Effect of augmented reality game Pokemon GO on cognitive performance and emotional intelligence in adolescent young

The main aim was to analyse the effect of 8 weeks of Pokemon GO on cognitive performance (memory, selective attention, concentration, mathematical calculation and linguistic reasoning) and emotional intelligence (well-being, self-control, emotionality and sociability) in Spanish adolescents between 12 and 15 years. A longitudinal design was used, with a Control Group (n = 103) that did not use Pokemon GO, and Experimental Group (n = 87) that used Pokemon GO during 8 weeks. Age, sex, BMI, maternal educational level, number of computers at home and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were used as confounders. Results showed that players walked 54 km and spent 40 min/day playing in this period. Boys played more, won more points and reached a higher level in the game than girls. The players playing Pokemon GO significantly increased their selective attention (p = 0.003), concentration levels (p < 0.001), and sociability levels (p = 0.003) against their peers. It is concluded that Pokemon GO increases, in a playful way, the amount of daily exercise in adolescents, could positively affect their cognitive performance, and improve the social relationships. Further studies are required to perform comparisons between single and collaborative play and to identify the pedagogical benefits through some subjects such as Physical Education. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.