title: Making Games for Health Engaging: The Influence of Cognitive Skills.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Serious games for health care are on the rise. These games are thought to be effective because they can provide information in a context that is engaging. However, it is likely that game-based health training is most effective for a subset of people with specific skills, traits, and experiences. Understanding the factors associated with optimum game outcomes will help us better describe the learners for whom they are appropriate. Toward this end, the present study examined specific cognitive skills related to the achievement of flow state while playing a game for health.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 59 college students were recruited from undergraduate classes to play a game for health and were assessed on levels of mindfulness, cognitive flexibility, and flow state.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results suggest that the effect of cognitive flexibility on flow changes as a function of mindfulness. More specifically, the results suggest that there is a negative relationship between cognitive flexibility and flow in individuals low on mindfulness and a positive relationship between cognitive flexibility and flow in individuals high on mindfulness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Game designers wishing to create effective game-based treatment supplements may wish to implement cognitive flexibility and mindfulness training.
authors.affiliation: RETRO Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida.
authors.forename: Christine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kreutzer
authors.affiliation: RETRO Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida , Orlando, Florida.
authors.forename: Clint A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bowers
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition; D003405:Creativity; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D064866:Mindfulness; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult