Science
Using Videogame Apps to Assess Gains in Adolescents’ Substance Use Knowledge: New Opportunities for Evaluating Intervention Exposure and Content Mastery
This study demonstrates the analysis of automatic log files, created by software from a videogame intervention, that catalog game play and, as proof of concept, the association of these data with changes in substance use knowledge as documented with standardized assessments. Download PDF >
Games for Health for Children—Current Status and Needed Research
A discussion with leading experts in the field of serious videogames regarding the current status of games for health and need for continued research. Download PDF >
Abstract: A Videogame Intervention Increases HIV Knowledge in Adolescents
Abstract discussing the impact of PlayForward on drug/alcohol/sex-related (DAS) knowledge from the Journal of Adolescent Health. Download PDF >
PlayForward: A videogame that increases drug, alcohol, and sexual risk knowledge in teens
Abstract discussing the impact of PlayForward on drug/alcohol/sex-related (DAS) knowledge from the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Download PDF >
Serious Games for Sexual Health
A roundtable discussion with a panel of sexual health researchers on the place of serious games in furthering the field of sexual health. Download PDF >
Videogames, Here for Good
The use of technology in health care is increasingly ubiquitous, and there is mounting evidence that videogames can serve as interventions to increase knowledge and effect behavior change in youth. Download PDF >
Using What’s Learned in a Game to Use in Real Life
Challenging research is needed to clarify the factors influencing transfer of learning from games to real life. Download PDF >
Game playbooks: tools to guide multidisciplinary teams in developing videogame-based behavior change interventions
Through the development of PlayForward: Elm City Stories, we developed a process that helps researchers and game developers work effectively together by creating what we have termed “Game Playbooks”. Download PDF >
Novel Methods to Collect Meaningful Data from Adolescents for the Development of Health Interventions
The purpose of this article was to provide examples of three strategies we used to engage young adolescents in discussions surrounding their environment and future aspirations and to demonstrate the quality and utility of the data garnered from these activities. Download PDF >
The use of message framing to promote sexual risk reduction in young adolescents: a pilot exploratory study
We recruited 26, 10 to 14 year-olds to participate in focus groups. We asked each adolescent to design a poster that advised their peers to “wait to have sex until they are much older so they can achieve their future goals and dreams” and instructed them to choose from the selection of images and messages we provided or to generate their own content. Download PDF >