Video Games and Attention

Abstract

Abstract The widespread consumption of video games has led social commentators and scientists to question the effects of this medium on the human experience. Within the social and cognitive sciences, investigators have devoted considerable energy to characterizing the effects of video game experience on cognitive and social information processing and behavior (Anderson et al., 2010; Green, Li, & Bavelier, 2010). This chapter considers the emerging literature demonstrating a relationship between video game experience and clinical attention deficits, and provides an integrative review of the literature related to the association between video game experience and attention within three domains (visuospatial processing, executive function, and emotion). This literature reveals that video game experience can both enhance and disrupt various aspects of attention related to these aspects of mental life. Building on existing evidence, future research should seek to identify the boundary conditions under which effects of video game experience are observed and determine the effects of this medium on attention in natural settings.