There have been many studies exploring the benefits of video games: enhanced reaction times, more definitive contrast perception, improved fine motor control. Yet these studies have always been plagued by a single question: are the results a true reflection of the effect of video games, or are they simply manifestations of physiology that is already present. No study has conclusively linked video games and enhanced brain physiology. Until now.
A team led by Ian Spence at the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto has linked video games with improved brain waves. Specifically, those who played certain video games in the study showed improvements in the brain impulses responsible for visual attention. Not only that, but these are the same impulses that allow the suppression of distractions. This meant subjects were measurably more successful at detecting a target object among other distractions over a wide visual field. It’s important to note that the participants had no previous experience with gaming.
The real-world implications of this study are broad, according to the research team. “Superior visual attention is crucial,” says Spence, “for things such as driving a car, monitoring changes on a computer display, or even avoiding tripping while walking through a room with children’s toys scattered on the floor.” The results will be printed in appear in the June issue of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Score one for video games and break out the champagne, yes?
Not so fast. Though the study itself boasts that “playing a … video game alters the neural processes that support spatial selective attention,” there are a number of fallacies that are a thorn in the side of these results. The most obvious is the size of the test sample. There were only 25 people involved in the study – hardly definitive. And of those 25, only 16 were actually in the experimental group; the other nine were a control group. While the science was solid, a larger sample would have allowed a greater cross-reference of the population and would have lessened the room for skepticism.
The study further found that it was only by playing first-person action shooters that the subjects showed improvements. The control group, who played a puzzle game, did not show the same improvements in visual attention. Limitation number two revealed and the impact of the study is further lessened.
We also need to look at how long the participants played. The subjects were involved in 10 hours of total gaming in half-hour sessions. Again, this is not an elaborate study and as such the results need to be taken with a grain of salt. Some may take these findings out of context and miss the lesson on moderation that lies within. Like many other studies have revealed, the benefits of video games only come to those who play in smaller doses.
While the results are positive and can be added to the ever-growing amount of research showing that video games in moderation can improve brain function, the overall scope is tainted by the narrow focus and limited sample group. It’s not a full study we see here; it is only a whisper of research that reflects a larger trend.
When he’s not teaching junior high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell can be found attached to a video game console.
