Start The Talk,
by Kognito, is an Educational, Role-Playing,
Online Serious Game to help players learn the do’s and don’ts of talking to kids
about underage drinking. It is one of Games for
Change 2014 award nominees, in the Most Significant Impact category.
Start
The Talk Serious Game is part of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) underage drinking prevention PSA campaign “Talk.
They Hear You.”, launched in May 2013. The campaign is intended to help
parents and caregivers start talking to their children early—as early as nine
years old—about the dangers of alcohol, before they become teenagers.
In the game, players have the opportunity to
develop conversational strategies to approach, educate and build trust with
their own kids about drinking.
Players are presented with options on how to engage
in the conversation as the avatar mom and her son, Michael. His responses are
realistic and supported by thorough psychological studies, allowing parents to
observe how a hypothetical scenario plays out. The game also gives players a
list of goals to achieve during the conversation, such as informing Michael
about drinking and building his trust. As the conversation progresses, the game
lets you know how you’re doing — whether you’re heading in the right direction
or might want to reconsider strategies. When Michael withdraws or gets
defensive, the player has the option to reset the scenario and try a different
tactic.
The Serious Game will be released on mobile
platforms in May 2014.
About
Kognito
Kognito was established in 2003 by co-founders Ron
Goldman, CEO, and Glenn Albright, Ph.D., director of applied research.
Headquartered in New York, Kognito's team comprises 35 full-time learning
experts, psychologists, instructional designers, graphic designers, marketing
and sales professionals, researchers and software engineers working together to
transform health through challenging conversations.
Realizing that conversations about health and wellness
can be challenging, their core approach is based on research in neuroscience,
social cognition and game mechanics.
Users move through realistic scenarios at an
individual pace. They practice and role-play real life situations by talking
with virtual humans, building their skills in motivational interviewing and
other evidence-based communication techniques.
Kognito learning experiences address chronic
disease, PTSD, behavioral health, suicide prevention, substance abuse,
screening and brief intervention and social change, among others. Their clients
include more than 450 organizations in 43 states and represent a growing list
of state and local health agencies, divisions of Veterans Affairs and the
Department of Defense, American Academy of Pediatrics, NAMI, universities and
schools, hospitals and NGOs.
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Change The
Talk – changing the conversation about childhood obesity