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