Playing video games is often perceived as a harmful habit. However, this pastime also has a positive side: it leads to a small but statistically significant improvement in cognitive functions, particularly working memory. This conclusion was reached by an international team of researchers who conducted a meta-analysis of 133 studies involving a total of 14,245 participants. The team’s findings were published in the scientific journal Acta Psychologica.
Working memory refers to the brain’s ability to hold a limited amount of information at any given time and use it—for instance, remembering a phone number while looking for a place to record it. Scientists from Shanghai Normal University analyzed three types of studies: correlational studies (comparing gamers with non-gamers via questionnaires), comparative studies (testing gamers against a control group), and experimental studies (in which participants were asked to play games for several weeks before undergoing tests).
When directly compared, experienced gamers outperformed non-gamers in several areas, including spatial reasoning (the ability to mentally rotate objects), visual attention, and the capacity to switch quickly between tasks. In the experiments with the most rigorous methodology, the most notable advantage was observed in working memory.
The study’s authors concluded that these effects are driven by neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize its neural connections in response to new experiences. Because virtual worlds require navigation and orientation skills, they engage the same brain regions used for moving through the physical world. Furthermore, the gaming experience incorporates regular rewards, such as completing a level or discovering an in-game artifact. They trigger a release of dopamine, and it is this neurotransmitter that consolidates memory traces. It has been established that the game genre, as well as the age and gender of the players, do not have a significant impact on the magnitude of this effect.
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