Video Games and Cognitive Skills
There has been much recent debate about the potential cognitive skills that video game-playing provides. Before these skills are outlined, here is an explanation as to how video games affect different neurological processes in the brain:
Release of Dopamine - Dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for learning and feelings of pleasure and reward, is released during video game play, specifically when successfully completing different levels and progressing forward. When we unlock high achievements along with delving further and further into a particularly engrossing game, dopamine neurons become activated which trigger a response of reward and pleasure; the brain reacts to the progression through the game in a similar manner as it would if you were presented with a favorite food or pleasurable physical sensation. According to M. J. Koepp et. al. there exists evidence that dopamine release during the playing of a video game is linked to the enhancement of learning and encoding of information, along with increased attention, and sensorimotor intergration (Koepp et. al. 1998)
Prefrontal Cortex - The prefrontal cortex, an area in the forebrain that controls logic and decision making, and certain games that rely on a good deal of logical and deductive thinking activate this area of the brain. In order to test the role of the prefrontal cortex's role in dynamic decision making, Dominic J Barraclough, Michelle L Conroy and Daeyeol Lee conducted a study using rhesus monkeys who were given a free-choice task of matching pennies against a computer. Prefrontal cortex activity was monitored, along with eye movement and neural activity. At the end of each correctly performed trial, the monkey was rewarded. It is suggested that, during the course of the monkey's task performance, they eventually learned to develop their optimal strategy using a reinforcement learning algorithm. This means that the subjects learned to base their decision of which penny to choose based on the expected reward given after making their correct choice. The results from this study suggest that the prefrontal cortex plays a critical role in the optimization of decision making strategies, and these results could essentially apply to decision making in humans during the playing of a video game. (Barraclough, Conroy, and Lee, 2003)
Premotor and Parietal Cortex - This is the area of the brain that controls sensory movement, and becomes active when faced with games that require real-life action such as Wii Sports or Space Invader. In a study conducted by Joshua A. Granek, Diana J. Gorbetemail, Lauren E. Sergio whose purpose was to highlight differences in the usage of the parietal cortex among different game players, the researchers used fMRI technology to monitor activity in this part of the brain between two different experimental groups: novice gamers and more experienced gamers. It was found that the less experienced gamers mostly relied on the premotor and parietal cortex, whereas more experienced gamers showed heightened activity in the prefrontal cortex. Less experienced gamers showed heavy reliance on hand-eye coordination, which is regulated by the parietal cortex, and with increased game play and familiarization with a video game, the parietal cortex becomes strengthened. With prolonged game playing, players will eventually learn to integrate both the prefrontal and parietal cortexes into the same activity, ultimately strengthening these parts of the brain simultaneously. (Granek, Gorbetemail, and Sergio, 2010)
Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex - This area of the brain, located underneath the frontal lobe, controls cognition and the ability to plan. This part of the brain shows increased activity during moments of game play that involve firing of weapons or fighting a bad guy. Current research suggests that the dorsal striatum directly influences decision making through the combination of cognitive, sensorimotor, and motivational information: all of these aspects that fall under the control of the DACC work in unison when faced with tasks in a a video game that requires concentrated thought and action planning, especially during combat and fighting scenes. The DACC also plays a role in the influence of reward, which becomes apparent when a player is aiming for goals such as high-kill scores, conquests, and the defeat of enemies. Bernard W. Balleine, Mauricio R. Delgado, and Okihide Hikosaka examined the role of the DACC in reward and decision making and found that this area of the brain does indeed mediate important facets of decision making, especially when it comes to the encoding of specific action–outcome associations in goal-directed action and expected reward value. (Balleine, Delgado, and Hikosaka, 2007)
As the effects that game play has on different parts of the brain are summarized, it can be postulated that game play encompasses a series of repeated actions that have the ability to strengthen brain cell connections which underlie learning and memory. Playing video games largely requires a player to be able to think and react quickly, along with having the ability to effectively work on a team. Repeated experiments reveal evidence that playing fast-paced action video games can noticeably increase players' scores on tests of visuo-spatial ability, including tests that are used as and alongside standard IQ tests. Video games have been shown to also increase scores on tests and measures of working memory, which is defined as the ability to hold several items of information in mind at once, as well as critical thinking, and problem solving. Some proven cognitive benefits that gaming provides include:
- Absorption and engagement: playing of video games focuses the mind elsewhere for a prolonged period of time, and can assist in the alleviation of pain and discomfort by focusing the brain on the tasks within the video game. This also compounds on the development of multitasking and dual-track brain functioning
- Improved function of sensory facilities: Both computer and video games have been shown to significantly develop and improve hand-eye coordination, thereby maximizing the output of the functions of the parietal cortex
- Critical thinking skills: Video games have the capability of teaching players the skills of problem solving, motivation and how to think laterally using the most of cognitive output
- Improvement of decision-making skills: Researchers have suggested that games with high levels of action act as a catalyst for the decision-making process by giving players multiple chances to decode information from their surroundings and then having them react accordingly.
- Educational supplementation: Many games exist that serve to improve language and math skills, especially games which operate at a quick pace and contain advanced language