Strategy and Puzzle-Based Games Improves Working Memory Capacity

by | Sep 19, 2023 | 2023, Brain Health, Cognitive Health, Infant and Children's Health

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Younger participants exhibited a trend for greater WMC for the Action gaming group compared to the No Games group (p < 0.007), while older subjects in the Puzzle gaming group had higher WMC scores compared to the No Games group. 

Over the last 40 years, video games have grown in popularity and have increasingly had a transformational impact on how people play and enjoy themselves, as well as on many more aspects of their lives1. The number of video game players continues to grow yearly and is expected to reach over 3 billion players in 20232. Research has reported the use of both video games and board games for improved cognitive functioning3.

In the past few decades, data has shown that playing video games can have cognitive, emotional, motivational, and social benefits4. Serious games, which are often used for therapeutic rehabilitation or education, have been used to improve several cognitive functions including memory, processing speed, executive functions, language processing, visuospatial skills, and global cognition5. Previous meta-analysis findings show that playing video games and board games enhanced cognitive performance and improved memory and attention6.

Cutting et al. conducted a study to assess whether working memory capacity (WMC) and resistance to Encoding Distraction (ED) or Delay Distraction (DD) differed between puzzle, strategy or action gamers and non-gamers. 482 participants (aged 18-81) were included in the final analysis. Subjects provided information on the number of weekly hours spent playing digital games, the year in which they started playing digital games, and to list digital games played in the last week. Afterwards, subjects partook in the online working memory task and three conditions on the task were recorded for analysis and included the “No Distraction” condition, the “Encoding Distraction” condition, and the “Delay Distraction” condition. Participants’ performance in the “No Distraction” condition was used to measure WMC.

The data provided by participants about the types of games played was categorized into predominantly Action, Strategy, or Puzzle games. An ANOVA was utilized to compare WMC and distractor resistance between game groups for each type of categorization. Between-subjects ANOVAs were also used to examine any differences between age groups. Significant findings of the study are as follows:

  • A significantly lower WMC was noted for the older age group compared to the younger age group (p < 0.001).
  • Younger participants exhibited a trend for greater WMC for the Action group compared to the No Games group (p < 0.007), while older participants had a significantly greater WMC for the Puzzle group, but not the Action or Strategy groups, compared to the No Games group.
  • For participants in the No Games, Puzzle and Strategy groups, a significant main effect of age group was noted, with lower WMC associated with older participants (p < 0.001), and a significant main effect of game group (p = 0.026). However, a significant interaction between game group and age group was observed (p = 0.002).
  • Older subjects in the Puzzle group had greater ED resistance ability (p < 0.001), but no significant difference in DD resistance ability was observed.

Results of the study show that, for younger subjects, significantly greater working memory capacity was noted for action and strategy games compared to non-gamers. Furthermore, older subjects in the puzzle group experienced a greater working memory compared to older participants in other game groups. Further research should continue to explore the potential cognitive benefits of different types of video games with a variety of age groups and gaming styles.

Source: Cutting, Joe, Bethany Copeland, and Fiona McNab. “Higher working memory capacity and distraction-resistance associated with strategy (not action) game playing in younger adults, but puzzle game playing in older adults.” Heliyon 9, no. 8 (2023).

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted September 19, 2023.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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