The Long and Winding Road to Real-Life Experiments: Remote Assessment of Executive Functions with Computerized Games—Results from 8 Years of Naturalistic Interventions

• DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14030262
• Publication Date: 2024-03-07T13:59:37Z
• Authors: Melina Vladisauskas; Gabriel Paz; Verónica Nin; Jesús Guillén; Laouen Belloli; Hernán Delgado; Martín Miguel; Daniela Macario C...; Diego Shalom; Anna Forés; Alejandra Carboni; Diego Fernández-S...; Andrea Goldin
• Keywords: Cognitive flexibility; Replicate

Mate Marote is an open-access cognitive training software aimed at children between 4 and 8 years old. It consists of a set computerized games specifically tailored to train evaluate Executive Functions (EF), class processes critical for purposeful, goal-directed behavior, including working memory, planning, flexibility, inhibitory control. Since 2008, several studies were performed with this children’s own schools in interventions supervised in-person by scientists. After 2015, we incorporated naturalistic, yet controlled, teachers’ help. The platform includes battery standardized tests, disguised as games, assess EF. main question that emerges whether the results, obtained these traditional tasks but conducted without presence researchers, are comparable those widely reported literature, more settings. In study, able replicate expected difficulty age effects least one analyzed dependent variables each employed test. We also report important discrepancies observed response time patterns, time-constrained tasks. hereby discuss benefits setbacks new possible strategy type assessment naturalistic conclude established EF adapted its remote usage appropriate measure mental settings, enriching opportunities upscale schools. These types tools can constitute concerted bring together educational neuroscience research real-life practice.