of playing digital

games. The next greatest benefit was

‘enjoyment/fun’ (71%). Social interaction was

reported as a benefit by more than a quarter (26%)

of respondents.

Table 2 below shows the self-reported socio-

emotional benefits of playing digital games (n=463).

Table 2: Socio-emotional benefits of digital games.

Benefit

% Reporting

an Increase

Developin

new friendships 26

Connecting with current friends 27

Connectin

with famil

Connecting with various age

roups

Developin

confidence 42

Dealing with loneliness 35

Dealin

with depression 24

Almost no one reported a decrease. Some reported no

change.

From about a quarter (24%) to almost a half (42%)

of respondents reported socio-emotional benefits.

The greatest benefits reported were developing self-

confidence, dealing with loneliness, and connecting

with family.

The results in Table 3 show that the great

majority (between 58% and 72%) of respondents

reported an increase in cognitive skills as a result of

playing digital games.

A further finding (not in a table) was that 61%

reported an increase in computer skills and 54%

reported an increase in internet skills as a result of

playing digital games.

‘Too complicated’ was the greatest difficulty

reported, but by only about one fifth (21%) of

respondents.

BenefitsandBarriersofOlderAdults'DigitalGameplay

217

Table 3: Cognitive benefits of digital games.

Benefit

% Reporting an

Increase

Focussin

attention 72

Memor

Reasoning 58

Problem solvin

Speed in reacting/

respondin

Almost no one reported a decrease. Some reported no

change.

Table 4: Difficulties in playing digital games.

Difficulty % Selecting

Difficult to see/ hea

Too complicate

Privac

Difficult to use controlle

Limited/ no access to

technolo

Othe

Respondents could select more than one difficulty.

5 CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that a large and diverse

group of older adults are actively playing digital

games on a regular basis. Many players reported a

number of socio-emotional benefits, and almost

three-quarters reported some type of cognitive

benefit. These results are encouraging for using

digital games to enhance the aging process of older

adults. However, it should be emphasized that these

results are preliminary. The next step will involve

further data analysis to investigate whether there are

particular groups that benefit more from playing

digital games, e.g., older adults, expert players,

active players. Then a series of experiments are

being planned to directly address the socio-

emotional and cognitive benefits of digital games for

older adults. These experiments will include

research to clarify whether gameplay is effective or

not based on objective evaluation criteria.

Overall, this study provides a positive starting

point for determining whether digital games may

improve the quality of life in older adults. Improving

lives through play is an appealing idea, and play

itself also has been shown to lead to powerful

learning (Kaufman & Sauve, 2010). The potential

for digital games to provide benefits to older adults,

even when they may be homebound or isolated, is

exciting. It may be that in our technologically

focused culture, digital games are a way to assist

older adults in feeling more connected with the

world, while providing a enjoyment as well as a

social and stimulating environment. Play is not only

for the young, but can be used throughout the life

cycle to connect and bring joy at any stage.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank the Social Sciences and

Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

for supporting this project financially through a four-

year Insight grant.

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