Video Games and Short-Term Memory: A Comparative Study

Introduction

Video games have a measurable effect on short-term memory. Researchers normally study action games, but puzzle and quest games were also included in this study to allow for direct comparison of different game types alongside a control group. This research examined three dimensions of short-term memory — visual-spatial, verbal, and numerical — and explored correlations between video game usage and memory performance. Not all null hypotheses were confirmed, meaning there is room for future study. In particular, it was established that puzzle/quest games are correlated with higher visual-spatial and verbal short-term memory, but it has not been determined whether differences in baseline abilities among study participants may have influenced this result. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on how different types of video games affect the brain, cognition, and working memory, and helps open new avenues of exploration.

Cognitive researchers have for many years investigated the link between video games and short-term memory, and in particular have examined whether video games can be used to enhance short-term memory. This line of research counterbalances findings that video game use has a negative effect on academic performance. The underlying theory is that time spent playing video games might substitute for time spent studying — which would naturally be detrimental to academic performance — but this is not directly related to the capacity of video games to enhance cognitive skills (Anand, 2007; Larson et al., n.d.).

Early studies on the effects of video games on the mind focused largely on the hypothesis that violent video games increase aggressive behavior, building on prior research that examined violent television and films in the same light. Such studies found positive associations between violent video games and aggressiveness (Anderson & Bushman, 2001), which led researchers to explore the impact of video games on cognitive function more broadly. Studies of video game-related aggression focused on the "learning, activation and application of aggression-related knowledge structures stored in memory," which are subsequently influenced by other situational input variables (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). In essence, video games rewire the brain in certain ways, and the patterns that develop from engagement with violent video games lead to a greater tendency toward violent behavior. The most successful games strike the right balance between providing enough challenge to stimulate the player without so much difficulty as to discourage engagement (Gee, 2003).

One key question in this area was whether aggressive behavior in people who play violent video games results from aggressive affect or from cognition. Carnagey and Anderson (2005) found that both were influenced by video games. What this meant for the study of video games and memory is that video games do have at least some influence over cognition — a discovery upon which later researchers were able to build.

Several studies have specifically examined the influence of video games on short-term memory. Larson et al. (n.d.) found that video games had a negative influence on short-term memory, particularly when compared to reading. Video games do not necessarily foster short-term memory gain, as the action tends to pass quickly across the screen and there is little benefit to maintaining high rates of short-term recall. However, other studies have shown that video games can have a positive influence on visual and auditory recall, likely because those are two of the primary features of video games (Larson et al., n.d.).

Blacker and Curby (2013) found, for example, that visual short-term memory is enhanced by playing video games. In their study, they noted that "action video game playing can bolster visual cognitive abilities in a domain-general manner, including abilities related to visual attention and the speed of processing." Such findings indicate that there are areas of cognitive strength related to video game use, and that the visual domain appears to be one of them. This seems to align with Larson's study, which showed that while immediate visual memory was impaired by video games, a 24-hour delayed recall task found that video gamers had better visual memories. A meta-analysis confirmed that while the positive effects of video game playing on short-term memory were supported by the literature, the effects were generally only mild (Tavarez, 2012).

Consensus on the matter has not been reached, however. In another study, video game playing was not found to be linked to improved visual sensory memory — only to visual sensitivity (Applebaum et al., 2013). That study sought to explain why so many prior studies showed video gamers to have improved response times, an enhanced ability to simultaneously apprehend and track a greater number of items, improved spatial abilities, and better task-switching skills (Applebaum et al., 2013).

Further research has sought to apply this knowledge practically. For example, Amladi et al. (n.d.) investigated the use of video games to enhance short-term memory in students with working memory deficits. This work is grounded in the principle that the ability to remember more items is improved in people who play action video games. The use of action video games as cognitive stimulation for people with working memory deficits was also supported by evidence that working memory training can produce significant effects, particularly in younger individuals.

It is also worth considering that, whatever influence action video games may have, there are other techniques available for enhancing cognition. Software programs — distinct from video games — have been designed specifically to stimulate those areas of the brain responsible for short-term memory. There is an argument that such programs may be more effective because they target these areas directly. That said, the visual memory element of video games may still confer unique benefits (Vitelli, 2014). The amount of attention paid to visuals in game design, combined with the importance of visual cues in many games — especially action games — quite likely stimulates the brain at a higher level than routine exercises. The heightened arousal associated with gameplay may amplify memory effects, and it is also likely that video games are played for longer periods than memory stimulation exercises, precisely because they are designed for entertainment. These variables have not yet been systematically tested in studies examining differences between video games and other methods of enhancing short-term and visual memory.

MRI-based studies have examined the effects on cognition in greater detail. Hummer et al. (2010) found evidence that "playing a violent video game can modulate prefrontal activity during cognitive inhibition." While people who play action video games can respond more quickly to initial stimuli, when presented with a second piece of contradictory information, they had difficulty overriding their original reaction. The study used a "go/no-go" paradigm in which the initial "go" response was contradicted, and the video game group showed a longer response time after committing to the "go" decision. This suggests that the way games affect the brain makes players faster to react initially, but that higher-level information processing is somewhat delayed. This finding has implications for studies that rely on quick reactions to visual stimuli, such as identifying a picture.

This topic is important for two reasons. First, video games are extraordinarily prevalent in contemporary society. Early studies of violent video games were prompted by concern about their effects on children, building on a broader body of research about media influence on behavior and cognition. Understanding how video games affect the brain, and how different types of games produce different effects, is therefore a matter of social relevance. Second, there is a growing body of research on whether this knowledge can be applied to improve cognition in people with working memory deficits. It is important to understand whether video games work, and if so, how and why, so that successful outcomes can be replicated and, potentially, isolated into media specifically designed to address memory deficiency.

These studies collectively point to the need for further research on video games and short-term memory. The working hypothesis for this study builds on the finding that short-term visual memory is improved by video game use. The specific hypothesis examined is that action video games can enhance short-term visual memory but do not enhance short-term verbal or numerical memory. The underlying principle is that video games affect the brain in specific ways, improving performance on tasks that engage those particular areas while leaving unrelated functions unaffected. It is expected that the null hypotheses will be demonstrated in this study.

References

Amladi, S., Andrist, S., Ducommun, M. & Leabo, L. (n.d.). Using action video games to train working memory in students with working memory deficits. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from

Anand, V. (2007). A study of time management: The correlation between video game usage and academic performance markers. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, 10(4), 552–559.

Anderson, C. & Bushman, B. (2001). Effect of violent video games on aggressive behavior, aggressive cognition, aggressive affect, psychological arousal and prosocial behavior. Psychological Science, 12(5), 353–359.

Applebaum, L., Cain, M., Darling, E. & Mitroff, S. (2013). Action video game playing is associated with improved visual sensitivity, but not alterations in visual sensory memory. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from

Blacker, K. & Curby, K. (2013). Enhanced visual short-term memory in action video game players. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics, 75(6), 1128–1136.

Carnagey, N. & Anderson, C. (2005). The effects of reward and punishment in violent video games on aggressive affect, cognition and behavior. Psychological Science, 16(11), 882–889.

Gee, J. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. ACM Computers in Entertainment, 1(1), 1–4.

Hummer, T., Wang, Y., Kronenburger, W., Mosher, K., Kalnin, A. & Dunn, D. (2010). Short-term violent video game play by adolescents alters prefrontal activity during cognitive inhibition. Media Psychology, 13, 136–154.

Larson, A., Gates, S., Lutz, W., Pope, K. & Fulton, A. (n.d.). Effects of video games on immediate and delayed memory. Pacific Union College. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from https://www.puc.edu/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/115387/Effects-of-Video-Games-Poster-FINAL-aubyn.pdf

Tavarez, C. (2012). The effect of video games on memory: A meta-analysis. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from

Vitelli, R. (2014). Can action video games boost short-term memory? Psychology Today. Retrieved April 22, 2016 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/media-spotlight/201410/can-action-video-games-boost-short-term-memory