[RedDragonXXX]

"Researchers found that gamers who devote much of their free time to Grand Theft Auto and Super Mario may be able to scan their environment and spot the target of their search more quickly than non-gamers can. In experiments with college students who were either hard-core video game players or novices, the researchers found that players were quicker to detect target objects on a busy computer screen than their peers were.

The findings, published in the journal Acta Psychologica, suggest that the vigilant watchfulness video games require makes for quicker visual processing.

Gamers' brains don't appear to have any specialized search strategy, they're just faster, explained lead study author Dr. Alan Castel, a post-doctorate fellow in psychology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Specifically, both groups of students were similar when it came to the search principle of "inhibition of return." According to Castel, this means that when people look for their keys, they look in one place, and if the keys aren't there, they will look in a number of other spots before giving the original location a second go-around. In the experiments, he told Reuters Health, video gamers used the same search strategy as non-gamers did. "They just executed it faster," he said.

Video games have been much criticized for their violent content and for contributing to couch-potato lifestyles. This study, Castel noted, doesn't judge video games as "good" or "bad." It just suggests they feed a very particular expertise.

The main research interest, according to Castel, is in whether video games, through effects on visual processing, attention and movement, can be useful in rehabilitating the brain -- after a stroke, for instance, or in cases of age-related memory loss."

Well it seems that all the years of gaming are paying off. This is true if you ask me since I am capable of spoting things really fast and probably faster than average person.

Article source

[Goateh]

hahahaha, cool

Knew I was doing something right :P

[Janus67]

I am glad to hear that I am faster than a "novice gamer" as I am a fairly hardcore one, but I don't believe they gave a fair test to both sides. Of course the gamer is going to be faster, they are very experienced with looking all over the screen and can spot mild changes.

[matttaylor]

Finally, proof for my wife, the games i play are good for me!!! Thanks Reddragon

[.h4x0r//]

Well, it makes sense. I would imagine it's based loosely on threat-assessment. If it moves, you have to quickly identify wether or not it is friend or foe, and if it's foe, blast it. In other words, your brain has to learn not only how to make the distinction, but also make it quickly enough to react in the correct maner (so you don't get turned into chum by an enemy flac cannon).

[xTrEmEoVrClOcKr]

Haha, maybe the Military will want gamers to be a better soldier with less casualties?

[Feydd]

I'm pretty sure my hand eye coordination has saved me from a wreck on the roads plenty of times, well that and the really good brakes on my camaro. Their have been atleast a couple occasions where if I had not reacted .1 second sooner I would have had a very bad day.

[RedDragonXXX]

Originally Posted by matttaylor

Finally, proof for my wife, the games i play are good for me!!! Thanks Reddragon

Always glad to help

[mage_x]

i can detect things faster on the computer screen, what a useful skill.

[mx101]

Finally something to get me dad off my ass. THXZ

[maelstromracing]

Originally Posted by xTrEmEoVrClOcKr

Haha, maybe the Military will want gamers to be a better soldier with less casualties?

You don't play too many FPS games do ya???? "What do ya mean I don't have a re-spawn", "OMFG this really hurts", "Oh Jeebus I am actually going to die"

Nah, I don't think it will make better soliders...better artillery people and AWACs, maybe....speaking from my previous infantry experience, nah, don't want those people....

[Nexus Realized]

My reactions are getting quicker I'm sure, but I think im getting blinder from sitting so darn close to the monitor.

[RedDragonXXX]

Originally Posted by Nexus Realized

My reactions are getting quicker I'm sure, but I think im getting blinder from sitting so darn close to the monitor.

LOL, that could be true.

[Mr.Guvernment]

same as the other studies done that people have better aim who play FPS and a quicker response time as well

See - video games are good for you

Originally Posted by Janus67

I am glad to hear that I am faster than a "novice gamer" as I am a fairly hardcore one, but I don't believe they gave a fair test to both sides. Of course the gamer is going to be faster, they are very experienced with looking all over the screen and can spot mild changes.

How is it not fair - they tested 2 sets of people under 1 circumstance ?

they proved that hard-core gamers are better at something.

No different then say getting a body buidler, and a joe six pack and asking them to lift a 200lb weight - it would show that working out has benefits. - the point of the study.

[fuzzba11]

Pro gamers pwn all noobs!!!

Seriously, though, all these studies of late have shown that gamers are better at a whole lot of activities than regular folk. Like the one that said gamers had a clearer sense of reaching goals and objectives. If only my goals weren't to buy the latest games and spend as much time as possible playing them

[Goateh]

Hahahah, i know that feeling. Although I would agree with that goals one in some ways. Some games just take away the goals in life and make you want to play them 24/7 like ever crack :P

Now days I would class online gaming to be up there with being sociable with people in real life, I've met countless people and made stupid amounts of friends through online gaming and its been a blast.

[Janus67]

Originally Posted by Mr.Guvernment

same as the other studies done that people have better aim who play FPS and a quicker response time as well

See - video games are good for you





How is it not fair - they tested 2 sets of people under 1 circumstance ?

they proved that hard-core gamers are better at something.

No different then say getting a body buidler, and a joe six pack and asking them to lift a 200lb weight - it would show that working out has benefits. - the point of the study.

no, I understand that the experiment was all fair, but I would want to see both of them in a situation they are not completely familar with... a shooting range or something of that sort to test.

[Goateh]

Originally Posted by Janus67

no, I understand that the experiment was all fair, but I would want to see both of them in a situation they are not completely familar with... a shooting range or something of that sort to test.

Thats a very good point. Even have something like a course that has friendly and enemy targets in it to see if games can be useful for other purposes

[Mr.Guvernment]

AHHH okay, so put them both in a "new" environment to test their abilities.

[Goateh]

I like that idea, would show wether one actually has an advantage over the other