Video games as a tool to train visual skills
Achtman, R. L., C. S. Green, and Daphne Bavelier. “Video games as a tool to train visual skills [REVIEW].” Restorative neurology and neuroscience, 2008, pp. 435-446.
In accordance to Bavelier, Green and Achtman in Restorative Neurology & Neuroscience, video games can assist in rehabilitating people who have lost specific visual abilities due to neurological damage. In their study, they evaluated the skills of both people who play video games and those who don’t play in several areas like visual search tasks as well as peripheral vision tests. Bavelier, Green and Achtman argued that the outcome showed that those who played video games were better than those who don’t play video games. Even after the tests, they went ahead to test the training effects on non-video game players. That is, they continued testing some of non-players as a control group while recruiting others in video game playing who were initially not playing. The control group depicted little improvement whereas the group that was exposed to video game playing significantly registered high improvement. Out of these results, the conclusion was that playing video games improves visuals skills if done regularly.
This argument is credible in consideration to the fact that these were not the only tests that were performed to affirm the conclusion. Others showed that video games cultivate a notion of more attention to fine details, ability of counting quickly and showing more attention to temporal and special differences. The ability of video games to improve these skills is therefore an indication that playing video games stimulates visual plasticity hence making some parts of brain initially not used for seeing to specialize and start being used. I will use this review to strengthen my firm stand on the argument that videogames don’t have negative impacts on individuals as widely known. In order to make my point on the argument, I will contend that the tests were done severally and conveyed same results. The fact that the tests were done severally avoided biasness in the conclusion and gave the argument a benefit of doubt.