Effectiveness of a Computer Game for Recognizing and Understanding Facial Emotions in Hearing-Impaired Children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18690/rei.4926Keywords:
Computer Game, Facial Emotion Recognition, Facial Emotion Understanding, Hearing Impairments.Abstract
The present study evaluates the effectiveness of the EMOFIT computer game on the recognition and understanding of facially expressed emotions in 6-10-year-old hearing-impaired children. This quasi-experimental, pre-test-post-test design study, with control and experimental groups, was conducted with the participation of thirty children. The results showed significant improvement in emotion understanding, especially in adaptation (e.g., η² = 0.84), with slight improvement in naming (e.g., η² = 0.57). Results suggest that games like EMOFIT can effectively improve impaired social skills and emotional development among children.
References
Albash, N. I., & Turkestani, M. H. (2023). Educational interventions for deaf and hard-of-hearing children in preschool: A systematic review. Early Years, 44(3-4), 570-584. https://doi.org/1–0.1080/09575146.2023.2192437
Cano, S., Naranjo, J. S., Henao, C., Rusu, C., & Albiol-Pérez, S. (2021). Serious game as support for the development of computational thinking for children with hearing impairment. Applied Sciences, 11(1), 115. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010115
Chan, G. L., Santally, M. I., & Whitehead, J. (2022). Gamification as technology enabler in SEN and DHH education. Education and Information Technologies, 27(7), 9031-9064. https://doi.org/1–0.1007/s10639-022-10984-y
Cirasa, C., Høgsdal, H., & Conti, D. (2024). “I see what you feel”: An exploratory study to investigate the understanding of robot emotions in deaf children. Applied Sciences, 14(4), 1446. https:/–/doi.org/10.3390/app14041446
Costa, C., Marcelino, L., Neves, J., & Sousa, C. (2019, October). Games for education of deaf students: A systematic literature review. In L. Elbaek, G. Majgaard, A. Valente, & S. Khalid (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th European Conference on Game-Based Learning (pp. 170-181). Academic Conferences and Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.34190/GBL.19.113
dos Passos Canteri, R., García, L. S., Felipe, T. A., Antunes, D. R., & Iatskiu, C. E. (2015a). An evaluation method of educational computer games for deaf children based on design guidelines. In M. Antona & C. Stephanidis (Eds.), Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Access to Learning, Health and Well-Being: 9th International Conference, UAHCI 2015, Held as Part of HCI International 2015, Los Angeles, CA, USA, August 2-7, 2015, Proceedings, Part III (pp. 409-419). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20684-4_40
dos Passos Canteri, R., García, L. S., de Souza, T. A. F., & Iatskiu, C. E. A. (2015b, April). Video games in education of deaf children: A set of practical design guidelines. In S. Hammoudi, L. A. Maciaszek, M. M. Missikoff, M. J. Roseman, & J. Becker (Eds.), Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems (Vol. 3, pp. 122-129). SCITEPRESS. https://doi.org/10.5220/0005397701220129
Dyck, M. J., & Denver, E. (2003). Can the emotion recognition ability of deaf children be enhanced? A pilot study. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 8(3), 348-356. https://doi.org/1–0.1093/deafed/eng019
Dyck, M. J., Farrugia, C., Shochet, I. M., & Holmes‐Brown, M. (2004). Emotion recognition/understanding ability in hearing or vision‐impaired children: Do sounds, sights, or words make the difference? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(4), 789-800. https:/–/doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00272.x
Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (2003). Unmasking the face: A guide to recognizing emotions from facial clues. Malor Books.
El Mawas, N., Bratu, M., Caraman, D., & Muntean, C. H. (2019, March). Investigating the learning impact of game-based learning when teaching science to children with special learning needs [Conference session]. 30th Annual Conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE), Las Vegas, NV, United States. https://hal.science/hal-02251329
Fayazi, B. L., Ariyanpur, M., & Rahimzadeh, F. (2021). The effects of linguistic interventions on the recognition of facial emotional expressions in hearing-impaired students. Middle East Journal of Disability Studies, 11. http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-1517-fa.html
Garcia-Garcia, J. M., Penichet, V. M., Lozano, M. D., & Fernando, A. (2022). Using emotion recognition technologies to teach children with autism spectrum disorder how to identify and express emotions. Universal Access in the Information Society, 21(4), 809-825. https://doi.o–rg/10.1007/s10209-021-00818-y
Hao, J., & Su, Y. (2014). Deaf children's use of clear visual cues in mindreading. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35(11), 2849-2857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.07.034
Holmer, E., Rudner, M., Schönström, K., & Andin, J. (2020). Evidence of an effect of gaming experience on visuospatial attention in deaf but not in hearing individuals. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 534741. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.534741
Hong, M., & Lv, S. (2025). The current situation and influencing factors of social adaptation of hearing impaired middle school students: A qualitative research. Current Psychology, 44(10), 8245–8256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-07184-x
Jones, A. C., Gutierrez, R., & Ludlow, A. K. (2018). The role of motion and intensity in deaf children’s recognition of real human facial expressions of emotion. Cognition and Emotion, 32(1), 102-115. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2017.1289894
Kuo, H. J., Yeomans, M., Ruiz, D., & Lin, C.-C. (2024). Video games and disability—A risk and benefit analysis. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 5, 1343057. https://doi.org/10.3389/fres–c.2024.1343057
Laugen, N. J., Jacobsen, K. H., Rieffe, C., & Wichstrøm, L. (2016). Predictors of psychosocial outcomes in hard-of-hearing preschool children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 21(3), 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enw005
Lee, H. M., & Loo, P. A. (2021). Gamification of learning in early age education. Journal La Edusci, 2(2), 44-50. https://doi.org/10.37899/journallaedusci.v2i2.380
Lieu, J. E., Kenna, M., Anne, S., & Davidson, L. (2020). Hearing impairments in children: A review. JAMA, 324(21), 2195-2205. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.17647
Lotfi, E., Belahbib, A., & Bouhorma, M. (2014). Application of analytic hierarchical process method for video game genre selection. International Journal of Computer Applications, 96(16), 30-37. https://doi.org/10.5120/16881-6888
Ludlow, A., Heaton, P., Rosset, D., Hills, P., & Deruelle, C. (2010). Emotion recognition in children with profound and severe deafness: Do they have a deficit in perceptual processing? Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 32(9), 923-928. https://doi.org/10.1080–/13803391003596447
Mascio, T. D., Gennari, R., Melonio, A., & Vittorini, P. (2013). Designing games for deaf children: First guidelines. International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 5(3-4), 223-239. https://doi.o–rg/10.1504/IJTEL.2013.059493
Melonio, A., & Gennari, R. (2013). How to design games for deaf children: Evidence-based guidelines. In P. Vittorini, R. Gennari, I. Marenzi, T. Mascio, & F. Prieta (Eds.), 2nd International Workshop
on Evidence-based Technology Enhanced Learning (pp. 85-94). Springer. https://doi.–org/10.1007/978-3-319-00554-6_11
Nikkhoo, F., & Hassanzadeh, S. (2018). A systematic review of behavioral and emotional problems in children with hearing impairment [Review article]. Journal of Exceptional Education, 4(153), 41-54. http://exceptionaleducation.ir/article-1-1412-fa.html
Papoutsi, C., Drigas, A. S., & Skianis, C. (2022). Serious games for emotional intelligence’s skills development for inner balance and quality of life: A literature review. Retos: Nuevas Tendencias en Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, 46, 199-208. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos–.v46.91866
Qi, L., Zhang, H., Nie, R., & Du, Y. (2024). Resilience promotes self-esteem in children and adolescents with hearing impairment: The mediating role of positive coping strategy. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1341215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1341215
Sahana, P., & Manjula, P. (2024). Vocal emotion perception in children using cochlear implant. The Journal of International Advanced Otology, 20(5), 383–389. https://doi.org/10.5152/iao.–2024.241480
Shield, A., Graham, P., & Neild, R. (2023). Educational strategies for deaf children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 5(2), 7. https://doi.org/10.58948/2834-8257.1062
Shi, Y. R., & Shih, J. L. (2015). Game factors and game‐based learning design model. International Journal of Computer Games Technology, 2015(1), 549684. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/549684
Sidera, F., Amadó, A., & Martínez, L. (2017). Influences on facial emotion recognition in deaf children. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 22(2), 164-177. https://doi.org/10.1093–/deafed/enw072
Sidera, F., Morgan, G., & Serrat, E. (2020). Understanding pretend emotions in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 25(2), 141-152. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enz040
Soltaninejad, Z., Khosrowabadi, R., & Nejati, V. (2022). Emotion recognition task in typically developing children: Design and psychometric properties. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Cognition, 1(1), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.29252/jncog.1.1.63
Toofaninejad, E., Zaraii Zavaraki, E., Dawson, S., Poquet, O., & Sharifi Daramadi, P. (2017). Social media use for deaf and hard of hearing students in educational settings: A systematic review of literature. Deafness & Education International, 19(3-4), 144-161. https://doi.org/10.1080/–14643154.2017.1411874
Torres, J., Saldaña, D., & Rodríguez-Ortiz, I. R. (2016). Social information processing in deaf adolescents. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 21(3), 326-338. https://doi.org/10.109–3/deafed/enw030
Tsou, Y.-T., Li, B., Eichengreen, A., Frijns, J. H., & Rieffe, C. (2021a). Emotions in deaf and hard-of-hearing and typically hearing children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 26(4), 469-482. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enab022
Tsou, Y.-T., Li, B., Kret, M. E., Frijns, J. H., & Rieffe, C. (2021b). Hearing status affects children’s emotion understanding in dynamic social situations: An eye-tracking study. Ear and Hearing, 42(4), 1024-1033. https://doi.org/10.1097/AUD.0000000000000994
Tsou, Y.-T., Li, B., Kret, M. E., Sabino da Costa, I., & Rieffe, C. (2022). Reading emotional faces in deaf and hard-of-hearing and typically hearing children. Emotion, 22(6), 1307. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000863
Wiefferink, C. H., Rieffe, C., Ketelaar, L., De Raeve, L., & Frijns, J. H. (2013). Emotion understanding in deaf children with a cochlear implant. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 18(2), 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/ens042
Ziv, M., Most, T., & Cohen, S. (2013). Understanding of emotions and false beliefs among hearing children versus deaf children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 18(2), 161-174. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/ens073
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mozhgan Ghanat, Esmaeil Zaraii Zavaraki, Fatemeh Jafarkhani, Morteza Bakhtiarvand

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.