SWINBURNE VIETNAM

HO CHI MINH CAMPUS

CLASS: KANGAROO 1
Topic

Cognitive Benefits of Video Games

INSTRUCTOR:
TRẦN NGỌC TIẾN
STUDENT NAMES:
HÀN KHẢI VINH (SWS00291)

HO CHI MINH CITY – OCTOBER, 2022

WORD COUNT: 1064 EXCLUDING REFERENCES
 Modern technical advancements have allowed almost every member of the human race
in the 21st century to gain access to an enormous bank of gadgets and applications. Among
the countless inventions created in recent decades, video games potentially possess one of
the largest effects on culture, media, publicity, and especially finance with a market size
value of $220.79 billion in 2022 (Video Game Market Size & Share Growth Report, 2030,
n.d.-b). With the influence of this magnitude in mind, the controversy surrounding whether
or not video games are advantageous or harmful to the player is constantly on the horizon.
Although the previous common mindset is that video games are generally unfavorable,
people have started to migrate from that old way of thinking and have seen the cloaked
conveniences that games have to offer. This paper reviews the hidden cognitive benefits of
video games and how anyone can profit from being entertained digitally.
The most popular and accepted stereotype about video games is that they affect the
human brain in adverse ways. This is true to some extent; however, they also offer a wider
range of overall cognitive speed improvements compared to the misconceiving drawbacks.
Complicated and intricately built games equipped with tricks and engaging problem-
solving ranging from normal puzzle titles to sophisticated and mind-perplexing virtual
experiences that aim to stimulate the brain through the integration of neural network
stimulation combined with bio-sensing in real-time have the ability to optimize brain
function during states of sickness and health, improving neural health and response times
for players in the process. The implications of this promise opportunities for all kinds of
individuals who are in need of quickening their mental capacities in fields of business or
even industry (Mishra et al., 2016). Furthermore, students who are natural fans of gaming
and indulge in this activity in a healthy amount might attain a certain edge over their peers
in learning and perception time as well as being generally more cognitively abled. Schools
and educational institutions can implement several simple teaching games in their courses,
making use of video games’ unseen flexibility (Bork, P.). Not only do gamers have a
higher level of brain performance, but they also have innate capabilities in multi-tasking in
tense situations.
A study conducted by Chiappe et al. in 2013 examined a random selection of
individuals of non-gamer origin in order to ascertain if video games are capable of
enhancing multi-tasking skills in heavily tasked scenarios. The participants were split into
2 groups consisting of one which consistently played video games in the span of 10 weeks
and a control group. Both groups were tested by recording their behavior and actions
during their execution of primary and secondary tasks which are fuel tracking/managing
and system communication /monitoring respectively before and after the experiment was
carried out. The data recorded showed that secondary tasks done by the first group were
completed with more efficiency and accuracy without drawing back from any positive
results of the primary tasks. These findings are demonstrative proof of how computer
games can be beneficial in circumstances where players face an ascending number of tasks
through the amelioration of attentional capabilities. Moreover, video games help motivate
change in brain state and neural networking and train the mind to reach levels of higher
efficacy, further strengthening a gamer’s ability to perform multiple tasks at once
(Rothbart et al., 2015). One other important aspect of video games’ positive influence is
that it serves as a stress reliever for people who are in need.
Casual gaming titles are simple, approachable, straightforward, and most importantly
fun games that can be utilized for effortless entertainment within arm’s reach to basically

1
anyone at all times. Researchers discovered that when comparing people who regularly
play casual games with those who don’t, the former experienced a consistent increase in
overall mood and heart rate variability which corresponded with lower levels of physical
stress, along with a greater sense of relaxation in the nervous system. The implementation
of this discovery might bring about a large breakthrough in the medical field, the
probability that these games can be prescriptive solutions to treat and prevent stress-related
issues given commonly by doctors in the near future is high, forging the bond between
gaming and health care (Russoniello et al., 2009). Additionally, apart from just simply
stress, gamers are also found to have better mental health compared to non-gamers. Video
games have been proven to have a favorable impact on younger individuals’ emotional
state, feeling of usefulness, lack of pessimism, motivation, energy, and engagement in
social activities and relationships, influenced by their method of play, teammates, and the
sportsmanship they encounter (Johnson et al., 2013). Beyond the scope of these effects,
problem-solving competence is also improved thanks to the practice of video gaming.
Examination of approximately 1500 students playing strategic and role-playing games
in the span of four high school years revealed that higher amounts of strategic video game
play translated to a higher capacity of self-reported problem-solving, unlocking secret
skills that are inaccessible to non-gamers. To boot, the academic results of the test subjects
were linked with their time of play in these types of games, proving that their higher
capability in solving problems was concrete and proved to be actually useful in school and
test environments (Adachi et al., 2013). More creatively, methods of cheating such as
abusing glitches and loopholes in the games’ programming architecture, making use of
hidden quirks in the system, and simply thinking with a broader mindset in order to find or
intuitively formulate inexistent shortcuts revealed a reflection of inventiveness and
imaginative problem-solving in exchange for ethicality (Hamlen et al., 2015). Instead of
viewing attempts of cheating as punishable and morally incorrect, the alternative of
treating them as intelligent efforts of outside-the-box thinking and rewarding players when
they find concealed and more efficient paths is much more preferable.
To sum up everything that has been stated, video games offer their players the
development of their brain through augmentations including but not limited to faster
cognitive processing speeds, strong multi-tasking skills in situations of high tension, stress
relief combined with a general improvement in mental health, and creative problem-
solving abilities. Any kind of person with no gaming background can attain these benefits
by giving any video game of their preferred genre a try, gaining enhancements in brain
function, and having the benefit of being entertained in the process.

2
References
Video Game Market Size & Share Growth Report, 2030. (n.d.-b). Retrieved October 26,

2022, from https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/video-game-market

Mishra, J., Anguera, J. A., & Gazzaley, A. (2016). Video games for neuro-cognitive

optimization. Neuron, 90(2), 214-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.010

Bork, P. (2012). How Video Games May Enhance Students' Learning and Cognitive

Development. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge & Society, 8(1), 43-55.

Chiappe, D., Conger, M., Liao, J., Caldwell, J. L., & Vu, K. P. L. (2013). Improving multi-

tasking ability through action videogames. Applied ergonomics, 44(2), 278-284.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2012.08.002

Rothbart, M. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The developing brain in a multitasking

world. Developmental Review, 35, 42-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2014.12.006

Russoniello, C. V., O’Brien, K., & Parks, J. M. (2009). The effectiveness of casual video

games in improving mood and decreasing stress. Journal of CyberTherapy &

Rehabilitation, 2(1), 53-66.

Johnson, D., Jones, C., Scholes, L., & Carras, M. (2013). Videogames and wellbeing: A

comprehensive review.

Adachi, P. J. C., & Willoughby, T. (2013). More Than Just Fun and Games: The

Longitudinal Relationships Between Strategic Video Games, Self-Reported Problem

Solving Skills, and Academic Grades. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42(7), 1041–

1052. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-9913-9

3
Hamlen, K. R., & Blumberg, F. C. (2015). Problem solving through “cheating” in video

games. In Video games and creativity (pp. 83-97). Academic Press.

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801462-2.00004-7