Effects of Gamification on Speed and Accuracy on an Interdependent Paper Sorting Task

This study examined the effects of gamification, i.e. (what makes games challenging, engaging and fun), and its effects on speed and accuracy on an interdependent paper sorting task. Undergraduate students (N=42) at the University of Central Florida participated by working interdependently in groups to sort numbered pieces of paper into piles before and after either playing video games or doing back-to-back drawing(basic team building exercises). It was hypothesized that participants who played video games would sort pieces of paper into the piles faster and more accurate than those who did back-to-back team exercises. Results showed that playing video games was not better than doing basic team exercises, but that the two tasks were relatively equal. Although groups were formed and dissolved quickly, there was improvement between the pre and posttests. While the experiment did not yield significant results, it is possible that using different video games or different interdependent tasks could foster increases in speed and accuracy compared to back-to-back drawing

A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study Of select Cognitive Functions in Adolescent Medical Students Engaged in Physical Activities and Video Gaming

Background: This study was conducted to compare the performance of cognitive function tests among adolescent students involved in physical activities, video-gaming, and board-gaming groups. Methods: A cohort of 300 participants (150 males and 150 females) were included in the study. The participants were divided into 3 groups (50 boys and 50 girls each) who were engaged regularly in physical activity, video gaming activity and board gaming activity respectively. The participants of all the groups were tested on selected neurocognitive tests from Wechsler Memory Scale – III (WMS – III) and NIMHANS Neuropsychological Battery. After acquiring baseline data, they were instructed to continue their respective gaming activities for a minimum of 2 hours each day. After 30 days of respective gaming activity, the battery of cognitive tests was administered again, and the pre and post results compared. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the subset scores of Tests for Visual Presentation (Faces I and II) in the boys and girls of the Physical Activity group and gaming group independently. The AVLT scores showed statistically significant difference between girls and boys who were engaged in 30 days of board or video gaming activity. Conclusions: Our study shows that in the short term, there are differences in the cognitive performances of participants of the 3 groups of activities. Along-term follow-up study will help to differentiate the effect of these 3 activities upon cognitive function. Cognitive functions of young adults of both gender is influenced by physical and gaming activity

The Effects of Covert Recruitment on Cognitive Processing in Action Video Game Players

Cognitive processing among video game players has been widely investigated. However, there has been serious debate regarding how methodological issues could be affecting these results. Our study is being conducted to assess the effects of covertly recruiting participants on performance in a Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) task. Covert recruitment conceals the role of video game experience in our study until after the cognitive task is completed. Additionally, we extend our research to include female participants, who have historically been omitted from cognitive video game research. The experiment began by administering the MOT task first, followed by a brief survey. The survey asked questions about how many hours each participant played, per week, of different genres of video games, as well as demographic information. Our results suggest that video game players (VGPs) of both genders perform better than non-video game players (NVGPs) when tracking a larger number of objects. This suggests that VGPs have an advantage in environmental awareness and visual short-term memory skills

Comparison of Reaction Time, Manual Dexterity, and Working Memory Levels of Adolescent Video Game Players and Non-Players

Objective: This study aims to examine differences between adolescent video game players and non-players in terms of their reaction time, manual dexterity, and working memory levels. Methods: The sample of the study, which has a comparative cross-sectional design type, consists of 432 adolescents at the grades between 9 and 12. Non-video game players, and video game players were subjected to simple visual and auditory reaction time tests, manual dexterity tests, matrix, and digit span working memory test. Results: Compared to non-video game players, video game players were found to have shorter visual and auditory reaction times. Also, several motor dexterity subtest skills of video game players were found to be lower, while working memory did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion: Our findings support the idea that playing video games seem to improve some aspects of cognitive and motor skills but reduce several other aspects

Understanding Motivational Factors of Problematic Video Gaming in the USMC and the US Navy

NPS NRP Executive SummaryA significant percentage of active duty service members (ADSMs) spends free time playing video games. This recreational activity is not unexpected given the relatively young age of many ADSMs and the prevalence of video gaming in the US population. The military operational environment, however, is characterized by high levels of occupational stress and poor sleep conditions which can result in increased risk of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. In such conditions, video games may be a strategy for coping with stress. In contrast, excessive video gaming can become problematic because it has the potential to affect well-being and behavior. For example, excessive video gaming is associated with high stress levels (Milani et al., 2018), lower psychosocial well-being and psychological functioning (von der Heiden et al., 2019), loneliness and depression (Lemmens et al., 2011), and delinquency and aggressive behavior (Milani et al., 2018; Engelhardt et al., 2011; Ewoldsen et al., 2012). Video gaming may also interfere with sleep when gamers stay up late playing video games instead of sleeping (Matsangas, Shattuck, & Saitzyk, 2020). In extreme cases, video gaming can become an addiction. In the scientific literature, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is associated with poor emotion regulation, impaired prefrontal cortex functioning and cognitive control, poor working memory and decision-making capabilities, and a neuronal deficiency similar to substance-related addictions (Kuss et al., 2018). Given its potential negative impact on individual and team performance, we propose to assess problematic video gaming in two samples: US Marine Corps personnel and US Navy sailors. Based on surveys and focus groups, the research approach will be tailored for the needs of each service. Data will be collected from personnel in up to three USMC commands, whereas data from USN sailors will be collected on two ships, one in port and one underway. The study will focus on assessing the prevalence and extent of playing video games, identify factors associated with this activity, address whether Marines and Sailors are using gaming as a maladaptive coping mechanism, and provide appropriate recommendations.HQMC Manpower and Reserve Affairs (M&RA)This research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

El videojuego League of legends y su efecto en memoria de trabajo visual y solución de problemas

El propósito de este estudio es medir los efectos que tiene el videojuego League of Legends en los procesos cognitivos de memoria de trabajo visual (MVT) y solución de problemas (SP). Para medir dichos efectos se implementó un diseño pre test-post con un grupo experimental y uno control, compuestos cada uno por siete participantes, en donde se evaluaron los procesos previamente mencionados utilizando los cubos de Corsi para MVT y las matrices del WAIS III para SP. Después de realizar los respectivos entrenamientos se encontraron resultados significativos en los diferentes momentos de aplicación. En el grupo experimental se encontraron diferencias en la variable dependiente SP, mientras que en el grupo control en MVT, pero no en la interacción entre grupos ni diferencias entre grupos, lo que sugiere un efecto de familiarización a la prueba.The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of the videogame League Of Legends on the higher cognitive processes of visual working memory (VWM) and problem solving (PS). For this purpose, a pretest-postest design was implemented with an experimental and control group composed of seven participants in each one of these groups. The previously mentioned processes were tested using the Corsi block-tapping task (VWM) and matrix reasoning of WAIS III (PS). After completing the respective training, significant results were found at the different measure points. For the experimental group, significant differences were found in PS, and for the control group significant differences were found for VWM. However no significant results were found for the interaction with group or between the groups. This suggests that a familiarization effect in the application of the tests

Bursting balloons - comparison of risk taking between extreme sports, esports, and the general public

Arguably, extreme sports athletes exhibit a more significant risk appetite than the general public. Are standard behavioral risk measures able to capture this? To answer this question, we assessed self-reports of risk taking and measured the risk-taking behavior of samples of snowboarders and climbers. Two groups of non-athletes, university students and crowdworkers, and athletes of a sport that does not include the potential of grave injury or death, esports athletes, serve as control conditions and complement our study. Across these five different groups, 1313 participants performed an online version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and gave self-reports of general willingness to take risks and sports-specific risk taking. Extreme sports athletes exhibited greater risk taking in the BART than non-athletes and esports athletes. Furthermore, BART-performance predicted sports-specific risk taking and its affective consequences. Our results speak to the BART’s ecological validity and the unique role of physical consequences on risk-taking behavior

Mitigating bias blind spot via a serious video game

We employed a serious video game to train participants on bias blind spot (BBS), capturing training effects on BBS mitigation and knowledge at three points in time. Experiment 1 (N = 703) compared the effects of hybrid training (a combination of implicit and explicit training) to implicit training; Experiment 2 (N = 620) tested the effects of just-in-time versus delayed feedback; and Experiment 3 (N = 626) examined the effects of singleplayer versus multiplayer learning environments. We also tested differences in game duration (30 vs. 60 minute play) and repetition (single vs. repeated play). Overall, the video game decreased BBS linearly over time and increased BBS knowledge at posttest, but knowledge decayed at 8-week posttest. These and other results are discussed, along with the implications, limitations, and future research directions