Serious games and emotion teaching in autism spectrum disorders: a comparison with LIFEisGAME project

Serious games and emotion teaching in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Serious games and emotion teaching in Autism Spectrum Disorders: a comparison with a comparison with LIFEisGAME LIFEisGAME project project Cristina Queirós1,2, Samanta Alves1,2, António José Marques1,3 , Mónica Oliveira1,2 & Verónica Orvalho4 1Psychosocial Rehabilitation Laboratory (FPCEUP / ESTSPIPP), Porto, Portugal 2Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Porto University, Portugal 3School of Allied Health Sciences, Porto Polytechnic Institute, Portugal 4Faculty of Sciences, Porto University, Portugal 1. 1. Introduction Introduction Understanding emotions is crucial for social interactions, enabling individuals to accurately recognize intentions of others and foster appropriate responses (Bal et al., 2009). People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have marked deficits in these areas with consequences to their lives. Recently, technology plays an active part in helping these individuals to understand emotions and recognize facial expressions (Baron-Cohen et al., 2004; Mota, 2012; Tanaka et al., 2010). LIFEisGAME is a serious game, developed in Porto University, empirically grounded, that recalls to state-of-art technology and aims to develop facial recognition skills in these children. 2. Objectives 2. Objectives To present empirically valid computer games in teaching emotions and facial expressions recognition for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and compare them with the Portuguese LIFEisGAME project. 3. 3. Design and method Design and method 5. 5. Conclusions Conclusions We found 18 computer games, but only 6 showed empirically validated/published results. Majority had no reference to research work and no professionals of education or psychology were involved in game design. Technology is a useful resource for Autism Spectrum Disorders (Golan & Baron-Cohen 2006), but research in this topic is necessary to avoid the misuse of non-scientific tools as valid, that can lead to counter-productive intervention. LIFEisGAME has the advantage of being a computer game that is empirically and theoretically grounded, uses front line technology and includes a multidisciplinary team of professional in order to achieve scientific validation. 4. 4. Results Results - Bal, E., Harden, E., Lamb, D., Van Hecke, A.V., Denver, J.W., & Porges, S.W. (2009). Emotion recognition in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Relations to eye gaze and autonomic state. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 358-370. - Baron-Cohen, S., Golan, O., Wheelwrights, S., & Hill, J. (2004). Mindreading: The interactive guide to emotions. London: Jessica Kingsley. - Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. (1971). Constants across cultures in the face and emotion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 17 (2), 124-129. - Golan, O., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2006). Systemizing empathy: Teaching adults with Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism to recognize complex emotions using interactive multimedia. Journal Developmental and Psychopathology, 18 (2), 591-617. - Langner, O., Dotsch, R., Bijlstra, G., Wigboldus, D.H., Hawk, S.T., & Van Knippen Berg, A. (2010). Presentation and validation of the Radboud faces database. Cognition & Emotion, 24 (8), 1377-1388. - Mota, J. (2012). Reconhecimento emocional em crianças com perturbação do espectro do autismo: Um estudo exploratório com o videojogo “Let´s face It!" [Emotional recognition in children with autism spectrum disorder: an exploratory study with the videogame "Let s face It!]. Master thesis in Psychology Porto: Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, Portugal. - Tanaka, J., Lincoln, S.; & Hegg, L. (2003). A framework for the study and treatment of face processing deficits in autism. In H. Leder & G. Swartzer (Eds.). The development of face processing, 101-119, Berlin: Hogrefe Punlishers. - Tanaka, J.W., Wolf, J.M., Klaiman, C., Koenig, K., Cockburn, J., Herlihy, L., Brown, C., Stahl, P., Kaiser, M., & Schultz, R.T. (2010). Using computerized games to teach face recognition skills to children with autism spectrum disorder: The Let’s Face It! program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2258, 1-12. Bibliographic research took place between February-August, 2011. Two independent researchers using key-words “Emotions”, “videogames or computer games”, and “autism or ASD”, recalled to EBSCO, Google and Google Scholar search engines, parents´ forums and registered special education organizations websites, looking for computer games that aimed to teach emotions to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The methodology was based on content deductive analysis, and games were characterized in terms of origin, objectives, target-population, emotions considered and game design. Computer Games © (n=18) Origin (authors and country) Objectives Population with ASD Emotions Game Design Aprende con Zapo* Ballesta & Alcaraz, Spain Teach social and emotional skills yes Six Basic (happiness, sadness, anger, fear, disgust and surprise) and complex emotions according to Ekman and Friesen (1971) Two major domains, one about teaching facial expression recognition of basic and complex emotions (5 levels) and action prediction according to beliefs (true or false) (5 levels). Do2learn :“Make a Face” Donan Stranger, EUA To practice creating “emotion-faces” no Surprise, interest, fear, sadness, happiness, anger, disgust and shame Player manipulates an avatar and changes parts of its face in order to express different emotions. Do2learn: Faceland Donan Stranger, EUA Learn about facial expressions yes Hapiness, sadness, fear, suprise, anger and disgust FACELAND is an amusement park theme with 6 schools where the player learns about facial clues and facial expressions, also includes 11 game-like activities (memory and matching games and recognition tasks) Do2learn : “Feelings Game” Donan Stranger, EUA To teach about emotions and facial expressions no Surprise, interested, fear, sadness, happiness, anger, disgust and shame Includes 4 levels: At first two levels the player learns about facial expressions recognition and emotion labeling. The complexity increases at level 3 and 4 with context inclusion (sentences reading). Face Games Simon Evans, EUA Teach face reading no Six basic emotions Collection of games concerned with faces, emotions and face reading. FaceSay™* Symbionica L.L.C., UK Teach social skills yes Basic emotions or neutral expression Three games with faces identification and comparison tasks plus eye gaze activities. Julia´s Rainbow Corner** Parents of a child with ASD Learn about emotions and facial expressions no Felling “stupid”, fear, shame, sadness, happiness, anger, surprise and excited Collection of games about facial expression reading and emotion labeling. Let’s Face It! * Tanaka and collaborators, Canada Teach face processing skills yes Six basic emotions Seven interactive games, with 24 levels of complexity, faces and facial expressions comparison and identification tasks. Mind Reading: “Interactive Guide of Emotions” * Baron-Cohen and collaborators, UK Teach emotional recognition yes 412 emotions (basic and complex) Includes game zone, emotion library and learning center. Free exploration tasks, comparison, face and facial expressions identification. Lessons and ludic tasks Playtime with Zeebu™ Kimberley Galo, Canada Learn about facial expressions in context yes Happiness, worry, sadness, fear, excitement Player manipulates a character's face, named Zeebu, (e.g. eyes, mouth) to match his feelings as the story plot changes. Robbie The Robot University of Swinburn, Australia Explore emotions and facial expressions in a story like game yes Happiness, sadness, anger and surprise Player identifies, matches and labels facial expressions of a robot named Robbie according to the story that is presented. Secret Agent Story* University of Queensland, Australia Develop skills of social and emotional understanding yes Basic and complex emotions A main character (detective) has to overcome missions involving: at 1st game level – facial and body reading; 2nd level – actions and emotions predictions based on context and 3rd level – virtual reality mission about how to overcome specific emotion challenging situations. Additional material provided like handouts also role-play sessions and workshops. SmileMaze*** Cockburn et collaborators, Canada Enhance social and emotional skills yes The player navigates a Pac-man character through a maze, in order to score points, the child poses a happy or angry facial expression that is recorded by a webcam and evaluated by the computer software program. The E.Motion Express CYKE Design Company, EUA Learn to deal with emotions trough characters of a story no Anger, anxiety and worry Player reads a story about specific emotions (e.g. anger) and then chooses what the character will do next (e.g. fight or talk to someone). The Emotions Trainer * Silver and Oakes, UK Teach to recognize and predict emotions in others yes Happiness, sadness, anger, fear and surprise Tasks focused on facial expression recognition, emotions prediction and interpretation based on context. The Gaining Face Stone Mountain Software, EUA Learn to recognize facial expressions yes Bored, surprise, anger, sadness and happiness Player learns about emotions and corresponding facial expressions through examples and written explanations. Tikkabilla – Emotions Theatre BBC-Cbeebies, UK Learn about facial expressions trough drama no Happiness, sadness, anger, surprise and excitement Player has to match character's facial expression to feelings originated in the story presented. Thomas the Tank Engine :“Emotions Game” Gullano Entertainment, UK Learn about facial expressions no Hapiness, sadness, surprise and fear Recognition tasks – trains with faces expressing different emotions - and focus on memory skills. LIFEisGAME Oporto University (FCUP & FPCEUP), Psychosocial Rehabilitation Lab (FPCEUP/ESTSPIPP), Portugal, and Austin University, Texas, EUA Teach emotions and facial expressions in an interactive and creative way yes Basic and complex emotions. Recall to Radbound-database (Langner et al., 2010) and to player´s facial expression (Motion capture) Includes 4 game modules: “become your avatar” – player recalls to own facial expressions to learn about emotions; “build the face” – the player draws facial expressions on a avatar and learns about facial clues; “what a feeling” – exploration of facial expressions through comparison tasks and “live the story” interaction between avatars; the user learns about how different actions can lead to different emotions. * Games with validated results trough publication **unknown authors ***prototype version 6. 6. Bibliography Bibliography LIFEisGAME & Validated Games © LIFEisGAME Mind Reading The Emotions Trainer Let´s Face it! Face Say Aprende con Zapo Secret Agency Society Observations & Technology A game that values interactive technology recalling to synthesis of realistic virtual characters, markerless motion capture, sketching tools and mirroring effects. Customization options and mixing fun with learning are other advantages of this game. Positive aspect of valuing the use of real faces and with customization options. Also includes emotions in voices but very “lesson-like type” of game that can be less motivating for children. This game is not very dynamic and interactive. The technology used is obsolete but basic principals of emotions learning are present and was one of the first validated game on this topic Only validated game with free download. The game tasks are ludic and well achieved. Strongly theory grounded game based on the Hierarchical Face processing Model (Tanaka, Lincoln & Hegg, 2003). Use of realistic interactive avatars. Values eye gaze skills. Authors argue that learned skills are generalized to other contexts. This game recalls to obsolete technology but has the advantage of teaching about mental perspective (true and false believes), together with facial expressions recognition. This game includes written material, role-plays and workshops .The game is interactive and motivating but only designed for very high functioning children. www.labrp.com [email protected]