A researcher in Wisconsin says he figured out how you can improve your brain power. His advice is... "just go play video games."
The debate in this story, is whether that brain enhancement happens with some of the more controversial "first-person" shooting games like "Call of Duty", known for their often graphic violence.
Kathryn Larson has that.
--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS--
natsot
PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR SHAWN GREEN ISN'T JUST PLAYING GAMES ....
(Shawn Green Psychology Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison):"These games will trigger the fight or flight response."
BRAIN SCANS SHOW HE'S IMPROVING HIS PERCEPTION -- COGNITION AND CRITICAL THINKING.
(Shawn Green, Psychology Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison): "Your perceptial system, you have to keep track of lots of moving things at once. You have to identify targets among clutter, you have to make very quick decisions, but they have to be accurate."
(Kathleen Larson, Reporting/standup): "Professor Greene says its not just first person shooter games...it's also first person driving ones that can benefit brain cognition."
natsot videogame
EVEN AFTER MY 'GAME OVER' ... PROFESSOR GREEN SAYS THE BENEFITS CONTINUE.
(Shawn Green, Psychology Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison): "Seen that they've lasted anywhere from six months to two years is when we've tested "
BUT DO THESE GAMES INCREASE AGGRESSION?
(Shawn Green, Psychology Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison): "There is realistically no strong link between playing these types of games...and any kind of real criminal violent behavior."
HE DOES SAY VIDEO GAME VIOLENCE COULD POSSIBLY MAKE CHILDREN MORE ANGRY.
PROFESSOR GREENE SAYS THERE ARE NEW NON-VIOLENT FIRST-PERSON KID ACTION GAMES:
(Shawn Green, Psychology Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison): "In this case you don't shoot bullets or lasers.. you shoot plungers at rabbits...so it has very similar dynamics, mechanics and it turns out it has very similar effects on visual attention. But wouldn't be considered a violent game. There is a host of games that are coming up in that sphere."
AND HE SAYS NEW RESEARCH SHOWS OTHER GAMING FORMS CAN DO THE TRICK
(Shawn Green, Psychology Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison): "Real-time strategy games often aren't as violent. There's some new research suggesting that these have some of the similiar effect as action games have."
KATHRYN LARSON, 27 NEWS.
Instructional Links
Website: Common Sense Media, Video Game Reviews, First Person Shooter
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews/category/game/genre/first-person-shooter-4389
Website Article: Raise Smart Kids, 23 Video Games That Could Make You Smarter
http://www.raisesmartkid.com/6-to-10-years-old/5-articles/57-what-video-games-are-good-for-the-brain
Article: Points of View Reference Center, Video Game Overview
May Need Password
Website: ProCon.org, Do Violent Video Games Contribute to Youth Violence?