Game Over for Video Games Boosting Cognition

Game Over for Video Games Boosting Cognition

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It would appear that it's game over for the once held mindset of video games actually boosting your cognitive skill and improving overall mental acuity according to a new research coming out of FSU. Boo, I'm sure this will have gamers everywhere throwing fits... Well, here's the diagnosis...

"Despite the hype, in reality, there is little solid evidence that games enhance cognition at all," according to Walter Boot, an assistant professor of psychology at Florida State University.

This doesn't necessarily mean that gamers can acquire skills through gaming. It could just be that they already having such skills and it makes them better video game players, Dr. Boot's study suggests. When Dr. Boot and his team conducted their own video game training study, they did not find any of the benefits claimed by previous studies.

"The idea that video games could enhance cognition was exciting because it represented one of the few cases in which cognitive training enhanced abilities that weren't directly practiced. But we found no benefits of video game training." He added that no study has yet met the 'gold standard' in terms of credible methodology.

"If people are playing games to improve their cognition, they may be wasting their time," Dr. Boot said. "Play games because you enjoy them, not because they could boost your brain power."

Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-ho...article2168834/