Abstract:
The objectives of this quasi-experimental research were to compare average working
memory and selective attention scores in grade nine students before and after training with
computer games, and to compare average working memory and selective attention scores of
threegroups of participants after practicing with serious games, fun games, and sports games
and the control group who received no intervention. The participants were grade nine
students from four classroomsatTupprayapittaya School. These participants were assigned
to three experimental groups, and to a control group,using cluster random sampling and
simple random sampling. Research instruments were TONI-4, three types of games
(i.e. serious games, fun games, and sports games), the Dual N-back task,and the Continuous
Performance Test. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, MANOVA, and MANCOVA.
The results were as follows:
1. The average response accuracy of working memory in the experimental group
after training was statistically higher than before training at the .05 level of significance.
The experimental group with fun game practice had a significantly faster reaction time of
working memory after training than before training at the .05 level of significance.
However, pre-post results for the experimental groups with serious game and sports
game practices were not different.
2. The average response accuracy of selective attention in the experimental
group before and after training was not different. The experimental group with sports
game practice had a significantly higher reaction time of selective attention after
training in comparison to before training at the .05 level of significance. Results in the
experimental groups with serious game and fun game practices were not different.
3. After training, students from the three experimental groups and the control
group had average response accuracy scores of working memory and selective attention
that were significantly different at the .05 level of significance. The reaction time of selective
attention after the experiment was significantly different at the .05 level of significance.
However, the reaction time of working memory after the experiment evidenced no difference.