The Tracing Tomorrow Study aims to show the effectiveness of digital games as research tools in empirical bioethics, by comparing it to more conventional methods in the field i.e., surveys. To test this, the study measures and compares impacts on mental health ethics literacy, immersion and engagement, response authenticity, and motivation. The target population for the study is persons aged 16-18 in the UK.

The game used for the comparison, ‘Tracing Tomorrow’, explores ethical dilemmas in digital phenotyping for mental health in schools, and was developed by NEUROSEC in collaboration with Preloaded, a London-based game studio, and youth engagement bureau Livity. The game can be played here.

The comparative survey was developed to emulate the ethical dilemmas presented to players in the digital game, while remaining in a standard questionnaire format.

The study is set to finish in 2020.