Intelligence.
This is a word that I'm sure everyone has heard of. But what does it
actually imply and how does it affect an individual? Researchers
developed an IQ test to measure how well someone can use information
and reasoning to answer questions or make predictions. IQ tests measure
short-term and long-term memory and how quickly one can solve puzzles
and recall information. It helps researchers check whether they are
testing for the same “kind” of intelligence or different. In short,
intelligence is the ability to derive knowledge, learn from experience,
adapt to the environment, comprehend, and correctly apply cognition and
reason in a psychological context. However, it does not encapsulate the
complexity of the mind.Folks
often believe that video games rot a kid's mind, making them passive
resulting in poor social skills, but a new study argues that the
opposite could be true. Children actually might get a brain boost
from playing video games. Many people claim that video games make you
smarter. However, intelligence is a broad concept, and we don’t know
what effect video games have on it. Even then, lots of research have
shown that video games can have a tangible impact on cognition, particularly "action" video games and it improves cognitive performance
in a wide range of ways (Green & Seitz, 2015).Video
games are commonly believed as a time-killing activity, but you will
be amazed to realize that they have favorable advantages.Do
you know that video games can help you enhance your manual dexterity,
increase your brain's grey matter, and strengthen your problem-solving
skills? Video games can improve manual dexterity Manual dexterity or fine
motor ability is the coordination of small muscles in movement with the
eyes, hands, and fingers. The neurological system is linked to the
various levels of manual dexterity that individuals possess. Fine motor
abilities contribute to the development of intelligence and continue to
develop throughout the stages of human development. In a study involving
a group of surgeons, researchers found that those who played video
games were faster at performing advanced procedures and made 37 percent
fewer mistakes than those who didn’t (Dobnik, 2004). This proves that
controller-based games can be great for your hands. Video games can
boost and improve hand-eye coordination and reaction times.Video games can increase your brain’s grey matterMuscle
control, memories, perception, and spatial navigation are all
associated with gray matter. Gaming enables the brain to be more
responsive when it comes to reporting new data. Gaming is primarily mental training that is disguised as entertainment. Smarter people are
more likely to become addicted to video games because they may not be
challenged enough at school or work, and video games fill that void.
According to studies from Nature and Science Alert, playing video games
on a daily basis may increase grey matter in the brain, and improves
brain connectivity, which aids memory development. As a result, it
improves players' memory capacity.Games can teach you to be a better problem-solver and decision makerChildren
who played strategy-based games improved their problem-solving skills
and consequently tended to obtain better marks the next school year,
according to a long-term study published in 2013, proving that gaming
has an impact on intelligence. The
majority of video games necessitate a significant amount of
problem-solving. Various games, on the other hand, necessitate different
types of problem-solving. Video games, particularly action games,
necessitate immediate, on-the-fly decision-making. Gamers with a lot of
experience can make quick judgments under pressure. Since video games
boost critical thinking and reflective learning capacity, they also
improve communication skills, resourcefulness, and flexibility. Not only do video games provide many benefits but they also give positive effects on attention, determination, and mental health.Below are some examples of the positive effects of playing video games:Effect of video games on attentionGreen
and Bavelier discovered that action video games improve attention
control. Most action games demand that the player maintains a laser-like
focus on specific elements or characters. As a result, action games
significantly improve selective attention, or the ability to focus on a
single stimulus. This appears to provide the greatest perceptual and
attentional benefits.Effects of video games on the determination It
motivates you to be more persistent because, in video games, you either
win or keep trying until you attain your objective, learning from your
mistakes as you go. As a result, some researchers and academics say that
video games could teach people to be more self-assured and to work
toward their goals, treating each failure as an opportunity to learn.Effect of video games on mental healthSome
video games have been proven in studies to improve mood and heart
rhythms, indicating that they may also effectively relieve stress.
Numerous unrelated research has shown a link between video games and
stress, which is why video games have been utilized in therapies for
over a decade.However, with the good comes the bad.Although the benefits and positive effects of video games on the intellect have been
covered, playing video games for long periods of time can also have
negative consequences. Too much screen time can affect sleep,
well-being, and academic performance. Therefore, gaming and other
physical activities must be managed accordingly by parents. Gaming
should always be done in moderation. Intelligence
is a broad topic to be discussed. But in this write-up, we can come
to an agreement that video games make you smarter in the aspects of
cognition, memory, and problem-solving skill and how video games have
positive effects on them. This is evident when gamers tend to rank higher
for these cognitive abilities than the rest of the population.To learn more about your child's potential and abilities, check out our Decode Talent DNA Test where you can unleash your child’s inborn potential! ReferencesAnish Dube, MD, MPH, associate professor, psychiatry, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles; Karolinska Institute, news release, May 12, 2022; Damon Korb, MD, director, Center for Developing Minds, Los Gatos, Ca.; Scientific Reports, May 12, 2022Crew, B. (2018, December 8). Gamers have more grey matter and better brain connectivity, research suggests. ScienceAlert. Retrieved July 26, 2022, from https://www.sciencealert.com/gamers-have-more-grey-matter-and-better-brain-connectivity-st udy-suggests-2018Dobnik, V. (2004, April 7). Surgeons may err less by playing video games. NBCNews. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4685909 Editor. (2022, February 1). Benefits of video games for Kids & Adults. GEICO Living. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.geico.com/living/home/technology/9-reasons-to-give-video-games-a-try/ Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2012). Learning, attentional control, and action video games. Current biology: CB, 22(6), R197–R206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.02.012Green,
C. S., & Seitz, A. R. (2015). The Impacts of Video Games on
Cognition (and How the Government Can Guide the Industry). Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2(1), 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215601121Kabir, L. (n.d.). Video games make you smarter: Backed up by research.
Healthy Gamer. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from
https://www.healthygamer.gg/blog/video-games-make-you-smarter-backed-up-by-research#:~:text=Video%20games%20increase%20your%20attention,cognitive%20abilities%20that%20society%20values. Kühn,
S., Gleich, T., Lorenz, R. et al. Playing Super Mario induces
structural brain plasticity: gray matter changes resulting from training
with a commercial video game. Mol Psychiatry 19, 265–271 (2014).
https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2013.120Thompson, D. (2022, May 19). Could video games boost A child's intelligence? WebMD. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20220519/could-video-games-boost-a-childs-intelligence
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