The Short Term Effects of Action and Non Action Videogame Play on Attention

Authors

Abstract

Non videogame player scores on attentional tasks can improve after extended training with action videogames. Non videogame player scores on attentional tasks can also improve after extended training with non action videogames in some areas of attention. There has been less research performed with non action videogames and most research has focused on extended play. If the implication of video game training research is to improve attentional skills, then there must be research exploring the short term effects of video game play. I compared short term play in non action and action games. Participants either played a non action game or an action game, for either 10 or 30 minutes. An attentional blink task and visual search tasks were administered after play. Participants scored better on attentional blink after 30 minutes of action game play than after 30 minutes of non action videogame play. This implies that action games could improve attention more than non action games in a short term context.

Author Biographies

  • Madeleine IR Brodbeck, The University of Western Ontario

    Madeleine IR Brodbeck is a PhD Candidate at The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. She is interested in the intersection of videogames and psychology and completed her undergraduate thesis at Algoma U on this topic. Her main research focus has shifted to the neural correlates of magnetic field perception in migratory songbirds.

  • Paul Dupuis, Dr., Algoam University

    Dr. Paul Dupuis is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Algoma University in SSM, Canada. His main teaching and research interests are in forensic psychology and criminal behavior with a focus on social cognitive/perceptual processes. He focuses on witness memory for crimes and the impact of police procedures on witness memory and perception.

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Published

2020-12-17

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2020)

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2020 Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society

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