A new study has shown that interactive avatars, which provide both instruction and feedback on the attention, can help ADHD children perform better on complex problem-solving tasks. According to a study published in, researchers concluded that ADHD children can benefit from the presence of a virtual avatar giving feedback and instruction. This could also increase their performance on dynamic intelligence measures. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking
Rosa Fabio and Tindara Capri co-authored the article entitled “Interactive Avatar Boosts Performances of Children with ADHD In Dynamic Measures of Intelligence.” Avatars are virtual characters that can be used in online learning environments. They have human-like gestures, speech and behaviors. Researchers found that children with ADHD did not perform better if an avatar was absent or provided instructions. The tests involve children being given difficult problems to solve, and then gradually assisted in finding the solution. Performance measures are determined by how much assistance the learner needs in solving the problem.
“Results of this study may help developers to design better educational software as well as provide guidance to educators on the value avatars could bring to classroom, online training, and educational environments,” says Brenda K. Wiederhold PhD, MBA, BCB and BCN, Interactive Media Institute in San Diego, California, and Virtual Reality Medical Institute in Brussels, Belgium.
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