| The continued battle of the "games are good" | | | | game players were faster and more efficient |
| "games are bad" war plays on with a recent | | | | when carrying out this search," says Castel. |
| article in Discover Magazine that examines the | | | | "Previous research has shown that video game |
| growing body of research suggesting that video | | | | players have more attentional capacity and can |
| games exercise the mind similar to the way | | | | carry out search functions in more efficient |
| physical activity exercises the body. | | | | manners," says Castel. "Our research was |
| Laparoscopic surgery, also known as keyhole | | | | interested in examining whether there were |
| surgery or band-aid surgery, involves manipulating | | | | differences in how video game players and |
| controls/joysticks to control a fiber optic camera | | | | non-video game players search the visual |
| and surgical tools to perform minimally invasive | | | | environment, how they carry out visual search. |
| surgery with only tiny incisions in the person's | | | | We were interested in whether video game |
| body. Laparoscopic surgery has been around for | | | | players would carry out visual search in a |
| many years now, but doctors have only recently | | | | different way relative to people who don't play |
| begun to notice a stirring correlation between the | | | | video games." |
| top surgeons and video gamers. | | | | Castel suggests that not only are video games |
| Surgeon Butch Rosser, directory of minimally | | | | good "practice" for many mental tasks around |
| invasive surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in | | | | activities like military flight training and surgery but |
| New York, read a reporter's comments about | | | | that they may also be a good tool for |
| one of his procedures that referred to him as a | | | | rehabilitation of people recovering from brain |
| "Nintendo surgeon". This started his thinking that | | | | injuries. |
| perhaps his apparent gift among many of his | | | | The mental improvement from video games is |
| peers was because he was a gamer. | | | | clearly there. However, Rosser does point out |
| Rosser set out to see if there was a correlation | | | | that surgeons perform better with just three |
| by using a standardized laparoscopic training | | | | hours of video game play per week. Rosser goes |
| exercise called "Top Gun" to test laparoscopic | | | | on to say to kids "That Butch Rosser would not |
| surgeons that had never played a video game | | | | be here in this capacity if he played video games |
| and those that were gamers. "The results were | | | | and did not have good grades, did not develop |
| really astounding," he says. "First of all, if you | | | | perseverance. And I would say to that child out |
| played video game [at any time] in the past, it | | | | there that thinks that they got a free pass to |
| was found that you were significantly faster and, | | | | play video games carte blanche, I say 'Nooo, |
| more importantly, you created fewer errors than | | | | sadly mistaken." |
| people who had no previous video game | | | | With the current talk from politicians, trying to get |
| experience. Then when we looked at whether | | | | "airtime", of banning video games, imposing |
| you were a current video gamer, we found that | | | | regulations beyond other entertainment mediums |
| if you played video games currently, you were | | | | such as books or movies, and the "detriments" of |
| over 30 percent better - faster, and created | | | | video games, the work of organizations like the |
| fewer errors - than someone who did not play | | | | International Game Developers Association, who |
| video games at all." | | | | advocate for a more balanced and fair look at |
| Alan Castel, psychology professor at Washington | | | | games, is needed more now than ever. Research |
| University of St. Louis, performed another study | | | | has shown the positive effects of playing video |
| where people from different groups are given a | | | | games and has shown very mixed results of any |
| series of standard visual tests looking for a | | | | ill effects. |
| particular object (e.g. a letter) among a group of | | | | Those in positions to regulate the video game |
| other objects on a computer monitor. "Video | | | | industry need to take a fair look at the studies in |
| game players had faster reaction times on the | | | | the area before attempting to impose any unfair |
| order of 100 milliseconds, which might not sound | | | | requirements on the industry. With that said, not |
| like a lot but in this domain it's quite a strong | | | | all games are appropriate for all ages. Parents |
| finding," says Castel. "And you can imagine, when | | | | need to know what their kids are playing. The |
| driving, a difference of 100 milliseconds could really | | | | industries ESRB ratings are a great first step for |
| help you avoid accidents." | | | | this, as are many of the review sites online. |
| The research showed that gamers used the | | | | To the kids out there, do you homework, but |
| same search patterns as non-gamer, "but video | | | | please play your video games. |