Video Games to Prevent use of Hallucinogenic Drugs

SUBJECTS.

My populations of interest are young adults between the ages of 18-25. The subjects were chosen from a university campus where they were recruited. The subjects had to be enrolled in classes. The conditions were that the experimental group would play the game. I assigned the subjects to the conditions to how they answered questions to a survey that was given and their answers determined where they were grouped. If they have not tried any drugs before they were put in the experimental group. Those who have tried drugs before were placed in the control group. The control group had to perform cognitive tasks such as answering a phone to see how they will function. The screening criteria in order to be a part of the study is that the individuals would have to fill out a survey to find out if they had ever taken any drugs. This was to determine who belongs in what group. The people who were excluded were individuals who were not in college or were under 18 or over the age of 25. The subjects that were between the ages of 18 and 25. There were 200 males and 200 females who participated in the study. They all ranged from various ethnicities and ranged from freshmen to seniors. Subjects were motivated because they would receive gift cards upon completing the study. They would receive American Express gift cards that were worth $50. The subjects will receive course credit for taking part in the study.

APPARATUS.

Materials used were a pen and paper for the survey, for the game via cellphone or laptops, and for the control group a telephone. Stimuli in game would be the scenarios of where drug use would occur the players would observe. Such as in a club a party scene observing the people dancing, eating, drinking, talking or even doing drugs. The player can communicate with other party patrons and engage in activities. For the control group there will be a menial task such as answering the telephone. Stimuli for the party scene would be the behaviors observed by the player such as drinking, dancing, eating, talking or doing drugs. The player has a decision if to engage in these behaviors. Control group will be presented the telephone in a room one by one.

The experimental group will be measured by their decisions they made and the consequences whether they are positive or negative. The control group will be measured on if they answer the phone, how they answer it, and their speech.

PROCEDURES.

Some conditions the experimental group would encounter would be putting them to hang out with friends in the game where all the other buddies are taking the drugs and when it comes to their turn if they want to join them or not. This would be a situation of peer pressure being present. Another condition would be while in the club since everyone is drunk or on drugs are having a good time someone can come up to the subject and ask if they want to have a good time by taking the drug.

For the control group conditions as the phone ringing only a couple of times not enough for the individual to get to it. Or the phone ringing a lot and when the subjects gets to it the person hangs up. Experimental group must decide what they want to do in the game. The control group can answer the phone or not. Those playing the game were told they could beta test a new game and were not informed of the study. The others were told that a phone would be ringing. Data for the game was collected by choices made and if the character would become a drug addict or have a great lifestyle with family and friends. The telephone helped test the subject’s cognitive skills such as perception, decision taking, motor skill, language skills and their social skills.