Games may be beneficial for doctors, too. Those who had played the violent games were more hurtful to other students, whereas those who had played the pro-social games were more helpful. After playing, the students completed a task in which they could either help or hurt another student. In one study, 161 college students were randomly assigned to play one of several violent games, neutral games, or pro-social games (in which helpful behavior was required). Several types of studies provide evidence that video games that include “pro-social” content-situations in which characters help each other in nonviolent ways-increase such conduct outside of game play, too. 4 Other research suggests that games requiring teamwork help people develop collaboration skills. 3 Another study, which appeared in Nature Neuroscience, demonstrated that action games can improve adults’ abilities to make fine discriminations among different shades of gray (called contrast sensitivity), which is important for activities such as driving at night. 2 One neuroscience study, published in Nature, showed that playing action video games can improve visual attention to the periphery of a computer screen. Department of Education report presented evidence on the effectiveness of educational games. Several lines of research suggest that playing video games can lead to different types of benefits. To cite a mnemonic that Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb coined in 1940, “Neurons that fire together wire together.” Gamers repeat actions as they play, and repetition is one precondition for long-term potentiation-the strengthening of brain-cell connections (synapses) through repeated use that is thought to underlie memory storage and learning. Video games also can adapt themselves to individual learners and train players in a way that helps them transfer knowledge or skills to the real world. 1 They provide immediate feedback on the player’s success by distributing reinforcements and punishments, assist in learning at different rates, and offer opportunities to practice to the point of mastery and then to automaticity.
Well-designed video games are natural teachers. Games May Teach Skills-or Desensitize Us to Violence
Too often the discussion ends there in a “good” versus “evil” battle, reminiscent of the plots of the violent video games themselves. Research projects of variable strength have substantiated claims of both beneficial and harmful effects. Because the effects are subtle, many people think video games are simply benign entertainment. These studies show a clear trend: Games have many consequences in the brain, and most are not obvious-they happen at a level that overt behaviors do not immediately reflect.
Psychologists and neuroscientists conducting well-designed studies are beginning to shed light on the actual effects of video games. In a press statement about the report that resulted from its deliberations, the parliament concluded that games could have “harmful effects on the minds of children.” Reporting on this statement, however, the headline in the Guardian read, “Video games are good for children.” For example, the European Parliament has been debating whether to limit children’s access to video games. Video gamers, parents, politicians and the press often lionize or attack video games, which opens the door to spin that obfuscates our understanding of how these games affect people.
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