It’s in the game: Exploring Cognitive Differences between Professional Gamers and Novices

The Effects Video Gameplay on Memory and Need for Cognition in Adults and Older Adults

“…Additionally, both the general gaming preference for more casual kinds of games and the tendency to view games as a means of entertainment rather than intellectual stimulation may detract from the potential relationships between gaming and memory. Many studies which have shown differences in memory or other types of cognition have shown that for gaming to have a meaningful impact on cognition, players must play a sufficient amount of time and in a mindset which aims to improve (Toril Reales, & Ballesteros, 2014;Hess and Neider, 2015). Many of these improvements are shown after extensive experience with faster-paced, action games, which are somewhat removed from the types of games that older adults tend to prefer (Boot et al, 2008).…”