The relationship between fast-paced mobile gaming and adolescents' cognitive development: an exploratory study
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Abstract
This exploratory study examined adolescents’ perceived cognitive and psychomotor benefits, gameplay performance, and experiences associated with a custom-developed fast-paced mobile game, OnTimelyPress. A mixed-methods design was used with 35 adolescents aged 13–19 years recruited through convenience sampling from two Malaysian educational institutions. Participants played several rounds of the game and subsequently completed a researcher-developed questionnaire containing Likert-scale and open-ended items. Gameplay duration from the first and final rounds was also recorded. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and a paired-samples t-test, while open-ended responses were categorised thematically. Participants generally reported positive perceptions of focus, memory, response speed, hand-eye coordination and enjoyment. However, the relationship between self-reported cognitive and psychomotor scores was not statistically significant. Gameplay duration increased from the first round to the final round, but the difference was not statistically significant. The qualitative findings showed that participants generally considered the game enjoyable and cognitively demanding, although some had trouble maintaining concentration. The findings indicate positive perceptions of cognitive engagement rather than objectively verified cognitive or psychomotor improvement. Further experimental research using validated assessments, comparison groups and larger samples is required.
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