As if gamers don’t get a bad enough rap for not showering enough, wearing deodorant or having poor social skills (not to mention being penned as potential hardcore murderers), it appears a new study has confirmed that hardcore gamers have diminished brain activity compared to casual gamers and possibly more likely to develop an attention deficit disorder.
A recent article in the Psychophysiology magazine (because some people actually like reading things that make them feel smart), an article was published based on research by Kira Bailey and a few other Doctors at Iowa State University.
According to the research…
The researchers found that the just-in-time form of control was similar in the two groups of gamers. In contrast, brain wave and behavioral measures of proactive attention (the “gearing up” mechanism”) were significantly diminished in the frequent video game players. These data reveal a reduction in brain activity and disruption of behavior associated with sustained attention ability related to video game experience, which converges with other recent findings indicating that there is a relation between frequent video game playing and ADD.
Oh burn. Basically, gamers who use cognitive functions for “gearing up” for events, situations or circumstances show less brain activity in this department, as opposed to reactive situations that call for quick response timing and fast reflexes.
So what does this mean? It means that if your neighborhood was getting bombed and you needed someone to pick off invading enemies, hardcore gamers could get the job done well and with good cognitive instinct. However, if alarms blare or signs of a terrorist attack are eminent without any actual events taking place, expect the hardcore gamer to sit on the coach like a potato until the bombs drop…just like George W. Bush during the 9/11 attacks.
You can read the entire article in the Psychophysiology magazine. For more info you can check out the Official Website. Need more gaming news, updates and insight? Stay tuned in with Blend Games.
