Clinical utility of completion time and performance errors was investigated for the Trail Making Test (TMT; Reitan, 1958). Archival neuropsychological files for patients with mild and moderate/severe head injuries, as well as patients with suspect effort on neuropsychological testing, were examined and compared to controls and experimental malingerers. Time-to-completion scores differentiated the participants who were malingering and who gave suspect effort from those patients with head injuries. There were no differences in error rates among the head-injury groups or controls for either the TMT-A or TMT-B. Errors were also not uncommon among normal controls; 12% and 35% of the controls made at least one error on TMT-A and TMT-B, respectively. However, error rates for both the suspect-effort and malingering groups were inflated on TMT-B as compared to the head-injured and control groups. Results suggest that performance errors on the TMT lack diagnostic utility for persons with head injuries, and time-to-completion is still the best indicator of neuropathology. However, performance errors, in conjunction with inflated time scores on the TMT, may be useful in the assessment of malingering.

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Numerous studies support the contention that videogames can be useful in developing specific attention and memory skills. Videogames and other digital technologies also require the practice of critical-thinking and executive-functioning skills, but there is little evidence that these skills, which lead to decision-making and problem-solving skills, can be generalized from the game to the real world. This chapter examines strategies that use videogames to enhance the development of these problem-solving and ethical decision-making skills. This chapter discusses the use of these strategies with a clinical population of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities and considers methods for parents, teachers, and game publishers to make popular videogames a potent teaching tool for developing decision-making skills in children.

Numerous studies support the contention that videogames can be useful in developing specific attention and memory skills. Videogames and other digital technologies also require the practice of critical-thinking and executive-functioning skills, but there is little evidence that these skills, which lead to decision-making and problem-solving skills, can be generalized from the game to the real world. This chapter examines strategies that use videogames to enhance the development of these problem-solving and ethical decision-making skills. This chapter discusses the use of these strategies with a clinical population of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities and considers methods for parents, teachers, and game publishers to make popular videogames a potent teaching tool for developing decision-making skills in children.

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