Neurocognitive evidence of enhanced implicit temporal processing in video game players

Foerster, Francois; Chidharom, Matthieu; Bonnefond, Anne; Giersch, Anne · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1384616/v1

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Summary

This study investigates whether action video game players (VGPs) possess enhanced implicit temporal processing compared to non-video game players (NVGPs). While previous research established that action gaming improves explicit attention mechanisms, the role of implicit (automatic) timing preparation remained largely unexplored. The authors hypothesized that the repetitive temporal structures in action games train players to automatically predict event timing, thereby optimizing reaction speeds without conscious effort. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for developing game-based interventions for psychiatric disorders involving timing alterations. To test this, the researchers compared 23 VGPs and 23 NVGPs using a variable foreperiod task within a virtual reality environment. Participants responded to visual targets appearing after either a short (400 ms) or long (1000 ms) delay following a warning signal. The experiment included two conditions: a "neutral cue" condition, where timing was unpredictable, and a "temporal cue" condition, where explicit visual cues indicated the target's timing. The study simultaneously recorded behavioral reaction times, oculomotor activity (eye-tracking), and electroencephalography (EEG) to assess neurocognitive mechanisms. Behavioral analysis revealed that while both groups responded faster when targets were explicitly cued, only VGPs demonstrated a significant benefit from the passage of time in the neutral cue condition. Specifically, VGPs showed significantly faster reaction times for long foreperiods compared to short ones when no explicit cue was present, whereas NVGPs did not show this implicit timing advantage. Novel subject-wise estimates confirmed that VGPs derived a greater percentage speed benefit from implicit temporal expectations than NVGPs. Furthermore, VGPs utilized explicit temporal cues more effectively during short foreperiods, suggesting a nuanced interaction between implicit and explicit timing strategies. The findings provide neurocognitive evidence that action video game play enhances implicit temporal processing mechanisms. This suggests that gaming trains automatic preparation systems that operate independently of conscious attention. The study highlights the neglected role of implicit timing in the cognitive benefits of video games and implies that game-based interventions could be effective in remediating timing deficits observed in psychiatric populations. By demonstrating that VGPs optimize their responses through automatic temporal prediction, the research supports the potential of action games as tools for cognitive rehabilitation and offers insight into the specific neural adaptations induced by intensive gaming.

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• time perception