How Do Video Games Affect The Brain

Human cognition declines overtime as a part of the aging process. The elderly may experience a decline in a number of cognitive functions such as a decline in processing speed, memory, attention, and executive functions. This is referred to as a transfer effect. A transfer effect is that training has effects on trained and untrained skills. Decline in cognition has proven to be difficult for the elderly when doing basic activities. The study believes that if the elderlies play video games, they could improve executive function, processing speed, memory, and attention. This study created a double blind experiment, where participants and even the testers were kept blinded to the experimental hypothesis, so that there were no bias. Participants in both the “Brain Age” and the “Tetris” groups played each an average of fifteen minutes a day, at least five days per week, for a total of four weeks. (Rui, Taki and Takeuchi) Cognitive functions were measured by global executive functions, attention and processing speed, and cognitive statuses. A total of 32 participants participated in this research study. The participants were all non-gamers and playing less than one hour of video games a week for the last 2 years. Participants played a video game for about fifteen minutes a day. Both the executive functions and processing speed, showed a transfer effect by the brain training game in

Playing video games will affect your decisions in one way or another. Will your perceptions change due to the type of game you are playing? There are two answers to this question, yes and no. Researching the effect of video games on the brain provides detail results that show my thoughts.

Understanding and action go together. We think more fluidly when an action is associated with a concept. Video games contain, joined together, both action and thought. This leads to a much better internalization and understanding of the game's subject matter. In a study done in Germany in 2008, participants were given a simple task to learn, such as Juggling. After about 12 weeks, these people showed a marked increase in the amount of grey matter in their brains. Further examination of these results revealed that it was, in fact, the act of learning coupled with the action that caused this increase, not simply the performance of the action itself. This suggests that games not only are excellent ways of teaching, they can have lasting beneficial effects on the health of the brain itself.

People have long debated whether or not video or computer games have a beneficial effect on the brain, as it relates to behavior. Is there any evidence to substantiate and prove how these beneficial effects improve the cognitive function of the brain?

Lastly are the promise games can offer education. Game simulation can improve brain training. "Using this approach to drive strengthening, ameliorative or corrective changes that increase resilience in people who are at risk for certain illnesses, or to treat patients whose brain function is impaired by illness, is rapidly emerging as an important new dimension of psychiatric and neurological medicine." (Bavelier, D., Green, C.S., Han, D.H., Renshaw, P.F., Merzenich, M.M, & Gentile, D.A. (2011)

     The benefits of video games show elements of improvement in the gamer’s life as a whole, temporarily or long lasting.  Ac cording to Doug Hen and Perry Renshaw games that require progressively more challenging judgment and increasing harder cognitive challenges can expect to drive positive neurological

How do video games affect the brain of the youth of America? There are actually many more ways than one might think, it affects one’s attitude, attention span, and how one might react when complimented or insulted. Video games have both positive and negative effects on a child's brain. When played to much video games become a bad thing leading to reduced social time or addiction, but in my studies when played about seven hours a week video games are actually beneficial.

Video games impact the brain in a wide variety of ways. Some people could, and have, made the argument that video games are destructive for children and that they become a distraction from actual educational work (Bavelier, Green, Han, Renshaw,  Merzenich, & Gentile, 2011). On the other hand, one could certainly argue that video games could be a valuable tool in the learning environment (Bavelier, Green, Han, Renshaw,  Merzenich, & Gentile, 2011). At any rate, there are several different, and accurate views on the subject.

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

Super Mario is like a booster to the brain, and to better understand how video games can boost the brain, German researchers led a study where they asked twenty-three middle-aged adults to play “Super Mario 64 for thirty minutes daily for over two months. A separate part of the group did not play video games in the least. Monitoring the brains of the two groups utilizing an MRI machine, they discovered that the gaming group had an increase in gray matter in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex, and the cerebellum. These are the areas of the brain in charge of complex thinking, memory development, spatial navigation, and excellent motor skills in the hands (Kühn et al., 2013). According to study leader Simone Kühn (2013), senior scientist

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 many positive things about playing video games, Improves your motor skills which all around will help you be more active and be more up lifting during activities. Fitness and nutrition is a big part of video games too, playing madden, nba, and mlb sports games whenever you want to whether it's rainy or snowy outside. You can learn so many skills that you will actually use in real life. So many people complain why videogames are so bad because staring at the screen for so long will make you go blind which is false. As a parent you can sit down next to your kid and have a nice time. Bonding with your kid with something that makes them happy is good. The dedication and teamwork that goes into some games will help them become a good leader in the future, and have good cooperation skills. Through the natural process of learning and victory required in gaming, players gain confidence in their abilities to overcome obstacles through persistence. Playing video games may also help children develop problem solving skills as well. Games that are easy to access and can be played quickly such as Minecraft can improve players moods, promote relaxation. Children who are shy and lack confidence when socializing with their peers may have an easier time opening up while playing video games. Approaching someone you hardly know, like a new classmate or coworker, and striking up a conversation can be quite

Video games make grey matter loss in a brain structure and can cause serious damage, and harm to us if we continuously play. To begin, in the article “Playing action video games may be bad for your brain, study finds” it states, “After 90 hours of playing first-person shooter games the brain scans of response learners showed what West said is "statistically significant" grey matter loss in the hippocampus…’The problem is, the more they use the caudate nucleus, the less they use the hippocampus, and as a result the hippocampus loses cells,’” The Hippocampus is what controls our nerves/emotions and if we lose cells for that brain structure playing video games, it can be extremely harmful. In studies, people basically lose their mind. They

Video games have a great negative influence on one’s mental health. Lots of researches have been made in order to prove the great damage that gaming can cause. The central nervous system is made up from white and gray matter, whom are found in the brain, and are highly affected by video gaming. Gray matter is located on the top of the brain, it serves to process information in the brain, and transport nutrients and energy to the neurons and may even influence how well the neurons function and communicate. Several studies have shown

Playing video games is among one of the favorite pastimes of many people around the world. Some play games to kill time with simple tasks found most commonly on the phone, while others play them to challenge their mind in the form of complex puzzles or to practice management skills, some play them to experience a sense of adventure that they just can’t find anywhere else, and many use them as a way to communicate or have fun with friends both near and far. Whatever the reason someone may have for playing video games, they may not think that games can have an effect on their brains. Some would say that playing video games can lead to negative effects such as harming the player’s cognitive skills or causing them to become much more violent than normal. Others would argue that playing video games quickens the minds of their players, leading to higher mental performance or an increased attention to detail. Thanks to this hotly debated controversy many studies have been conducted over the past years in order to settle the debate once and for all. So what effect can playing video games have on the cognitive skills of their players, and are these effects positive, negative, or somewhere in the middle?