Individual differences in video game experience: Cognitive control, affective processing, and visuospatial processing

Bailey, Kira · 2018 · Crossref

DOI: 10.31274/etd-180810-3123

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Summary

This thesis investigates the differential effects of video game experience on cognitive control, affective processing, and visuospatial processing. While previous research has examined these domains in isolation, no prior study had assessed all three within the same sample. The research was motivated by conflicting literature: some studies suggest violent video games increase aggression and impair emotional processing and executive function, while others indicate that action video games enhance visuospatial skills. The study aimed to determine if these positive and negative effects coexist and whether they vary by game genre (violent vs. nonviolent). The study employed a between-subjects design comparing three groups: violent gamers, nonviolent gamers, and non-gamers. Participants performed tasks measuring three specific domains. Cognitive control was assessed using the Stroop task and the N-back task. Affective processing was evaluated through picture rating tasks and emotion search tasks. Visuospatial processing was measured using enumeration tasks and visual short-term memory tasks. This comprehensive battery allowed for a simultaneous examination of behavioral performance across these distinct cognitive and emotional domains. The results revealed distinct patterns of influence based on game genre. Regarding cognitive control, there was a negative relationship between video game experience and proactive cognitive control. This impairment was more pronounced in violent gamers compared to nonviolent gamers, consistent with prior findings linking media violence to reduced recruitment of cognitive control networks. In terms of affective processing, violent gamers exhibited a fundamental shift in how they processed violent and positive affective information relative to non-gamers and nonviolent gamers. Conversely, visuospatial processing showed enhancements for gamers; both violent and nonviolent gamers demonstrated a greater span of apprehension and higher visual short-term memory capacity compared to non-gamers. These findings align with previous research indicating that video game experience improves visuospatial attention and capacity. The significance of this study lies in its demonstration that video game effects are not uniform across cognitive domains or game genres. The findings emphasize that violent and nonviolent games may influence cognitive control, affective processing, and visuospatial skills differently. Specifically, while video game experience generally enhances visuospatial abilities, violent game exposure is associated with impaired proactive cognitive control and altered affective processing. This underscores the necessity for future research to distinguish between game genres when evaluating the psychological and cognitive impacts of video games, rather than treating "video game experience" as a monolithic variable.

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• cognitive capacity variation