Issues and advances in research methods on video games and cognitive abilities.
The impact of video game playing on cognitive abilities has been the focus of numerous studies over the last 10 years. Some cross-sectional comparisons indicate the cognitive advantages of video game players (VGPs) over non-players (NVGPs) and the benefits of video game trainings, while others fail to replicate these findings. Though there is an ongoing discussion over methodological practices and their impact on observable effects, some elementary issues, such as the representativeness of recruited VGP groups and lack of genre differentiation have not yet been widely addressed. In this article we present objective and declarative gameplay time data gathered from large samples in order to illustrate how playtime is distributed over VGP populations. The implications of this data are then discussed in the context of previous studies in the field. We also argue in favor of differentiating video games based on their genre when recruiting study samples, as this form of classification reflects the core mechanics that they utilize and therefore provides a measure of insight into what cognitive functions are likely to be engaged most. Additionally, we present the Covert Video Game Experience Questionnaire as an example of how this sort of classification can be applied during the recruitment process.
GamesLab, Department of Psychophysiology of Cognitive Processes, Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities Warsaw, Poland.
Bart
B
Sobczyk
Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland.
Paweł
P
Dobrowolski
Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences Warsaw, Poland.
Maciek
M
Skorko
GamesLab, Department of Psychophysiology of Cognitive Processes, Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities Warsaw, Poland.
Jakub
J
Michalak
GamesLab, Department of Psychophysiology of Cognitive Processes, Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities Warsaw, Poland.
Aneta
A
Brzezicka
cognition; cognitive training; methodology; transfer of training; video games