Comparison of the Effectiveness of Computerized and Non-Computerized Cognitive Games on Sustained Attention and Planning in Educable Intellectual Disability Children

One of the common problems of intellectual disability children is difficulty in cognitive functions. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of computerized and non-computerized cognitive games on sustained attention and planning in educable intellectual disability children.

This study in terms of purpose and in terms of implementation method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and two-month follow-up design with a control group. The research population was the educable intellectual disability female students of the first elementary period of Ahvaz city in the academic years of 2022-23. The research sample was calculated for each group of 12 people, which these people were selected by the purposive sampling method and by simple random with lottery replaced in three groups (12 people in each group). The first experimental group was trained 20 sessions of 45-minute cognitive games with Captain's Log computerized software, the second experimental group was trained 20 sessions of 45-minute cognitive games without the software, and the control group remained on the waiting list for training. The research tools included a demographic information form, continuous performance computerized test, and Tower of London computerized test, and data were analyzed by methods of chi-square, analysis of variance with repeated measures, and Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS-19 software.

The findings showed that there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of age and educational level (P>0.05). Also, both methods of computerized and non-computerized cognitive games in comparison to the control group increased sustained attention and planning in educable intellectual disability children and the results were maintained in the follow-up phase (P<0.001). In addition, the effectiveness of computerized cognitive games in compared to the non-computerized cognitive games was higher in increasing both variables of sustained attention and planning (P<0.001).

The results of the present study indicated the greater effectiveness of computerized cognitive games in compared to non-computerized cognitive games in increasing the cognitive functions of sustained attention and planning. Therefore, specialists, psychologists, and consultants can use the method of computerized cognitive games to improve cognitive functions.