Re Stroop on Time: A Serious Game to Explore Inhibitory Control and Physiological Correlates in Neurodivergent Children

Abstract

This study advances multidisciplinary contributions to understanding inhibitory control in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. A serious game was developed to provide cognitive and behavioral characterization in educational contexts. Study 1 provides guidelines on best practices for serious game design in applied cognition and neurodevelopmental support. Study 2 examined the game's feasibility for measuring inhibitory control and its concurrent psychometric links to behavioral and emotional functioning. Results suggest suitability for schools, though psychometric evaluation is required. Study 3 implemented an exploratory twenty‐session design, using heart rate variability to examine physiological correlates, which showed that higher sympathetic activation and stress relate to lower performance. Collectively, these data advance applied cognition by specifying how gamified tasks can be tailored to the functional developmental levels of neurodevelopmental children. By utilizing personalized, data‐driven pathways, this game provides educators a viable tool for cognitive screening, supporting practical classroom observation for students with ADHD and co‐occurring disorders.