The Correlation Between Video Games and Learning

The Correlation Between Video Games and Learning

Abstract

The idea of learning through the use of video games has great potential, though it may not always be in a distinct manner. Using a breakdown of fluid learning, the ability to solve new problems as they arise with no previous knowledge of that particular situation, the article by Kokkinikis et al. (2017) shows that there is a correlation between a person’s IQ (how quickly they learn to do a new task) and the amount of expertise a player can achieve in a game. It also shows that this correlation follows the already-established trend of how age affects a person’s cognitive and physical ability to retain information and perform adequately in situations that require faster reflexes, respectively. The second article depicts how the skills learned for a particular video game don’t always translate into a practical ability in similar real-life problems, which tends to negate the idea that cognitive skills can be learned from playing a multiplayer online battle arena or a first-person shooter game. Neither of these articles focus on whether specific information can be learned, but rather what it takes for a player to succeed at a video game.

Introduction

With the rise of the video gaming world in the average person’s home, there has long been speculation on whether or not the activity of playing these games attributes to learning the more difficult subjects of learning, such as biological sciences, neurosciences, and human behavior. Notable topics being looked into recently include ideas on the effects of violent video games on a person’s predisposition for violent behavior (Shao & Wang, 2019), the correlation between video games and the rise in ADD/ADHD (Strahler et al., 2015), the effect of video games on a person’s impulse control psyche (von der Heiden et al., 2019), and many others with similar psychological and biological concepts.

One key piece in the investigation into learning is the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence, which involves the way a person thinks through problems. Fluid intelligence is the ability of a person to think through and solve a new challenge or situation that they have yet to encounter in their life, and therefore have no reference of knowledge to fall back to, and crystallized intelligence is the ability of a person to solve a problem or situation that they have previous knowledge about through life experiences or education (Vinney, 2019). In the analysis of multiple articles, insight can be gained on the idea of whether video games could be a useful tool in learning and retaining new information.

Literature and Analysis

The first article being examined talks about the relationship between video games and fluid intelligence and armed with the knowledge of what precisely fluid intelligence is, it is much easier to understand what the writer is trying to say. Kokkinikis et al. (2017) explain that through the use of a player’s ability to learn and adapt while playing a video game, it can be directly correlated to their IQ, which is also directly correlated to the use of fluid intelligence in problem-solving and learning through working through the issues. In this study, specifically, researchers focused on Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs) such as League of Legends and Dota II, both of which employ tower defense-based strategic gameplay.

In the first portion of this study, a group of 56 participants was recruited based on their ranking and skill in League of Legends and analyzed in a laboratory setting. The Mind in the Eyes Test (MITE) was used to evaluate a participant’s ability to understand others’ emotional states, the WASI-II Matrix Reasoning Subtest to measure fluid intelligence, and a series of working memory tasks to analyze short-term memory and response time. These results were then compared to the participants’ active ranks within the games, and it was found that the results from the WASI-II test correlated to the participants’ rankings, where the results from the MITE task did not correlate whatsoever (Kokkinikis et al., 2017).

In the second portion of this study, researchers researched a much broader set of individuals to try and determine how rank correlated with age, and if there was any age-related variable to a player’s rank rather than just IQ. To show a negative correlation, they used previous research on players of first-person shooter games in how age affects the speed at which physical and cognitive reaction times are achieved. The idea behind this was that because MOBA rank can be directly correlated to fluid intelligence levels, it should also decrease in performance as age increases. Raw IQ levels have previously been correlated to the same trajectory as age-related physical and cognitive decrease. With this, it was determined that expertise is directly related to the rate of learning in the initial phases (Kokkinikis et al., 2017).

The second article was focused on how skills and knowledge learned from video games can transfer to other aspects of life. After a series of tasks relating to cognition, distraction, and ability-transfer, the researchers for this one determined that there was not a correlation between video games and improved skills elsewhere in life. The results showed that there was little difference between video game players and the non-video game player control group (Gobet et al., 2014).

The biggest thing between these two articles is that there are many unknown and confounding variables involved in the processes. The idea that learning can occur remains, though. Neither of the articles necessarily proved or disproved the idea that concepts can be learned from video games, only that learning new concepts quicker decreases as age increases and that the problem solving and cognitive abilities used in games doesn’t tend to cross over into issues that use a similar form of cognitive ability to solve. What was also gleaned from these articles is that interpersonal skills don’t seem to affect someone’s ability to learn something or play a video game, only their interactions with each other and during processes where teamwork is necessary for success. The idea that specific information can be learned is not touched on.

Conclusion

            Overall, it seems there is still much to be learned about how the human brain works, though it is clear that the potential for a video game to become a tool of learning is still present. Because of the correlation between fluid learning, working memory, and successful learning of skills in particular games, it can be concluded that the same idea would also cross for a video game that was created purely for the sake of teaching some subjects. There are only a handful of games out there; currently, that touch on the whole idea of teaching people real facts using fictional circumstances and a type of gameplay that is both entertaining and actively working the Mind towards a goal. In the playing of games centered around teamwork, players can actively learn how to work together, which can then translate into real-life circumstances. Some games even have built-in dialogue that is useful for real-life interactions, also if it seems meaningless at the time, it is heard. These are all things that I have learned, personally, about playing video games, and know that there are many things I have learned merely through playing a storyline or wandering the creation of a computer game to see just what the creator has put into it to find.

 

 

References

Gobet, F., Johnston, S. J., Ferrufino, G., Johnston, M., Jones, M. B., Molyneux, A., … Weeden, L. (2014). “No level up!”: no effects of video game specialization and expertise on cognitive performance. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 1337. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01337

Kokkinakis, A. V., Cowling, P. I., Drachen, A., & Wade, A. R. (2017). Exploring the relationship between video game expertise and fluid intelligence. PloS one, 12(11), e0186621. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0186621

Shao, R., & Wang, Y. (2019). The Relation of Violent Video Games to Adolescent Aggression: An Examination of Moderated Mediation Effect. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 384. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00384

Strahler Rivero, T., Herrera Nuñez, L. M., Uehara Pires, E., & Amodeo Bueno, O. F. (2015). ADHD Rehabilitation through Video Gaming: A Systematic Review Using PRISMA Guidelines of the Current Findings and the Associated Risk of Bias. Frontiers in psychiatry, 6, 151. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00151

Vinney, C. (2019). Fluid Versus Crystallized Intelligence: What’s the Difference. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fluid-crystallized-intelligence-4172807

von der Heiden, J. M., Braun, B., Müller, K. W., & Egloff, B. (2019). The Association Between Video Gaming and Psychological Functioning. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1731. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01731