Use this article to help increase your understanding of how games can be used for brain training. This links to our article on the impact of video games on society.

Recently specific brain training games have been developed to do exactly that, ‘train your brain’. The most famous probably being Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training which is reported to have sold 5 million copies in 2006. This game offers a natural learning opportunity for children and adults in an environment that they understand. The game is used to capture attention and imagination more effectively that most educational tasks used to train the brain during learning. Games like this do in fact help player develop mathematical skills by constantly testing players and try to develop the thinking and reaction skills needed to play the game over time. However, it has been said that games also effect individuals and society on a sub-concious level even when playing games that are not specifically designed for brain training. To back this up dana.org states that:

Games have many consequences in the brain, and most are not obvious—they happen at a level that overt behaviours do not immediately reflect.

There have been many other reports suggesting both positive and negative effects on the brain training qualities of computer games but at least this report backs up the fact that there is indeed a sub-conscious development of thinking and strategy skills that are developed when playing games. The study goes on to say that well designed video games are ‘natural teachers’. This can be seen as a very relevant point as gamers need to develop logical thinking skills to progress through a game that offers any kind of logical challenge. In this way players are training their brain in order to succeed in the game and helping developing thinking patterns that may be used in other scenarios outside of gaming. Well developed games will give immediate feedback to learners on how they are doing and this has been reflected in educational studies that suggest in order for students to develop thinking skills and train their brain to learn more they benefit from immediate and constructive feedback based on the educational tasks that they complete. The requirement of many of today’s games is to have fast reaction times and the ability to act and react to events that happen during game play. This can be seen as natural brain training and this type of reaction required from a player mirrors the thought patterns needed to solve many real-world problems in pressurised environments. In fact it could be said that when learning to drive we need to train our brains to be able to handle a motorised vehicle. Similarly, games help us develop visual and spacial awareness and help our brains develop in order to make quick decisions in a fast paced environment. It is also suggested that brain training games act as a stimulant for the brain and help defy ageing due to keeping the memory fresh. doctor Penny Adams’s who has been involved in developing a brain training games article states that:

Experts seem to agree that if you spend 10 or 15 minutes doing simple but structured mental exercises it improves your memory and concentration across the board, whatever age you are.

In using games that help us with mental exercises we are developing skills that are easily transferable to many other areas. Other experts may say that games have a negative effect on brain training as time spent playing games is wasted as it is developing thinking skills very specific to the game play within that game. It should be argued though that although this may be the case, being exposed to games that require logical thinking and deep concentration over a period of time may allow players to become just as focused and as able to think on real-world problems that require these same skills. The main problem here would be that gamers are nearly always engaged with gaming as they enjoy the experience. Transferring these thinking and concentration skills to other activities may be more difficult. However, if gamers can focus on playing a game that requires strategic decision making for hours on end there is no reason why they cannot adapt the skills used to use in a future career where the same quick thinking and decision making skills are needed. As with hand-eye coordination required for gaming, it is up to the player to be able to transfer skills that they have developed whilst playing games into other areas of their lives, This indeed may be something that game developers consider as virtual reality and specific training games are developed in the coming years. Games development companies will need to be able to develop ways of including brain training skills that are developed on a sub-concious level but they will also need to be able to specify where they have included specific skills that are required by certain tasks for companies or gamers that buy a game to develop skills in very specific areas.