Comparative Effects of First-Person Shooter Video Game Experience and Brain Stimulation on Threat Detection Learning

Abstract

We have previously shown that 2 mA of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the right inferior cortex improved sensitivity ( d’) during learning and 24-hour retention of a complex visual perceptual learning task, independent of changes in response bias ( ß) (Falcone et al., 2012). Because some participants in that study had video game experience, the current study investigated the effect of three different levels of video game experience on the learning rate for the same perceptual task: non-video game players (NVGPs), gamers with low 1st person shooter gaming expertise (Low-1stVGPs), and gamers with high 1st person shooter gaming expertise (High-1stVGPs). There were graded group differences in d’ but not in ß by the end of the training: NVGPs had the lowest sensitivity, Low-1stVGPs intermediate, and High-1stVGPs the highest. The High-1stVGPs group had significantly higher perceptual sensitivity than the NVGPs group and, while not statistically significant, there was a clear trend of a higher perceptual sensitivity for the High-1stVGPs group over the Low-1stVGPs. In addition, the rate of learning in the High-1stVGP was comparable to that of the group receiving 2 mA tDCS. While the High-1stVGP group had a slightly lower d’ value by the end of training, it was not significantly different from that of the 2 mA tDCS group. The results indicate that 1st person shooter videogame experience and brain stimulation have comparable beneficial effects on complex perceptual learning. Both types of effects have been attributedto enhancement of visual attention. Thus, even greater benefits for augmenting learning might be possible by administering tDCS to individuals with 1st person shooter videogame experience.