Affiliation:
1. Institute of Psychology of Russian Academy of Science
Abstract
<p style="text-align: justify;">This review is aimed at systematizing the results of empirical and meta-analytical work on the problem of the influence of video games on cognitive processes. Psychology has accumulated a lot of facts indicating that computer games have positive effects, but sometimes it is impossible to fix them. Analysis of the literature has shown that video games have a positive effect on cognitive processes, but the size of this effect depends on the genre of the game. There is a largest effect of puzzle-games and the “arcade” genre on spatial thinking. “Action”, “shooter”, and “arcade” games have small but significant effects on some aspects of perceptual processing, as well as “action” games have a strong positive effect on problem solving speed. The effects on executive functions were small. A review of modern trends in gamification has shown that video games can be effective in teaching specific professional skills, for example, in the field of medicine, and in the treatment of psychological disorders, in particular dementia. The effectiveness of videogames as a part of cognitive learning products has not been confirmed, this area needs to be studied in more details. At the same time, only moderate video gaming is safe for development. Studies show that excessive video game passion causes gaming addiction and negatively affects attention, academic performance and emotional state. An analysis of the literature has shown that video games potentially have a positive effect on cognitive processes, but the size of this effect depends on the genre of the game. There is a largest effects of puzzle-games and the «arcade» genre on spatial thinking. «Action», «shooter», and «arcade» games have small but significant effects on some aspects of perceptual processing, as well as «action» games have a strong positive effect on problem solving speed. The effects on executive functions were small. A review of modern trends in gamification has shown that video games can be effective in teaching specific professional skills, for example, in the field of medicine, and in the treatment of certain psychological disorders, in particular dementia. The effectiveness of videogames as part of cognitive learning products has not been confirmed, this area need more detailed research. At the same time, despite the some positive effects of computer games, only moderate gaming is safe for development, studies show that excessive video game passion causes the gambling addiction and negatively affects attention, academic performance and emotional state.</p>
Publisher
Moscow State University of Psychology and Education
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