Action Video Game Players Research Articles

Can playing video games enhance reading skills through more efficient serial visual search mechanisms? Insights from an eye tracking study

ABSTRACT Reading disorders are associated with atypical top-down visual attention (VA) processes like reduced VA span and slower serial visual search (SVS). In contrast, expert action video game (AVG) players, known for their efficient top-down VA, exhibit improved reading abilities. It is unclear whether these benefits stem solely from AVGs or apply to other gaming experiences. To explore this, AVG players (AVGPs), players of genres excluding AVGs (VGPs), and non-players were evaluated on their VA span, and behavioural and oculomotor performance in SVS. VGPs, but not AVGPs, demonstrated enhanced performance and oculomotor behaviour in SVS compared to non-players, while both player groups showed a trend towards better VA span skills. Notably, reading-related skills were enhanced in the two player groups, but particularly more so in VGPs. These findings support the existence of potential benefits of playing video games different from classical AVGs for the development of top-down VA and reading-related abilities.

Development of an Instrument for Evaluating Action Video Game Elements

Background Studies on the impact of videogame play on the brain and behavior demonstrates potential benefits of playing action video games (AVGs) for cognitive enhancements. However, it is becoming increasingly challenging to distinguish between AVGs and non-AVGs due to the emergence of new video game genres and platforms that incorporate action elements in historically non-action genres. Thus, more research is needed to understand AVG mechanics. Objective This study developed an Action Video Game Elements (AVGE) Likert-type scale for differentiating an AVG from a non-AVG and examined its performance in an AVG and a non-AVG. Method We employed standardized lab data collection procedures to administer the AVGE scale in undergraduate education majors after they played either an AVG ( n = 144) or a non-AVG ( n = 48). Results Exploratory factor analysis revealed a five-factor theoretically sensible structure: (1) focus, (2) pacing & goal setting, (3) challenge, (4) sensory stimulation, and (5) speed. Using an experimental research design, we examined the AVGE scale for its ability to distinguish an AVG from a non-AVG. Players who played the AVG rated the game significantly higher in all AVGE categories than their peers who played a non-AVG, thus providing empirical evidence regarding the scale’s discriminant validity of the game. Additionally, we explored the AVGE score differences in players with and without prior AVG experience in the AVG and non-AVG. Conclusion The AVGE scale has a promising internal consistency and discriminant validity. Future research can use it for examining AVG elements in various games as well as guiding the design and development of video games that aim to enhance cognition and better align these games with players’ demographics.

Effect of Action Video Games in Eye Movement Behavior: A Systematic Review.

Previous research shows that playing action video games seems to modify the behavior of eye movements such as eye fixations and saccades. The aim of the current work was to determine the effect of playing action video games on eye movements behavior such as fixations, saccades and pursuits. A systematic research review in PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted to identify articles published between 2010 and 2022 which referred to action video games and eye movements, including fixations, saccades and pursuits. We included those that were experimental and quasi-experimental, comparing at least two groups between action vs. non-action video games players. All the studies included used an eye tracker to study eye movements. A total of 97 scientific articles were found in the databases. After inclusion criteria, thirteen articles (N=13) were analyzed for the present work, of which ten (n=10) had a cross-sectional design, and three (n=3) were randomized intervention studies. Playing regularly or training with action video games is not likely to produce changes in eye movements, based on the literature research analyzed. For future research, more interventional studies, with less gender bias, more sample participants and general consensus on the distinction between the action and non-action video games is needed.

Do action video game players search faster than non-players?

Do action video game players search faster than non-players?

Enhanced “learning to learn” through a hierarchical dual-learning system: the case of action video game players

In contrast to conventional cognitive training paradigms, where learning effects are specific to trained parameters, playing action video games has been shown to produce broad enhancements in many cognitive functions. These remarkable generalizations challenge the conventional theory of generalization that learned knowledge can be immediately applied to novel situations (i.e., immediate generalization). Instead, a new “learning to learn” theory has recently been proposed, suggesting that these broad generalizations are attained because action video game players (AVGPs) can quickly acquire the statistical regularities of novel tasks in order to increase the learning rate and ultimately achieve better performance. Although enhanced learning rate has been found for several tasks, it remains unclear whether AVGPs efficiently learn task statistics and use learned task knowledge to guide learning. To address this question, we tested 34 AVGPs and 36 non-video game players (NVGPs) on a cue-response associative learning task. Importantly, unlike conventional cognitive tasks with fixed task statistics, in this task, cue-response associations either remain stable or change rapidly (i.e., are volatile) in different blocks. To complete the task, participants should not only learn the lower-level cue-response associations through explicit feedback but also actively estimate the high-level task statistics (i.e., volatility) to dynamically guide lower-level learning. Such a dual learning system is modelled using a hierarchical Bayesian learning framework, and we found that AVGPs indeed quickly extract the volatility information and use the estimated higher volatility to accelerate learning of the cue-response associations. These results provide strong evidence for the “learning to learn” theory of generalization in AVGPs. Taken together, our work highlights enhanced hierarchical learning of both task statistics and cognitive abilities as a mechanism underlying the broad enhancements associated with action video game play.

Addressing the Association Between Action Video Game Playing Experience and Visual Search in Naturalistic Multisensory Scenes.

Prior studies investigating the effects of routine action video game play have demonstrated improvements in a variety of cognitive processes, including improvements in attentional tasks. However, there is little evidence indicating that the cognitive benefits of playing action video games generalize from simplified unisensory stimuli to multisensory scenes- a fundamental characteristic of natural, everyday life environments. The present study addressed if video game experience has an impact on crossmodal congruency effects when searching through such multisensory scenes. We compared the performance of action video game players (AVGPs) and non-video game players (NVGPs) on a visual search task for objects embedded in video clips of realistic scenes. We conducted two identical online experiments with gender-balanced samples, for a total of N = 130. Overall, the data replicated previous findings reporting search benefits when visual targets were accompanied by semantically congruent auditory events, compared to neutral or incongruent ones. However, according to the results, AVGPs did not consistently outperform NVGPs in the overall search task, nor did they use multisensory cues more efficiently than NVGPs. Exploratory analyses with self-reported gender as a variable revealed a potential difference in response strategy between experienced male and female AVGPs when dealing with crossmodal cues. These findings suggest that the generalization of the advantage of AVG experience to realistic, crossmodal situations should be made with caution and considering gender-related issues.

动作游戏玩家的多感觉整合效应

动作游戏玩家的多感觉整合效应

Comparing the cognitive performance of action video game players and age-matched controls following a cognitively fatiguing task: A stage 2 registered report.

Recent work demonstrates that those who regularly play action video games (AVGs) consistently outperform non-gamer (NG) controls on tests of various cognitive abilities. AVGs place high demands on several cognitive functions and are often engaged with for long periods of time (e.g., over 2 h), predisposing players to experiencing cognitive fatigue. The detrimental effects of cognitive fatigue have been widely studied in various contexts where accurate performance is crucial, including aviation, military, and sport. Even though AVG players may be prone to experiencing cognitive fatigue, this topic has received little research attention to date. In this study, we compared the effect of a cognitively fatiguing task on the subsequent cognitive performance of action video game players and NG control participants. Our results indicated AVGs showed superior spatial working memory and complex attention abilities while showing no difference from NGs on simple attention performance. Additionally, we found that our cognitive fatigue and control interventions did not differentially affect the cognitive performance of AVGs and NGs in this study. This pre-registered study provides evidence that AVGs show superior cognitive abilities in comparison to a non-gaming population, but do not appear more resilient to cognitive fatigue.

Global visual attention SPAN in different video game genres

Video games, specifically action video games, have been demonstrated to be a useful tool in improving certain visual aspects in the general population. Visual attention span, the ability to simultaneously process multiple distinct visual elements during a single fixation, has been shown to improve among action video game players. The goal of this study was to verify that visual attention span is better not only in action video games, but also in other video game genres such as sports simulators or role-playing games. A total of 41 participants, aged 18 to 40 years old, were asked about the type of video games they were playing, name and genre, and the frequency of play. Visual attention span was assessed in all participants. Participants were divided into 4 groups according to the genre of video game they played. The total percentage of letter identification in the visual attention span was not significantly different between groups. A significant difference was found in the sixth position letter, and the right hemifield performance between groups, especially in sports simulators and action video game participants who showed a better performance. The action video game group showed a significant correlation between visual attention span performance and weekly hours played. Playing regularly different genres other than action video games can contribute to raise visual attention resources.

Do action video games make safer drivers? The effects of video game experience on simulated driving performance

Research suggests, action video games (AVGs) can benefit cognitive performance across multiple domains including attention, visual-spatial awareness, psychomotor control, and executive functioning. Many of these domains overlap with the skills needed to safely drive a vehicle. We therefore predicted that experience playing AVGs may be associated with improved driving performance and greater spare capacity. One-hundred-and-thirty-eight participants who varied in action video game experience, completed a driving simulation under distracted and non-distracted conditions. Driving performance was measured through participants’ ability to maintain a consistent speed and lane position, and their spare cognitive capacity (via detection response task; DRT). Results showed participants with experience playing AVGs performed significantly better than non-gamers, demonstrating lower speed variability, improved lane maintenance, and better performance on the DRT. The effects of distraction were predictably observed, though distraction negated the improvements to DRT response times for AVG players. These findings indicate action video game players had better driving performance and increased spare cognitive capacity compared to individuals who did not play AVGs and highlight a potential avenue for improving driver safety through video game use.

Regularly Playing First-Person Shooter Videogames Improves Dynamic Visual Acuity.

This study investigated the dynamic visual acuity (DVA) in young adults that play action video games regularly compared with non-action video games players and those without regular experience in videogame play. The results indicate better performance in some measurements of DVA in action video game players. This study aims to provide new insights about performance on DVA assessments in young adults who play action video games regularly. A cross-sectional study was conducted between action video game and non-action video game players with 47 participants, range from 20 to 30 years old. DVA with 2 different angular velocities, 57 °/s and 28.5 °/s and three different contrast, 100%, 50% and 10% were evaluated. A second analysis with 33 participants compared DVA between action video game players and non-experience videogames or less than 1 hour/week in gaming. Dynamic visual acuity in the first analysis revealed a non-statistical significance between groups in all the experimental conditions with 57 °/s and 28.5 °/s in three different contrasts. The second analysis with 33 participants revealed a statistical significance in DVA at 57 °/s and 28.5 °/s with contrast 100 %, P = .003 and P < .001, respectively. Dynamic visual acuity seems to have better performance in young adults spending more than 5 hours/week with action videogames, mostly first-person shooter games.

Supplemental Material for Effects of action video game play on cognitive skills: A meta-analysis.

The possibility that playing action video games is associated with enhancements in certain aspects of cognitive function has attracted significant interest from researchers in education, psychology, and neuroscience. Previous meta-analyses indicated an overall positive relationship between action video game play and cognitive skills. However, follow-up to this previous work is warranted, not only because the amount of data has grown significantly since previous meta-analyses were conducted, but also because previous work left several issues unresolved (e.g., certain meta-analytic procedures). We conducted a literature search using predefined keywords and inclusion criteria to identify studies that examined the relationship between action video game play and cognitive skills. Data from (a) 105 cross-sectional studies (221 effect sizes) and (b) 28 intervention studies with an active control group (91 effect sizes) were analyzed separately via meta-analytic models for dependent effect sizes with robust variance estimates for correlated and hierarchical effects (CHE) and small-sample corrections. Consistent with our hypotheses, action video game players outperformed nonvideo game players in the cross-sectional meta-analysis (large effect, g = 0.64, 95% CI [0.53, 0.74]). Action video game play was causally related to improvements in cognitive skills in the intervention meta-analysis (small effect, g = 0.30, 95% CI [0.11, 0.50]). Publication bias was detected in the cross-sectional data set, with sensitivity analysis showing high heterogeneous estimates of the average unbiased effect. Publication bias was not detected in the intervention data set, but sensitivity analyses also point to heterogeneity. No significant moderators were found for either data set; however, this may be limited by small sample sizes.

Effects of action video game play on cognitive skills: A meta-analysis.

The possibility that playing action video games is associated with enhancements in certain aspects of cognitive function has attracted significant interest from researchers in education, psychology, and neuroscience. Previous meta-analyses indicated an overall positive relationship between action video game play and cognitive skills. However, follow-up to this previous work is warranted, not only because the amount of data has grown significantly since previous meta-analyses were conducted, but also because previous work left several issues unresolved (e.g., certain meta-analytic procedures). We conducted a literature search using predefined keywords and inclusion criteria to identify studies that examined the relationship between action video game play and cognitive skills. Data from (a) 105 cross-sectional studies (221 effect sizes) and (b) 28 intervention studies with an active control group (91 effect sizes) were analyzed separately via meta-analytic models for dependent effect sizes with robust variance estimates for correlated and hierarchical effects (CHE) and small-sample corrections. Consistent with our hypotheses, action video game players outperformed nonvideo game players in the cross-sectional meta-analysis (large effect, g = 0.64, 95% CI [0.53, 0.74]). Action video game play was causally related to improvements in cognitive skills in the intervention meta-analysis (small effect, g = 0.30, 95% CI [0.11, 0.50]). Publication bias was detected in the cross-sectional data set, with sensitivity analysis showing high heterogeneous estimates of the average unbiased effect. Publication bias was not detected in the intervention data set, but sensitivity analyses also point to heterogeneity. No significant moderators were found for either data set; however, this may be limited by small sample sizes.

Action Video Gaming and Attention in Young Adults: A Systematic Review

Objective: Existing research in action video games has increased in recent years due to the expansion of their use all over the world. Specifically, there is growing evidence about the positive development of the cognitive functions associated with the use of this kind of video game. Therefore, this work aims to explore the relationship between playing action video games and the development of attention span as well as the impact at the brain level from a functional perspective. Methods: Articles were searched in Scopus, Pubmed, and Web of Science. A total of 196 studies were retrieved, among which 13 studies were systematically reviewed. Results: The review has shown that playing action video games can improve cognitive functions, including attention, with reaction time and processing speed being the aspects that would most benefit from such practice, as well as the development of focused, sustained, and divided attention. Also, there are functional brain changes. Conclusion: It is necessary to deepen the understanding of the association between playing action video games and the development of attention.

Enhanced temporal resolution of vision in action video game players

Video game play has been suggested to improve visual and attention processing. Nevertheless, while action video game play is highly dynamic, there is scarce research on how information is temporally discriminated at the millisecond level. This cross-sectional study investigates whether temporal discrimination at the millisecond level in vision varies across action video game players (VGPs; N = 23) and non-video game players (NVGPs; N = 23). Participants discriminated synchronous from asynchronous onsets of two visual targets in virtual reality, while their EEG and oculomotor movements were recorded. Results show an increased sensitivity to short asynchronies (11, 33 and 66 ms) in VGPs compared with NVGPs, which was especially marked at the start of the task, suggesting better temporal discrimination abilities. Pre-targets oculomotor freezing – the inhibition of small fixational saccades – was associated with correct temporal discrimination, probably revealing attentional preparation. However, this parameter did not differ between groups. EEG and reconstruction analyses suggest that the enhancement of temporal discrimination in VGPs during temporal discrimination is related to parieto-occipital processing, and a reduction of alpha-band (8–14 Hz) power and inter-trial phase coherence. Overall, the study reveals an enhanced ability in action video game players to discriminate in time visual events in close temporal proximity combined with reduced alpha-band oscillatory activities. Consequently, playing action video games is associated with an improved temporal resolution of vision.

Thinking outside the phonological box: Combining repeated reading and action video games to develop reading fluency in year 7 children with dyslexia

AimsChildren’s reading attainments in England continue to cause concern despite a national agenda focusing on the development of phonological skills. There is also a lack of guidance regarding how to support children who continue to struggle despite early support, including children with dyslexia and those in secondary education. Italian research groups found that playing action video games (AVGs) improved word and pseudo-word reading speed for children with dyslexia through increasing visual attention. The current study aims to build on this research, exploring whether AVGs boost the effects of a reading fluency intervention, Repeated Reading (RR). The effectiveness of RR alone is also analysed. Effects of the intervention on a range of measures are considered.MethodA single case experimental design (SCED) with alternating interventions, RR-alone and RR-plus-AVGs, was employed with eight Year 7 children with dyslexia in a UK special school.FindingsAll children demonstrated reading gains from the combined intervention, RR and AVGs. RR-alone was effective for two children and AVGs boosted the effects of RR for five children. Six children increased their reading comprehension. Children enjoyed playing AVGs. RR was viewed positively by teachers and viewed by children as improving their reading.LimitationsConfidence in results was reduced by variability and some effect sizes not reaching significance. The special school setting for children with dyslexia may affect generalisability to mainstream schools or to struggling readers without dyslexia.ConclusionsImplications for educational psychologists’ practice are discussed, particularly how to proceed, with what appears to be a promising intervention.

Attentional modulation as a mechanism for enhanced facial emotion discrimination: The case of action video game players

Action video game players (AVGPs) outperform nonvideo game players (NVGPs) on a wide variety of attentional tasks, mediating benefits to perceptual and cognitive decision processes. A key issue in the literature is the extent to which such benefits transfer beyond cognition. Using steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) as a neural measure of attentional resource allocation, we investigated whether the attentional benefit of AVGPs generalizes to the processing of rapidly presented facial emotions. AVGPs (n = 36) and NVGPs (n = 32) performed a novel, attention-demanding emotion discrimination task, requiring the identification of a target emotion in one of two laterally presented streams of emotional faces. The emotional faces flickered at either 2.0 Hz or 2.5 Hz. AVGPs outperformed NVGPs at detecting the target emotions regardless of the type of emotion. Correspondingly, attentional modulation of the SSVEP at parieto-occipital recording sites was larger in AVGPs compared with NVGPs. This difference appeared to be driven by a larger response to attended information, as opposed to a reduced response to irrelevant distractor information. Exploratory analyses confirmed that this novel paradigm elicited the expected pattern of event-related potentials associated with target detection and error processing. These components did not, however, differ between groups. Overall, the results indicate enhanced discrimination of facial emotions in AVGPs arising from enhanced attentional processing of emotional information. This presents evidence for the attentional advantage of AVGPs to extend beyond perceptual and cognitive processes.

Cognitive neural characteristics of professional action video game players

Cognitive neural characteristics of professional action video game players

What's in a game: Video game visual-spatial demand location exhibits a double dissociation with reading speed

This research sought to clarify the nature of the relationship between video game experience, attention, and reading. Previous studies have suggested playing action video games can improve reading ability in children with dyslexia. Other research has linked video game experience with visual-spatial attention, and visual-spatial attention with reading. We hypothesized that the visual-spatial demands of video games may drive relationships with reading through attentional processing. In this experiment we used a hybrid attention/reading task to explore the relationship between video game visual-spatial demands, reading and attention. We also developed novel visual-spatial demand measures using participants' top five played video games for an individual-specific measure of visual demands. Peripheral visual demands in video games were associated with faster reading times, while central visual demands were associated with slower reading times for both phonetic decoding and lexical reading. In addition, video game experience in terms of hours spent playing video games each week interacted with the cueing effect size in the lexical reading condition, with experienced video game players exhibiting a larger cueing effect than participants with less video game experience. These results suggest that exposure to peripheral visual spatial demands in video games may be related to both lexical and sublexical reading processes in hybrid attentional reading tasks such as ours with skilled adult readers, which has implications not only for models of how ventral and dorsal stream reading and visual-spatial attention are integrated, but also for the development of dyslexia diagnostics and remediation.

Playing Action Video Games Affects Cognitive Ability

The great growth of the video game industry and the massive increase in the number of video game players has prompted extensive research into video games. The varied impacts of video games gaming on cognitive skills, primarily action video game, are reviewed in the article. Different studies were divided into three types: the speed of processing, perception, and attention, in order to explore the neural mechanism behind action video game play. Action video games' effects on users' cognitive abilities can be mainly divided into the impact on low-level sensory pathways and the impact on attention control. Although behavioral experiments have demonstrated superior perception abilities in action video game players, less evidence when it comes to electrophysiology and brain imaging for the same enhancement. Action Video games are widely proven to enhance top-down attention and working memory but have no significant effect on bottom-up attention.