Building the Just-Right-Challenge in Games and Toys

Working with the LEGO Group and Hasbro, we looked at the emotional experience of playing with games and LEGO bricks. We measured participants’ skin conductance as they learned to play with these new toys. By marking the stressful moments we were able to see what moments in learning should be redesigned. Our findings suggest that framing is key–how can we help children recognize their achievements? We also saw how children are excited to take on new responsibilities but are then quickly discouraged when they aren’t given the resources to succeed. Our hope for this work is that by using skin conductance sensors, we can help companies better understand the unique perspective of children and build experiences fit for them.