Multitasking Video Games

In today’s society video games have a large influence on people. We also might be driven to the point of where we are dependent on them. In fact, being so engulfed in video games could help children become more focused.In fact, parents would probably disagree and say that video games wouldn’t be essential to learning because it would probably be considered a waste of time for children and time-consuming. Parents would also disagree with the content of what is in the game, but there is a great possibility that video games could actually make us smarter. Steven Johnson explains that the games we are used to playing can improve our visual intelligence and that it would be good to learn new strategies through gaming. Video games should be an

Can video games really fend off mental decline? Journalist Clive Thompson from the New York Times plays “Project Evo,” developed by neuroscientist Adam Gazelle. Clive gives us a firsthand experience of the game. “As I maneuvered the surfboard down winding river pathways, I was supposed to avoid hitting the sides,” “which required what Gazzaley said was visual-motor tracking.”

Action games like Halo 4 teach teenagers to react quickly in an attempt to beat the opponents, which in real life is a helpful tool because being able to act quickly when a real world problem occurs is seen as an asset by employers. In an article published online by Isabela Granic she states that: “The most robust effects on cognitive performance come from playing shooter video games… cognitive enhancements are likely a product of the visually rich three-dimensional navigational spaces and the fast-paced demands that require split-second decision making and acute attention to unpredictable changes in context”(Granic). Granic clearly describes that video games have been shown to improve cognitive skills which includes the ability to be able to make decisions very quickly and be able to respond to sudden changes. In

164). This non-invasive intervention uses electrodes that are placed on the scalp, to measure brain function (including brainwave pattens, auditory and visual feedback), which allows participants to observe their own brain function to enhance theor cognitive ability. For the most effective results participants were required complete a minimum of 1 to 2 sessions a week and for longer lasting improvements, at least 10 sessions a week. During each session, participants listened to sounds while playing a video game, they play the game by using only their brain. When their brain wave activity reaches the required criteria, they gain points (which acts as the reward in this appliction of operant conditioning). This type of brain training has shown to be effective as it has been used to treat mental illness, and improve cognitive ability, especially among older populations (Rabipour & Raz, 2012, p. 165).

Many of these games are also good options for players who want to keep their mind in top shape and help prevent cognitive diseases.

Video games have become a very popular hobby that anyone can obtain the skill at any point of people’s lives. Video games are a game played by electronically influencing images produced by a computer program on a television screen. In October 1958, William Higinbotham has created the very first videogame. Studies have shown that video games are actually healthy, and these studies can prove wrong what the older generations assume about video games. Although, older people that grew up with a different hobby that was not video games, there many things that videogames can help improve certain skills a human can strengthen.

In 2012, Nouchi et al. conducted a study in which older adults had to play either a Nintendo brain training game called Brain Age or Tetris. The participants had to play their assigned game for 4 weeks 15 minutes per day. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible effects of a brain training game on the cognitive functioning of older adults. As expected, the results showed that both groups performed significantly better at playing their game during the last time playing compared to the first time playing. However, did the participants only get better at playing their game or was there more at play?

In class today, we did an activity and watched a Mythbusters video and the topic of the day: distraction. When we are distracted, some of us may know while others won’t know their being distracted. Multitasking may be useful in some cases but is proven to be inefficient. This is because our minds need to work on a specific task and if their not doing a specific task and is doing multiple things at once then we will work much slower than we expect. From the activity, we did in class, my partner and I had to do basic math with the following conditions: no distractions, saying the ABC’s and saying in reverse order of what we ate for the last two days.We also had to time ourselves to see how quick we could do it and then our results would be placed

Everyday both adults and children play video games. Some people argue that video games have many negative effects including poor eyesight and inattention. The TED talk by Daphne Bavelier (2012) discusses some of the current research regarding the effect video games have on your brain. Bavelier (2012) talks more specifically about the effects of action video games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops and similarly formatted games on a person’s vision and attention span. This paper will explore both the TED talk by Bavelier (2012) and other relevant research on the subject.

Neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley of the University of California in San Francisco found a game that was called NeuroRacer, he studied and examined the game and discovered that it could help the elderly to improve their ability to multitask and focus (Abbott 2013). According to Abbott (2013), studies have been recorded and shown how the patterns of the brain activity can change as the cognitive skills develop and improve. Sixty-five-year-old Ann Lindsey began to worry about how quickly she has become distracted, "As you get older, it seems to be difficult to do more things at once," she says (Abbott 2013). Lindsey participated in a study to examine whether playing a game could improve fading cognitive abilities in older, she was surprised and impressed

Gamboa, Camille. "What Types Of Video Games Improve Brain Function?". EurekAlert!. N.p., 2015. Web. 12 Feb.

For instance, as cited by the Buschkuehl article, Basak et al. (2008) investigated the impact of video games on intelligence and showed an improvement of intelligence amongst healthy 19 year old adults. As cited by Buschkuehl article, Tranter et al. (2008) and Stine-Morrow et al. (2008) both challenged older participants to perform problem-solving activities and also showed improvements of intelligence. These studies showed a positive impact of working memory training programs which showed an improvement in intelligence in the elderly. However, the Buschkuehl article also questioned the effectiveness of such programs which have provided little evidence on the scope of improvement of intelligence. This also raised the question on the long term effects of these interventions and revealed that they need to be further researched in order to gain a better understanding of how long the improvements can be “prolonged” and whether or not some of these interventions may be beneficial in order to maintain

Video games can improve visual skills and brain function. Video games increase spatial awareness. When playing different video games eyes are focused on a video game a person are more likely to gain different eye strengths after training the brain. Action video games train the brain to better process certain visual information. When people play action video games, they’re changing the brain’s pathway responsible for visual processing (Masnick 1). Video games change brain functions. Researchers today are reporting that first-person-shooter

In today’s society, the concerns for the effects of video games have acquired quite a terrible reputation. Worried parents around the world assume video games make their children do poorly in school, and create violent, desensitized, antisocial children. The increase in violent games, usually get the blame for aggressive behavior, shootings and violence in schools and young individuals. Most beliefs about video games effect on the brain and emotions are very common misconceptions. I strongly believe that video games are an essential tool to learning and gaining much-needed skills. When people look at the studies that have been done on video games and the brain, it will be apparent that some myths about video games have been blown out of proportion. It has come to my attention that there are studies that prove the negative effects of video games may only last the duration of game play. Kids can improve in general knowledge with educational video games like Leap Frog. Video games can train specific areas of the brain as well as increase brain flexibility and memory. Gaming actually has more beneficial effects than negative effects. Video games are excellent educational implement used in elementary schools. It is extremely helpful in brain development and helping kids with trouble reading improve. Memory retention can be improved and increased with the use of strategic, thinking games. Video games, as funny as it might sound, even promote

There is a widely held belief that commercially available computerized brain-training programs improve cognitive function. 2 Although society has accepted this correlation of “brain games” and increased cognitive ability, it has yet to be proven.1 Regardless of this, there has been a recent spawn of enterprises dedicated to creating these games. Of these enterprises, the most well-known companies are Lumosity and Brain Age.1 These companies even argue that brain training is as good as physical training.4 Websites like