Abstract
This study investigated the longitudinal relationship between children’s digital game use and fluid and crystallized intelligence. Specifically, this study examined whether digital games affect children’s fluid and crystallized intelligence (an effects perspective), whether children with higher levels of fluid or crystallized intelligence are more attracted to digital games (a selection perspective), or whether evidence supports a reciprocal relationship between digital game play and intelligence. Using data from 934 children aged 3 to 7 years (52% girls) across four waves with one-year intervals, our evidence for fluid intelligence indicates partial support for the effects perspective and no support for the selection perspective. For crystallized intelligence, our findings did not reveal any significant relationship with digital game use. The results suggest that digital games can move the needle for fluid intelligence, but more insight is needed to identify how this effect occurs, in which situations, and for which children this is most likely.
Highlights
This study examined whether digital games affect children’s fluid and crystallized intelligence, whether children with higher levels of fluid or crystallized intelligence are more attracted to digital games, or whether evidence supports a reciprocal relationship between digital game play and intelligence
We investigated whether a reciprocal relationship exists between children’s game play and both types of intelligence: RQ3: Is there a reciprocal relationship between children’s game play and fluid intelligence over time? RQ4: Is there a reciprocal relationship between children’s game play and crystallized intelligence over time?
Within-wave cross-sectional correlations showed that digital game use was positively related to fluid intelligence in Waves 3 and 4, and to crystallized intelligence in Wave 2
Summary
This study investigated the longitudinal relationship between children’s digital game use and fluid and crystallized intelligence. The results suggest that digital games can move the needle for fluid intelligence, but more insight is needed to identify how this effect occurs, in which situations, and for which children this is most likely. Coined the Flynn Effect in recognition of its namesake, James Flynn was the first to demonstrate that, starting in the 1950s, youths’ intelligence began to steadily increase across the industrialized world. This increase seems to be pronounced for fluid intelligence (i.e., the ability to analyze novel problems, identify the patterns and relationships that underlie problems, and solve these problems using logic), whereas
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