Intelligence and video games: beyond “brain-games”

Video games are among the most popular leisure activities in current Western societies. Psychology research has shown correlations, at the latent level, between intelligence and video games ranging from 0.60 to 0.93. Here we analyze whether video games genre can account for this range of correlation...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Quiroga, M.A., Aranda, A., Román González, Francisco Javier, Privado, J., Colom Marañón, Roberto
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2019
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Repository:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/709526
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10486/709526
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:intelligence
video games
video games genres
computerized assessment
Psicología
Description
Summary:Video games are among the most popular leisure activities in current Western societies. Psychology research has shown correlations, at the latent level, between intelligence and video games ranging from 0.60 to 0.93. Here we analyze whether video games genre can account for this range of correlations by testing one hundred and thirty-four participants playing ten video games of different genres for iPad® and WiiU® (Art of Balance®, Blek, Crazy Pool, EDGE®, Hook, Rail Maze, SkyJump, Space Invaders, Splatoon® and Unpossible) within a controlled playing environment. Gaming performance was correlated with standard measures of fluid reasoning, visuospatial ability, and processing speed. Results revealed a correlation value of 0.79 between latent factors representing general intelligence (g) and video games general performance (gVG). This finding leads to conclude that: (1) performance intelligence tests and video games is supported by shared cognitive processes and (2) brain-games are not the only genre able to produce performance measures comparable to intelligence standardized tests. From a theoretical perspective, the observed result supports the principle of the indifference of the indicator that has been addressed in intelligence research across decades