The effects of videogames on clinical measures of attention, processing speed, and working memory

WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Russell Drew Patton (Creator)
Institution
Western Carolina University (WCU )
Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
Advisor
Candace Boan-Lenzo

Abstract: Videogames are rapidly growing in popularity with people from a wide range of ages enjoying them every day. The main types of videogames are: first-person or third-person action games, sports or racing games, games that require fast visual-motor control, strategy games, and puzzle and card games. Using these videogames, researchers have compared videogame players with non-videogame players in comparative studies and have attempted to train non-videogame players with videogames to see if the same results are present. Certain abilities and skills have been shown to be increased for playing videogames: selective attention, attentional capacity, spatial resolution, contrast sensitivity, reaction times, spatial attention, visual rotation, and visual short term memory.Because previous research has focused on using a more sedentary activity such as puzzle games, this study used a different visual approach for the control group and measures in which we use an action video that stimulates the same arousal centers in the brain as videogames without actually playing and clinical measures of attention, processing speed, and working memory over more experimental approaches. Participants either played an action videogame or watched an action movie for 20 minutes and then were tested. Results indicated that there were no significant differences on subtests measured from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale from videogame players and movie watchers.

Additional Information

Publication
Other
Language: English
Date: 2014
Subjects
Video games -- Psychological aspects
Cognition

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