BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Video games make you read good.

According to a recent study, action video games have been found to improve the reading ability of dyslexic children from the ages of 7-13. The test involved taking dyslexic children and having them play 12 hours of action video games over a 2 week period. These children showed remarkably improved reading abilities that lasted for around 2 months after the video game session. The idea behind this was that in action video games there is an array of stimuli on the screen and you must learn to focus on certain points to be able to play. Similarly, when reading there are words all over the page and the kids could now focus on the section they were supposed to be reading. The same test was done but with a game that did not have constant “mayhem” and the children showed no improvements in reading ability. Psychologist Dr. Andrea Facoetti has said that these are credible results and that action video games are a legitimate way to improve the reading ability of dyslexic children. The video game they used was “Rayman Raving Rabbids”.

Photo taken by Niall Kennedy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkennedy/60152405/

 

 

 

 

 

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6 Comments

  1. sciencegirl025

    Cool article! It definitely makes sense that it would improve the cognitive abilities in children. You should check out this new research they have been doing that gives some tips on improving dyslexia http://thedta.tripod.com/id25.html

  2. evolucious

    Apparently, video games also can help improve eyesight by “teaching the brain to spot small details, follow movements and spot subtle light changes.” This study was conducted on people with childhood cataracts: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9088262/Playing-video-games-improves-eyesight.html

  3. henroids

    While certain video games might help with concentration, they must be played with caution. If you are playing a violent video game a study has shown that people become more aggressive, at least for a few minutes, after playing a violent video game. The test involved students playing Mortal Kombat then being told that they have to put hot sauce on some food, but the person eating the food hates spicy food but will be required to eat what ever they are given. The students that had just played a violent game gave more hot sauce across the board than their peers. But does this mean that playing a violent video game makes you more likely to become a violent/more aggressive person in the long run?

    Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/science/studying-the-effects-of-playing-violent-video-games.html?_r=0

  4. saysquad

    This is a great article! I believe the correct grammar would be: read well, but whatever. It turns out that video games are/can be very beneficial For more information check this article out!

    http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2011/11/research-video-games-help-with-creativity/1#.UT3mOBycdu4

  5. thephilosopher

    Interesting article. There has been a bit of a change of attitude towards video games recently that extends beyond the research. One company’s (I believe it was IBM) spokesperson said in an interview that people who play video games have the sort of cooperative skills necessary in a job there. As games become ubiquitous, people are realizing that they have pros as well as cons.

    P.S. read well*

  6. troybolton

    This is really cool! I guess I am going to use this as an excuse to play more video games now. I wonder if any type of video game helps with dyslexia? I know that video games in general also give the user other benefits as well. One such advantage is improved multitasking. If you think about it, video games require a lot more concentration than most of the stuff we do in our everyday lives.

    http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/12/the-benefits-of-video-games/

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