Effectiveness of “Emo-Galaxy” video game on social skills of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Emo Galaxy computer game on social skills of children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). This research was a quasi -experimental study with pre-test, post-test and a control group design. The statistical population included all female elementary school students with ODD who were referred to counseling centers in Tehran City in the academic year of 2018-2019. 24 female students with ODD were selected using available sampling method based on the criterion of Child Symptom Inventory (CSI-4) and DSM-5 Checklist, then 12 of them were randomly assigned to the experiment group and 12 others were assigned to the control group. Social Skills Rating Scale (Gresham & Elliott, 1990) was used to assess their social skills. The experiment group received Emo-Galaxy Computer Game intervention in 12 sessions of 30 minutes during the one-and-a-half months, while the control group waited in the waiting list. At the end, both groups were re-assessed. Data were analyzed using Multivariable Covariance Analysis (MANCOVA).The findings showed that there were significant differences (p<0.05) between the experiment and the control group in all subscales of social skills (cooperation: 0.313, assertiveness: 0.302, and self-control: 0.258). Using this computer game on emotion recognition and regulation was effective for improving social skills in children with ODD.