Visuospatial working memory and attention control make the difference between experts, regulars and non-players of the videogame League of Legends

Valls-Serrano, Carlos; De Francisco, Cristina; Vélez-Coto, María; Caracuel, Alfonso · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.933331

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Summary

This study investigates the cognitive differences associated with expertise in the video game *League of Legends* (LOL), aiming to address methodological limitations in prior research, such as heterogeneous samples and ambiguous definitions of expertise. The authors posit that LOL is an optimal paradigm for studying cognition due to its moderately defined structure and objective ELO ranking system. The primary objective was to compare expert LOL players, regular players, and non-videogame players across specific executive functions, hypothesizing that experts would demonstrate superior performance. The methodology involved 80 healthy young male participants divided into three groups: non-videogame players (N=30), regular players (N=30), and expert players (N=20). Expertise was strictly defined using objective criteria: experts were ranked Diamond I or higher (top 0.31% of players) and/or were professional league players, while regulars played exclusively MOBA games and had completed over 100 games in the past year. Non-players played less than one hour of video games per week. Participants underwent behavioral assessments measuring four core executive functions: visuospatial working memory (Corsi Block Tapping Test), attention control (Antisaccade Task), cognitive flexibility (Number Letter Task), and inhibition (Stop Signal Task). Statistical analysis utilized Kruskal-Wallis tests for group comparisons, with post-hoc analyses to identify specific differences. The results revealed significant cognitive distinctions among the groups. Expert players performed significantly better than both regular players and non-videogame players in the visuospatial working memory test. Additionally, significant differences were observed between player groups (both experts and regulars) and non-videogame players in the attention control test, indicating that general gaming experience enhances attentional capabilities. The study highlights that while general gaming improves attention, high-level expertise in LOL is specifically linked to superior visuospatial working memory capacity. The findings suggest that visuospatial working memory and attention control are key cognitive factors differentiating expert gamers from regular players and non-players. This research contributes to the field of human-computer interaction and neuroscience by demonstrating the utility of LOL as a standardized tool for studying expertise. By employing precise, objective criteria for expertise classification, the study overcomes previous methodological flaws and provides evidence that specific cognitive constructs are enhanced through high-level engagement with complex video games. These results imply that cognitive training or assessment protocols could benefit from leveraging structured video game environments to evaluate or enhance executive functions.

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• cognitive capacity variation