Cognitive training with casual video games: points to consider

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Brain training programs, including video games, claim broad cognitive enhancement.
• Existing research often shows benefits limited to trained tasks, complicating real-world application.
• Assessing generalized cognitive improvement requires rigorous methods like active control groups and transfer testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if casual video games can broadly improve cognitive function in young adults.
• To evaluate the transfer of training from game-based tasks to untrained cognitive abilities.
• To explore the practicality of using casual games as a brain training approach.

Main Methods:

• 209 young adults were randomized into working memory-reasoning, adaptive working memory-reasoning, active control game, and no-contact control groups.
• Participants underwent 15 hours of training, followed by pre- and post-training cognitive assessments.
• Cognitive tests included reasoning, working memory, attention, episodic memory, and perceptual speed, alongside self-report measures.

Main Results:

• Participants improved on training games, but transfer to untrained tasks was minimal.
• No significant gains were observed in reasoning, working memory, episodic memory, or perceptual speed across groups.
• Working memory-reasoning groups showed improvements in divided attention, reduced attentional blink, and smaller trail-making costs.

Conclusions:

• Casual video game training demonstrated limited broad cognitive transfer, primarily impacting specific attention-related measures.
• Improvements were observed in divided attention, suggesting potential for targeted cognitive enhancement.
• While offering a novel approach, the real-world benefits of computer-based brain training, like casual games, require further investigation.