Every once in awhile, a study comes along that makes me rethink a lot of things I simply took for granted. That makes science so much fun! 

I have to confess that I have been very convinced by an extensive literature that experience, as opposed to brain differences, has little to nothing to do with sex differences in cognition. So on the Larry Summers debate, I side rather definitively with Steven Pinker over Elizabeth Spelke.

Now a study comes across my desk that shows that a few hours of playing videogames improved female spatial reasoning, a change that remained stable after five months. Although both males and females showed improvement in spatial reasoning, the women caught up to the men. The study was conducted by Jing Feng and his colleagues at the University of Toronto, and will appear this month in Psychological Science [1]. Feng has very kindly supplied a pdf of his article on his website, so you can read the whole thing here.

Scene from Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault

The game used for training was EA’s Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault. A screenshot appears here.

 

 

 

 

As my loyal readers know, I have always believed that psychologists’ negativity about videogaming was misguided, and that the games have marvelous potential for providing all kinds of useful brain stimulation. Yes, we can be too sedentary, but it’s much better to engage in active reasoning playing a videogame than watching some stupid sitcom.

Looking back at my own youth, I recall my high school counselor being quite dismayed by my aptitude scores–99th percentile in spatial reasoning, 99th percentile in mechanical reasoning, but a dismal 15th percentile in “clerical speed and accuracy.” His advice to me? “Get married as quickly as you can, Laura, because you’ll never be able to support yourself” (as a secretary, yes, I did stink it up). I always assumed that the spatial/mechanical skills were a function of having an engineer daddy, but this new research suggests I might look more at experience as well. To be fair, my favorite toys as a child were Tinkertoys, erector sets, Lincoln logs, American bricks…..Did my experience with these toys increase my spatial talents? Was I attracted to these toys because I already had some innate aptitude in spatial reasoning? Nature or nurture or both? I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure.

In the meantime, though, Link is in a particularly tough spot with a giant frog, and needs immediate rescue…..and no, I am not going out on Halloween as Link or Zelda, although I generally wear my Harry Potter sorting hat to class….

1. Feng, J., Spence, I., & Pratt, J. (2007). Playing an Action Video Game Reduces Gender Difference in Spatial Cognition. Psychological Science, 18(10), 850-855.


19 Comments

BBurt · October 26, 2007 at 5:32 pm

“… Yes, we can be too sedentary, but…” – This can be true of most video games, but now there is Wii, which can be quite physical. My brother-in-law has a Wii, and him and my sister have actually complained of being sore from playing tennis. I’ve heard that there are work-out Wii games too. I think that video games of the future are going to incorporate gaming and physical activity. It’s an interesting way to make working out more fun!

Laura Freberg · October 27, 2007 at 7:07 pm

Good point BBurt about the Wii. We really got sore doing the fishing thing in Twilight Princess! I had forgotten about that. I have various nieces and nephews who use that dance pad videogame to work out, so who knows what else will be available in the future!

verticalx · October 28, 2007 at 6:17 pm

There is definitely a stigma surrounding video games. However, you’ve offered a fresh perspective on the cognitive benefits of video games. Wonderful post, keep up the great work.

TNguyen · October 28, 2007 at 9:26 pm

Technology these days are advancing so quickly so I’m not surprised that video games are becoming more active. I used to play Dance Dance Revolution a couple years ago, which is what your nieces and nephews play! It’s a great work out and it’s fun. Not only is playing beneficial to our spatial abilities, but creating the games are too.

denatz · October 29, 2007 at 2:54 pm

It’s good to hear another perspective in regards to video games. It is quite fascinating to watch my seven-year-old nephew actively play the Wii. There is such a sense of involvement that he displays in his participation, from his coordination to his concentration. Not to mention his ability to teach and explain to others how to maneuver the controls and play the game, including me.

Laura Freberg · October 29, 2007 at 6:13 pm

I think we can make the technology go in directions that really meet a variety of needs. People complain that videogaming is not social, but obviously they don’t know about LAN parties. Our family had a terrific time playing four-player MarioKart. No matter what I did, it was hard to match my kids’ reaction time, but I think it’s great for kids to have something they can do to beat the “grown-ups.”

c.busso · October 29, 2007 at 7:54 pm

I feel like all the studies on video games have a negative outcome. It is good to see one that says they are beneficial since so many people play them. I never play video games and it makes me rethink that. If it improves my spatial skills maybe I should start playing them instead of watching tv….

lscheck · October 30, 2007 at 11:01 am

I always have felt as though video games to a certain extent (when not played at an unhealthy rate of 10 hours a day, every day) would help build or form a certain kind of intelligence that was prevalent in men. Growing up as tomboy (raised in a family of all older brother, guy cousin) i always participated in video games, from violent war games to car racing games. I obviously may be an exception to this study, but condisering how often i played/play video games, my spatial reasoning is not very stong. Math and chemistry have never been my cup of tea, so its hard for me to relate to this article. maybe I should brush up on my james bond and halo skills too boost my math grade, which is extremeley needed right now : /

nicole_g · October 31, 2007 at 7:07 pm

I think that there could be some truth in correlating spatial ability with playing video games. Looking at this issue from a social psychological perspective, gender roles seem to play a role in our spatial development. Boys and girls tend to play with gender specific toys/games. These toys have an impact on spatial ability as well as verbal ability. So in terms of this study, I wouldn’t be surprised that a more typical attraction for boys (videogames) could help improve girls’ spatial skills.

Laura Freberg · November 2, 2007 at 10:47 am

I think we need more research to see which games, and which aspects of games, appeal more to girls than boys. I know that Tetris has a huge female fan base, and that seems like a spatial game to me. I had to take it off my computer years ago, or no work would be done.

It seems to me that videogames provide an important entry into computer science in general. If girls get left out of this part of the learning curve, that’s not great for the future.

rwest · March 3, 2008 at 11:51 am

Dr. Freberg, you should really check out the game Big Brain Academy for Wii. One can play with three other friends, on teams, or by themselves. This game really tests different types of intelligence in a race against the clock and/or friends. I enjoy playing teamed with my girlfriend against a couple of friends(one male and one female) that attend UC Berkeley. They often beat us but it’s super-fun and addictive.

reggie · March 11, 2008 at 11:39 am

I think video games made me a part of who I am today. I’ve been playing all kinds of games from super mario to halo 3, I’ve played it all. I agree with everyone when they say how technology is advancing so fast and the games just keep getting better and better. I also feel that a lot of the games help us improve our skills in many ways depending on the type of game.

Playing a lot of puzzle games such as Zelda will definitely keep your brain sharp. I also enjoy playing those Brain games that tests the different types of intelligences. And if I want a work out, I can always play wii or DDR. I also find playing video games with friends is very socializing which is definitely a good thing. I wonder what the video game industry has in store for us in the future…

Vix · May 1, 2008 at 6:52 pm

Actually, I’m the one who decides what video game to get next, since the Wii and other systems in our house all belong to me. I’m also the only member of this family who’s a Sonic the Hedgehog series fan. My family only wanted me to share because they were so hyped for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Mario Galaxy. And I understand. Nothing else.

JoeGaldamez · May 19, 2009 at 12:05 pm

I see I missed this post a couple years back, but it’s too interesting to NOT comment. For most of my life, teachers and family have warned me about video games and how “dangerous” they are and how they made one my cousins the “aggressive” person he is. Nope, not true. I feel there is no strong correlation between video games and aggression. Life experiences, and possibly the wonders of biology, attribute aggressive characteristics.

I’m all for video games and I find it so fascinating how simply playing Medal of Honor improved a woman’s spatial reasoning. Another possible contribution of video games is the following: When I first saw the movie Cloverfield, many people from the audience felt sick to their stomach due to the rapid, sporadic turns here and there. It turns out that most of those people who felt nauseated hardly, or never, played video games. For us–the avid video game junkies–watching Cloverfield was a piece of cake. Video games, in some crazy way, prepared our minds for the movie. Nuts.

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Laura’s Psychology Blog » Adult Videogamers and Health · August 19, 2009 at 9:01 am

[…] I’ve always been concerned that psychology and medicine have a biased starting point in the discussion of videogames. Somehow, there is a compulsion to find something terribly wrong with them and the people who enjoy them. My impression is quite the opposite. Many of my students have related that videogames sparked an interest in computers and how they work, maintained their attention spans, taught them to read (you have to read what the character is saying to get to the next level), and provided a lot of pleasure. Anyone who views videogames as a solitary, antisocial endeavor must be oblivious to the phenomenon that is World of Warcraft. Videogaming has been shown to make valuable contributions to rehabilitation following neural injury and even to improve spatial skills. […]

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