Effects of Video Games on the Brain

Posted: October 17th, 2013

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Effects of Video Games on the Brain

Ferguson Christopher John. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A Meta-analytic Review of Positive and Negative Effects of Violent Video Games.” Psychiatric Quarterly, 78.4 (2007): 309-316. Print. The article cites that violent video games are not positively or even associated with violent behavior in the gamers; rather, it states that violent games have been found to promote the visual spatial cognition in the gamers. There has been a heated debate that violent games contribute t violent behavior in players, especially the children. Through a meta-analytic review of published literature on the issue, the research has found that this is not true. On to the contrary, it has found that it increases the brain activity of the gamer. It article is quite useful for this research considering it provides a clear conclusion that supports my thesis, that playing video games increases brain strength, programming of the brain, and emotional response. The article also provides evidence form peer reviewed articles, and uses an example of a current case at the time it was written showing a case of homicide.

Griffith Mark. “The educational benefits of videogames.” Education and Health, 20.3 (2002): 47-51. Print. This article provides that apart from the entertaining effect of videogames, they also have other benefits especially when they are designed for specific issues. This suggests that videogames can be used to improve brains with problems. The article further cites that playing computer videogames reduces response delay, increases coordination of hands and eyes as well as raising a person’s self-esteem. The article provides many examples of positive effects of videogames on the brain, including its ability in helping children with learning disabilities as well as for research purposes that all improve brain functionality and response. This article, just like the first one provides a good base for the research since it supports the thesis of the research. In addition, the article not only shapes the research into effects of videogames on the brain, but also into other ways such as how it can be used educationally and health wise to improve conditions of the brain.

Boot R. Walter, Kramer F. Arthur, Simons J. Daniel, Fabiani Monica and Gratton Gabriele. “The Effects of Video Game Playing On Attention, Memory, and Executive Control.” Acta Psychologica, 129.3 (2008): 387-398. Print. This article sites that people who play video games outperform those who do not play the games, when it come to attention as well as other performance. The article further cites a relationship between action games and improvement in several visual and attention skill. The article has provided evidence using a study carried out showing that gamers scored better in several areas such as switching from one task to another, where the response is faster. This article is very useful for this research since it provides practical results including statistical data on scores of gamers and non-gamers on several tests concerning cognitive response. The article shapes the research in accordance to the thesis statement; supporting the improvements, that video game playing has on the brain as mentioned in the thesis statement.

Dye Mathew, Green C. Shawn and Bevelier Daphne. “Increasing speed of processing with action video games.” Current directions in psychological science, 18.6 (2009): 321-326. Print. This article comes in handy to assert that videogame playing plays as a good trainer for improving the speed of the brain without foregoing accuracy. The article cites that for many years it has not been known that the speed of brain reaction can be increased of slowed. However, it states that video game playing has proven to be effective in reducing the reaction time of the brain, just by the act of continued playing, where ones response time is reduces and making decisions is faster in tasks related to other fields as well. This supports the thesis statement, providing a review of the evidence supporting the claim.

Ian Spence and Jing Feng. “Video games and spatial cognition.” Review of General Psychology, 14.2 (2020): 92-104. Print. The article cites that video game players spend a lot of time playing the videogames, which has the ability to change the brain as well as behavior. The article conducts a review of studies that have investigated this ability of playing videogames, which can modify spatial cognitive capacity. It cites that there have been several experiments showing videogames inducing sensory perceptual and attention abilities. This article is useful in showing the influence that playing of video games has on the brain. This supports the thesis statement of this research, posing as a good credible source to draw a conclusion on the topic of effects of video games. The article conducts a review of several experiments showing the ability of video games in modifying the brain.

Green, Shawn and Daphne Bavelier. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Video Games. Digital Media: Transformations in Human Communication, 12.1 (2006): 45-77. Print. The article provides an intuitive aspect of video games that surpasses their use for simple leisure. It is noted that video games are being utilized more and more as a tool for social cohesion, especially since more of them offer the ability for interplay with other individuals. The article uses research into popular modes of play, whereby it is noted that despite the possibility that more harm than good may arise from excessive video game play, there are benefits when play is controlled. The effect on an individual’s temperament is also noted, as interaction with the game tends to have an influence on younger users. In summation, however, it is noted that when properly utilized, video games have the power to teach as well as enhance the view of gamers in a positive manner.

Work Cited

Ferguson Christopher John. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A Meta-analytic Review of Positive and Negative Effects of Violent Video Games.” Psychiatric Quarterly, 78.4 (2007): 309-316. Print.

Griffith Mark. “The educational benefits of videogames.” Education and Health, 20.3 (2002): 47-51. Print.

Boot R. Walter, Kramer F. Arthur, Simons J. Daniel, Fabiani Monica and Gratton Gabriele. “The Effects of Video Game Playing On Attention, Memory, and Executive Control.” Acta Psychologica, 129.3 (2008): 387-398. Print.

Dye Mathew, Green C. Shawn and Bevelier Daphne. “Increasing speed of processing with action video games.” Current directions in psychological science, 18.6 (2009): 321-326. Print.

Ian Spence and Jing Feng. “Video games and spatial cognition.” Review of General Psychology, 14.2 (2020): 92-104. Print.

Green, Shawn and Daphne Bavelier. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Video Games. Digital Media: Transformations in Human Communication, 12.1 (2006): 45-77. Print.