Effectiveness of Cognitive Emotion-Based Computer Games on Emotional Management of Children with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder

Background and Aim: Attention deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common disorder in childhood. ADHD causes poor performance, especially student's academic performance. Also children with ADHD have major disabilities in emotional self-regulation functions, so that they have a number of fundamental problems in understanding and controlling their emotions and feelings. Methods: This research was carried out using a semi-experimental method on two experiment and control groups, with pretest-posttest. The research population included all ADHD children in Tehran who referred to Omid and Neshat clinic during the academic year of ۱۳۹۶-۹۷. In order to study the effectiveness of computer cognitive games, ۲۰ boys who were ۷ to ۱۲ years old were selected, then randomly divided into two groups of experimental (۱۰ person) and control (۱۰ person). The experimental group had ۱۵ sessions (۴۵-minute) intervention, which was "EMO-GALAXY" computer game, and the control group received no specific program. Shield & Cicchetti Emotion regulation checklist (۱۹۹۸) was used to measure emotion regulation. The obtained data were analyzed using covariance. The finding indicated significant differences (p< ۰/۵) between the experimental and the control group in emotion regulation. Results: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive computer games on emotional management of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Conclusion: The results showed that cognitive computer games are effective on increasing the emotion management in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). So it is suggested that psychologists, counselors and rehabilitation specialists use this intervention program to improve cognitive, emotional of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cognitive computer games ، emotion management ، children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)