Does Virtual Reality Gaming Make You Smarter?

Behavioral Neuroscience

Metzger, Marissa

Burns-Cusato, Melissa (Mentor)

English

Current literature focuses on traditional gaming platforms (e.g., PC games, and gaming consoles) and has found evidence that suggests individuals who play video games that use complex and dynamic settings show an increase in cognitive performance. Recently, more advanced and immersive technology has been gaining popularity in the gaming community. The current study aims to explore the effects of advanced game play, using immersive virtual reality (VR) on cognitive performance. Results suggest that playing 8 hours of video games using VR technology improved cognitive performance in the areas of memory, attention, and processing speed. However, the improvement in processing speed for the CTL arm, suggests a potential practice effect in this measure. Accordingly, the processing speed outcomes for the VR arm should be interpreted with caution.