Adults Benefit from Playing Video Games

[ChucktownK]

U.S. Navy: Video Games Improve Brains, "Fluid Intelligence"

The cognitive effects of certain video-game-style activities are not only impressive but can last a couple of years, a researcher for the Navy recently explained. If gamers don't want to believe that video games have an effect on them — at least any effect that will cause them to do antisocial things — will they accept research that suggests games make their brains work better?

Here's Ray Perez, program officer for the Office of Naval Research's warfighter performance department:

"We have discovered that video game players perform 10 to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability than normal people that are non-game players," s

...

"We know that video games can increase perceptual abilities and short-term memory," he said. They allow the player to focus longer and expand the player's field of vision compared to people who don't play video games, he added.

While there is empirical evidence of increased brain plasticity in video gamers, Perez said, the process behind it is not well understood. His belief, he said, is that the neural networks involved in video gaming become more pronounced, have increased blood flow, and become more synchronized with other neural networks in the brain.

Perez credits games and game-like simulations with giving people the ability to more quickly adapt new mental strategies for problem-solving. He says that, for 50 years, it was believed that no training could improve a person's "fluid intelligence" — the ability "to work outside your present mindset, to think beyond what you have been taught, to go beyond your experience to solve problems in new and different ways."....

[cookinwithgas]

Where was all this when my ex caught me playing Leisure Suit Larry all those years ago?

[WhoDatJorts]

I have been saying this for years.

[Captroop]

Well there you go. No more coffee, and no more late nights playing video games. Go to sleep at 10, wake up at 5 and play against some Asians for an hour or two and go in to work all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

[ChucktownK]

Where was all this when my ex caught me playing Leisure Suit Larry all those years ago?

My buddy was working on that game last year. For some reason they took out all the boobs and sexy parts and now all the game has left is a bunch of phallic stuff EVERYWHERE. It is now a gay man's game.

[Kettle]

so what if you smoke weed while you play?

[cookinwithgas]

My buddy was working on that game last year. For some reason they took out all the boobs and sexy parts and now all the game has left is a bunch of phallic stuff EVERYWHERE. It is now a gay man's game.

I always thought that LLL would be a game that had the potential to go on for a long time but really they've messed it up since the first sequel.

[ChucktownK]

so what if you smoke weed while you play?

Is there any other way to play?

[Kettle]

if you are all serious like some people i know then sober is the way to go. it's less fun though i think. i'm currently not smoking and there is definite improvement in my online play

[Cat]

"We have discovered that video game players perform 10 to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability than normal people that are non-game players," s

I'm officially offended!

[Cat]

I'm pretty good at fps games. Sometimes I play them drunk and I'll be fuging fantastic. its weird

[mmmbeans]

that's like me with driving.

[Captroop]

Or me while boffing.

At least I think I'm doing fantastic while drunk boffing.

[Jase]

I always feel dumber after playing video games, especially shooters.