The games may seem a bit like Candy Crush. Players must guess if there are more rubies or more diamonds on the screen; more pink aliens or blue ones; and use clues to determine which of two cows, brown or white, will yield more milk. But these seemingly simple games on a new app called Brain Explorer are helping neuroscientists gather data across age groups, from around the world.
The app is part of a research project being conducted at the Max Planck UCL (University College London) Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research. The research aims to establish links between brain development and mental health.
Treasure Hunt (the one with rubies and diamonds) investigates information-gathering. It indicates “how impulsive you are when making decisions. Are you someone who makes decisions easily, or are you rather indecisive and need a lot of information before you make up…
