Leagan Gaeilge

A new study, published in the British Psychological Society’s British Journal of Psychology, found that regular gamers performed better on tasks measuring cognitive functions such as attention and memory.

The study, which took place at the Lero Esports Science Research Lab at University of Limerick, involved 88 young adults, half of whom regularly played more than seven hours of action-based video games each week.

Participants were tested with three tasks measuring different aspects of their cognitive performance – a simple reaction time test, a task which involved switching between responding to combinations of numbers and letters to evaluate executive function and working memory, and a maze-based activity to assess visuospatial memory.

The researchers found that regular gamers were able to complete the number-letter task and the maze task 12.7 and 17.4 % quicker respectively than the group of non-gamers.

“The regular playing of video games is often criticised and seen as unhealthy, but our research shows that gamers may enjoy some cognitive benefits over the wider population, particularly relating to attentiveness and memory,” according to Dr Adam Toth of University of Limerick and Lero, the SFI Research Centre for Software, and one of the authors of the research.

Dr Mark Campbell, added: “In line with previous work out of our lab, this research may have implications in sectors where cognitive performance is paramount, such as surgery, and air traffic control, where video game play could be encouraged to help develop the elite cognitive performance required.”

The research also investigated a further angle – whether gamers are less prone to suffering from cognitive fatigue than the wider population.

Some participants were assigned an additional task, designed to require concentration for a long period of time and bring about cognitive fatigue (decline in performance), before being reevaluated on the initial cognitive tests.

The researchers found that gamers and non-gamers saw their performance decline at the same rate, with no significant difference found in the level of cognitive fatigue experienced.

The research was published in the British Journal of Psychology, a flagship journal of the British Psychological Society. The British Psychological Society is a registered charity which acts as the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK, and is responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education and application of the discipline. The paper is available at: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjop.12692

Dar le taighde nua, is féidir aird agus cuimhne a fheabhsú trí fhíschluichí a imirt

Fuarthas amach i  staidéar nua a foilsíodh sa British Journal of Psychology de chuid Chumann Síceolaíochta na Breataine, gur fheidhmigh cluichirí rialta níos fearr ar thascanna a thomhaiseann feidhmeanna cognaíocha amhail aird agus cuimhne.

Ghlac 88 n-aosach óg páirt sa staidéar, a reáchtáladh ag Saotharlann Taighde Eolaíochta Lero Esports in Ollscoil Luimnigh, agus d’imir leath acu físchluichí gníomh-bhunaithego ar feadh os cionn seacht n-uair an chloig  go rialta gach seachtain.

Rinneadh na rannpháirtithe a thástáil le trí thasc ag tomhas gnéithe éagsúla dá gcuid feidhmíochta cognaí – tástáil shimplí maidir lena n-am freagartha, tasc a bhain le hathrú idir freagairt ar mheascáin uimhreacha agus litreacha chun an fheidhm feidhmiúcháin agus cuimhne na hoibre a mheas, agus gníomhaíocht lúbra-bhunaithe chun cuimhne an amharcspás a mheas.

Fuair na taighdeoirí amach go raibh na cluichirí rialta in ann an tasc uimhirlitreach agus tasc an lúbra  a chríochnú 12.7% agus 17.4 % níos tapúla faoi seach ná grúpa na neamh-chluichirí.

“Is minic a cháintear agus breathnaítear ar imirt rialta na bhfíschluichí mar rud míshláintiúil, ach léiríonn ár dtaighde gur féidir go bhfuil buntáistí cognaíocha áirithe ag cluichirí thar an bpobal i gcoitinne, go háirithe iad siúd a mbaineann le haird agus le cuimhne,” dar leis an Dr Adam Toth as Ollscoil Luimnigh agus as Lero , Ionad Taighde Bogearraí de chuid Fhondúireacht Eolaíochta Éireann (FEÉ), agus duine d'údair an taighde.

Dúirt an Dr Mark Campbell: “Ar aon dul leis an obair go dtí seo ónár saotharlann, d’fhéadfadh igo mbeadh tionchar ag an taighde seo in earnálacha ina mbaineann ríthábhacht leis an bhfeidhmíocht chognaíoch, mar an máinliacht agus rialú na haerthráchta, áit a bhféadfaí imirt na bhfíschluichí a spreagadh chun cabhrú le forbairt na sárfheidhmíochta chognaí atá ag teastáil.”

Rinne an taighde imscrúdú freisin ó dhearcadh eile - an bhfuil cluichirí in ann seasamh in aghaidh na tuirse cognaí níos fearr ná an pobal i gcoitinne.

Dáileadh tasc breise ar roinnt rannpháirtithe, a ceapadh le díriú  a éileamh thar thréimhse fada ama chun tuirse chognaíoch (meath na feidhmíochta) a bhaint amach, sula ndeáradh na tástálacha cognaíocha tosaigh orthu a mheas arís.

Fuair na taighdeoirí amach gur bhraith na cluichirí agus na neamh-chluichirí a gcuid feidhmíochta ag laghdú ag an ráta céanna, gan aon difríocht shuntasach le feiceáil i leibhéal na tuirse cognaí a bhí orthu.

Foisíodh an taighde sa British Journal of Psychology, príomh-iris de chuid Chumann Síceolaíochta na Breataine. Is carthanas cláraithe é Cumann Síceolaíochta na Breataine a fheidhmíonn mar chomhlacht ionadaíoch thar ceann na siceolaíochta agus na síceolaithe sa RA, agus tá sé freagrach as sármhaitheas agus an deachleachtas eiticiúil a chur chun cinn na eolaíocht, oideachas agus cur i bhfeidhm an disciplín. Tá tuilleadh eolais le fáil ar https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjop.12692.