Design of a video game adapted to the study of motivation in young people with emotional disorders

Abstract

For several years now, the impact that mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety or eating disorders have on society has become more evident, and how they are affecting an increasing number of young people. Measuring variables related to motivation, in order to perceive mood disorders, is important for monitoring the disease. There are two types of motivation. On the one hand, intrinsic motivation, which arises from within the individual, awakening interest in carrying out a task without expecting external rewards. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation, which is stimulated by the search for results or external rewards. Regarding the latter, video games and the fields of psychology and psychiatry have been strengthening their ties in recent years, proving the usefulness of this digital product in the study of patients with some type of emotional problem. This work proposes the design specifications of a video game that can measure extrinsic motivation as a psychological variable that helps determine possible behavioral problems in the person, and allows monitoring during treatment. A simple and accessible design is proposed to facilitate its use and make it user-friendly, through an implementation for mobile platforms on the Android operating system. The specifications of the video game are conditioned by the complexity of establishing a balanced workreward system, equipped with simple game mechanics that do not require specific skills on the part of the user. The result is a feasible design that could allow psychologists and psychiatrists to follow their youngest patients, and an attractive tool to promote the collection of information.

Keywords: Computational Intelligence, Motivation, Video Games, Affective disorders, Healthcare

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005934