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

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of video gameplay and biological sex on memory and the Need for Cognition in adults and aging adults. A sample of adults who played video games were identified from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The final poststrata sample included 242 respondents in the 2012 HRS wave. Of these respondents, 121 indicated engagement with video games (videogamers), and 121 were a match sample of non-videogamers on age, sex, and HRS cohort. Results revealed no difference in memory or the Need for Cognition between adults who played video games and those who did not play video games. There was an effect of biological sex on general memory performance. Implications of the results are further discussed.