Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Mental Health

Action video games improve brain function more than so-called ‘brain games’

by SAGE Publications
October 1, 2015
in Mental Health
Photo credit: James Cao

Photo credit: James Cao

Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

From “brain games” designed to enhance mental fitness, to games used to improve real-world problems, to games created purely to entertain, today’s video games can have a variety of potential impacts on the brain. A new article argues that it is the specific content, dynamics, and mechanics of individual games that determine their effects on the brain and that action video games might have particularly positive benefits.

This article is published today in the new issue of Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, a Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences (FABBS) journal published by SAGE.

“The term video games refers to thousands of quite disparate types of experiences, anything from simple computerized card games to richly detailed and realistic fantasy worlds, from a purely solitary activity to an activity including hundreds of others, etc. A useful analogy is to the term food – one would never ask, ‘What is the effect of eating food on the body?’ Instead, it is understood that the effects of a given type of food depend on the composition of the food such as the number of calories; the percentage of protein, fat, and carbohydrates; the vitamin and mineral content; and so on,” the researchers wrote.

Analyzing science on the cognitive effects of video games, Drs. C. Shawn Green and Aaron R. Seitz wrote that action video games- games that feature quickly moving targets that come in and out of view, include large amounts of clutter, and that require the user to make rapid, accurate decisions – have particularly positive cognitive impacts, even when compared to “brain games,” which are created specifically to improve cognitive function.

“Action video games have been linked to improving attention skills, brain processing, and cognitive functions including low-level vision through high-level cognitive abilities. Many other types of games do not produce an equivalent impact on perception and cognition,” the researchers commented. “Brain games typically embody few of the qualities of the commercial video games linked with cognitive improvement.”

Green and Seitz noted that while action games in particular have not been linked to problems with sustaining attention, research has shown that total amount of video game play predicts poorer attention in the classroom. Furthermore, video games are known to impact not only cognitive function, but many other aspects of behavior – including social functions – and this impact can be either positive or negative depending on the content of the games.

“Modern video games have evolved into sophisticated experiences that instantiate many principles known by psychologists, neuroscientists, and educators to be fundamental to altering behavior, producing learning, and promoting brain plasticity. Video games, by their very nature, involve predominately active forms of learning (i.e., making responses and receiving immediate informative feedback), which is typically more effective than passive learning.”

TweetSendScanShareSendPinShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Loneliness skews partner perceptions, harming relationships and reinforcing isolation
Mental Health

Maximization style and social media addiction linked to relationship obsessive compulsive disorder

June 24, 2025

Researchers have identified connections between obsessive thoughts about relationships, emotional closeness, and habits like social media addiction and striving for perfection. The findings highlight risk factors that can deepen doubt and tension in romantic connections, especially when conflict is present.

Read moreDetails
Reading literary versus popular fiction promotes different socio-cognitive processes, study suggests
Mental Health

Reading fiction fights loneliness and builds a healthier brain

June 24, 2025

Loneliness is a growing crisis, and while Silicon Valley promotes AI companions, research suggests an older, simpler solution may be more effective. Studies show that reading improves social connections, brain health, and emotional understanding, making books a powerful antidote.

Read moreDetails
Exposure to heavy metals is associated with higher likelihood of ADHD diagnosis
ADHD

Exposure to heavy metals is associated with higher likelihood of ADHD diagnosis

June 23, 2025

Researchers in Spain have identified a potential link between certain heavy metals in urine and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. High levels of copper and cadmium were associated with inattention, while copper and antimony related to hyperactivity-impulsivity.

Read moreDetails
Chronic stress can alter genetic material in sperm, leading to changes in offspring behavior
Mental Health

A common parasite not only invades the brain — it can also decapitate human sperm

June 22, 2025

A new study finds that a widespread parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, can physically damage human sperm, including decapitating them on contact. The findings raise fresh questions about the parasite’s potential role in the decades-long global decline in male fertility.

Read moreDetails
Loss of empathy in frontotemporal dementia traced to weakened brain signals
Depression

New neuroscience research reveals brain antioxidant deficit in depression

June 22, 2025

A new meta-analysis suggests that people with major depressive disorder have lower levels of the brain antioxidant glutathione in the occipital cortex. The findings highlight a possible role for oxidative stress in depression and point to potential treatment targets.

Read moreDetails
Scientists uncover kidney-to-brain route for Parkinson’s-related protein spread
Neuroimaging

Scientists uncover kidney-to-brain route for Parkinson’s-related protein spread

June 22, 2025

A groundbreaking study suggests that Parkinson’s disease may begin in the kidneys, where a toxic protein builds up and travels to the brain. This discovery could reshape our understanding of the disease’s origins and risk factors.

Read moreDetails
Gut-brain connection: Proinflammatory bacteria linked to hippocampal changes in depression
Depression

Scientists reveal a surprising link between depression and microbes in your mouth

June 21, 2025

Lower diversity in the oral microbiome was linked to higher depressive symptoms in a large U.S. sample, with especially strong associations among men and non-Hispanic Whites. Differences in microbial composition were also observed between depressed and non-depressed individuals.

Read moreDetails
Loneliness is associated with a 31% higher risk of developing dementia, finds largest study to date
Dementia

Dementia: Tactile decline may signal early cognitive impairment

June 21, 2025

Touch-related sensory decline could offer early clues to cognitive problems, according to a recent review. The findings point to tactile impairments as possible predictors of memory loss and dementia, offering new directions for early detection and prevention.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Maximization style and social media addiction linked to relationship obsessive compulsive disorder

Video games calm the body after stress, even when players feel on edge

Reading fiction fights loneliness and builds a healthier brain

Youth with psychopathic traits at increased risk of dying young, study finds

Critical thinking and academic achievement reinforce each other over time, study finds

Exposure to heavy metals is associated with higher likelihood of ADHD diagnosis

Eye-tracking study shows people fixate longer on female aggressors than male ones

Romantic breakups follow a two-stage decline that begins years before the split, study finds

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy