Playing Action Video Games Can Boost Learning

Researchers from the University of Rochester and the University of Princeton recently published a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences linking fast-paced video gaming to heightened learning ability and knowledge retention. Subjects with minimal experience in video gaming were required to complete a rigorous regime of action-based gameplay throughout a nine-week study, and then were tested in pattern discrimination to measure their ability to process and retain new skills. Compared to a control group that played slower-paced games, the action gamers excelled. Follow-up testing found that this enhanced skill level was retained several months after initial testing. “Prior research by our group and others has shown that action gamers excel at many tasks. In this new study, we show they excel because they are better learners,” said the study’s lead researcher. The study also reported that while the action gamers began each task on equal footing with non-gamers, their ability to adapt their perception and improvise solutions has been augmented through gameplay, which requires split-second predictions and estimations. To learn more about the study, click here.