SoylentNews

hubie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Breaking down rich gameplay into cognitive skills [kyoto-u.ac.jp]:

Parents and pundits may no longer argue that gamers are indulging in brainless activities in front of their screens. And gamers may finally feel a sense of vindication.

[...] "Video games can be made to engage and characterize distinct cognitive abilities while still retaining the entertainment value that popular titles offer," says Tomihiro Ono, lead author of the joint study in Scientific Reports.

He adds, "For example, we found that there are in-game micro-level connections such as between stealth behavior and abstract thinking, aiming and attention, and targeting and visual discrimination."

[...] Although existing literature and general beliefs regarding similar action video games already suggest the advantage that younger males may have over other demographic groups, the researchers did not expect to obtain measurements reflecting stark differences even after accounting for gaming experience.

"The lack of a connection between cognitive abilities and video game elements in aged players came as a surprise," Ono notes.

To attain more scientific insight into the psyche of gamers, such as in why computer games have positive influences on some players, the researchers posit that studies using games ought to avoid one-size-fits-all approaches, as demographic factors and game experience can be assumed to affect results.

Journal Reference:
Ono, T., Sakurai, T., Kasuno, S. et al. Novel 3-D action video game mechanics reveal differentiable cognitive constructs in young players, but not in old [open]. Sci Rep 12, 11751 (2022). 10.1038/s41598-022-15679-5 [doi.org]

Original Submission