Control Condition
The computer games condition was designed to control for the
effects of computer exposure, contact with research personnel,
and monetary payments. This “placebo” was also selected to control
for the nonspecific engagement of attentional systems, executive
functions, and motivation through the reinforcement of
graphics-based computer games. The control subjects rotated
through a series of 16 different enjoyable commercially available
games (e.g., visuospatial puzzle games, clue-gathering mystery
games, pinball-style games) for the same number of hours as the
subjects who received the training program. They played four or
five games on any given day and were monitored by staff in the
same manner as the subjects in the training condition. The subjects
rated the two conditions as equally enjoyable on the 7-item
interest/enjoyment subscale of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory
(31, 32).