Master's Theses

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Date of Award

Fall 1991

Degree Name

Education Specialist (Ed.S)

Department

Advanced Education Programs

Advisor

David Williamson

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to gain information regarding the relationship of playing computer video games to problem-solving ability and task motivation. Subjects in the study consisted of ninety- five school-aged children in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Ninety-five subjects were divided into three groups based upon their computer video game performance: 1) 32 good computer video game players. 2) 31 intermediate computer video game players, and 3) 32 poor computer video game players. The dependent variable for the study was the subjects accumulated scores (on 10 trials) from the problem-solving computer video game, “TETRIS." The independent variable was the subjects' scores from the Performance Scale of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). The independent variable was administered only to groups #1 and #3. The data from the study were analyzed using direct, single discriminant analysis with two groups and one predictor variable. The results showed that good computer video game players did perform significantly better than poor computer video game players on 3 of 5 WISC- R Performance Scale subtests. Those subtests included: Block Design, Object Assembly, and Picture Completion. The results also indicated that good computer video game players did perform significantly better than poor computer video game players on the WISC-R Performance Scale 10. The WISC- R Performance Scale 10 was found to be the most effective discriminator between good computer video game players and poor computer video game players.

Comments

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Rights

© 1991 Lori S. Jackson

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