Digital gaming and metacognition in middle childhood

Interactive digital game play is a popular activity of childhood. The current study examined metacognitive affordances provided by digital games for children 6- to 10-years-old. Fifteen games from five different genres were coded for features of interactivity, including level-of-control, feedback, and adaptivity. Parents reported time their child spent on each of these games, and children completed a measure of metacognitive awareness. Children's preference for different gaming environments were also examined. Results indicated that exposure to games high in interactive features was positively associated with children's metacognitive awareness. However, exposure to games with fewer interactive features was unrelated to metacognitive awareness. Game preferences did not differ by age or sex. These results support the hypothesis that different digital games provide children with differential opportunities for metacognitive experience and have implications for future research investigating interactive media and children's cognitive development during middle childhood. •A coding scheme was developed to evaluate and reliably code features of interactivity from recordings of game play.•Based on specific features within each game, games were reliably categorized as High Opportunity or Low Opportunity.•Gaming experience and game preferences in middle childhood were examined in relation to metacognition.•Children's prior experience with High and Low Opportunity games was differentially associated to their metacognition.•Children's metacognition differed based on gamer profiles created using both gaming experience and preferences.