Video Games Help the Brain Make Quick Decisions

Tired of your parents telling you to stop playing Grand Theft Auto IV, Need for Speed or other video games you like playing a lot more than learning? Here's the solution. Why don't show your parents the results of the study conducted by cognitive scientists from the University of Rochester.

The study found, not at all surprisingly, that video games, played however moderately, can have positive effects on the development of the brain. More precisely, players begin to develop a heightened sensitivity of surroundings, perform better at multitasking, sharpen their perception and even get used to having quicker, accurate reactions.

The researchers had tens of people aged 18 to 25 years play fast paced, violent games like Call of Duty and Unreal Tournament, while others were placed in front of a computer and asked to play less enticing games like The Sims 2 .

After playing the games for the same amount of time, the subjects were asked to perform auditory and visual tests. The results showed that the group which played fast paced games ended their tests 25 percent faster than the second group, while losing no accuracy whatsoever.

"It's not the case that the action game players are trigger-happy and less accurate: They are just as accurate and also faster,” concluded Daphne Bavelier, one of the authors of this study.

“Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference," the scientist was quoted as saying by Insideline.