Reception to and Efficacy of a Serious Video Game for Correctional Intervention: Project Choices

• Published date: 01 November 2024
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241268043
• Author: Keegan J. Diehl,Robert D. Morgan,Christopher M. King,Paul B. Ingram,Cooper Mitchell
• Date: 01 November 2024

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2024, Vol. 51, No. 11, November 2024, 1635 –1653.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548241268043

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2024 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

1635

RECEPTION TO AND EFFICACY OF A SERIOUS

VIDEO GAME FOR CORRECTIONAL

INTERVENTION

Project Choices

KEEGAN J. DIEHL

Texas Tech University

ROBERT D. MORGAN

Texas Tech University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

CHRISTOPHER M. KING

Montclair State University

PAUL B. INGRAM

Texas Tech University

COOPER MITCHELL

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Project Choices (PC), a newly developed videogame for correctional intervention, consists of realistic decision-making

scenarios and cognitive behavioral skills feedback. A pilot study investigated PC engagement and immersion by employing

a cross-over design with a sample of 24 men on probation remanded to residential treatment. The study also examined effects

of gameplay on criminogenic thinking, self-perceived criminogenic risk, and social problem-solving. As hypothesized, rela-

tive to a leisure video game (Tetris), participants generally appeared comparably engaged by and immersed in PC. Most

hypothesized effects of PC on treatment-relevant outcomes were not statistically significant; however, PC contributed to

moderate to large treatment effects across most outcomes of interest. Although results are promising, PC requires further

validation to determine whether it could serve as a useful adjunctive tool for practitioners hoping to further reach and engage

corrections clients in criminogenic risk-reduction services. Future research directions for technology like PC are numerous

and encouraged.

Keywords: eHealth; serious video games; correctional; intervention; rehabilitation

AUTHORS’ NOTE: We have no known conflict of interest to disclose. This study was not preregistered. The

data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable

request. Materials and analysis code for this study are not available. A portion of these results were presented

at the 2022 American Psychology-Law Annual Conference. A portion of this research was supported by a stu-

dent grant awarded to the primary author from the International Association Forensic Mental Health Services.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Robert D. Morgan, College of Health and

Human Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Mail Code 6604, 1365 Douglas Drive, Carbondale,

IL 62901; e-mail: robert.d.morgan@siu.edu.

1268043CJBXXX10.1177/00938548241268043Criminal Justice and BehaviorDiehl et al. / PROJECT CHOICES PILOT STUDY

research-article2024

1636 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR

Rearrest for new offenses or community supervision violations is common among per-

sons who are justice involved (Alper et al., 2018), and criminal recidivism entails

numerous and substantial costs (Wickramasekera et al., 2015). Fortunately, correctional

interventions have been shown to be a cost-effective strategy for reducing recidivism rates

when services adhere to the evidence-based principles of the Risk-Needs-Responsivity

model (Drake et al., 2009; Wormith & Zidenberg, 2018). However, limited access to and

attrition from correctional rehabilitation services are concerns (Olver et al., 2011; Taxman

et al., 2014). Thus, developing strategies for expanding access to and increasing engage-

ment with RNR-adherent correctional treatment services is imperative.

A variety of factors may contribute to gaps in access to correctional treatment services,

and attrition from such services—including inadequate resources and nonadherence with

RNR principles, respectively. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic presented numerous

challenges for the U.S. correctional system (Carson & Nadel, 2022), and while the pan-

demic resulted in an overall decrease in the number of persons incarcerated, this reduction

has since rebounded (Kang-Brown et al., 2021) without a commensurate increase in staff

hirings (Felix et al., 2022). Understaffing may include having too few clinical providers to

render services to an optimal degree and too few security staff to maximally facilitate move-

ments within facilities to access services that are available (Blakinger, 2022; Carson &

Nadel, 2022). In addition, if services are offered that do not adequately adherence to RNR

principles such as the responsivity principle, then clients’ motivation for those services and

the extent to which they benefit from them can be expected to be less than desired (Andrews

et al., 1990; Bonta & Andrews, 2016; Gendreau et al., 1996).

One direction for correctional rehabilitation services that may help to address such chal-

lenges is greater incorporation of technology (Kip et al., 2018, 2020). While developments

specific to corrections have been slow, technology offers opportunities to further reach and

engage individuals in treatment services for a wide range of needs. Technological solutions

for health care, often referred to by terms such as eHealth (electronic health) and mHealth

(mobile health), can facilitate primary or adjunctive service delivery (Al-Shorbaji, 2013;

Marcolino et al., 2018). Examples of potential benefits of technology-facilitated services

for persons who are justice involved include standardization, flexibility, portability, and

reduced demands on providers (Grove et al., 2021; Kip et al., 2018). Outside of the correc-

tions space, research on eHealth has generally found such technologies to be promising,

including in terms of acceptability to clients, symptom reduction, and cost-effectiveness

(Bennett et al., 2020; Gentili et al., 2022). This includes a subtype of eHealth commonly

termed serious video games (Eichenberg & Schott, 2017; Lau et al., 2017); that is, video

games developed specifically for clinical purposes.

Accordingly, the potential for eHealth for correctional populations is being increasingly

discussed by professionals (Kip & Bouman, 2021; Kirschstein, Batastini, et al., 2023). For

instance, the potential for mobile technology to support community corrections practitio-

ners and clients (Jackson et al., 2015), and positively and enjoyably reinforce appropriate

decision-making practice among those who are justice involved (Russo et al., 2017). Persons

who are justice involved have also recommended greater incorporation of technology into

correctional interventions (King et al., 2017).

Notably, leisure video game playing is highly prevalent in the general population (WePC,

n.d.; Yanev, 2021). Considering also the fact that such games can be self-administered and

promote learning (e.g., Wilson et al., 2009), serious video games may be especially suited