Study: Action games improve eyesight
The benefits-versus-harms-of-gaming debate continued this week with a
plus for those in support of the positive effects of spending time with
a controller. Researchers at The University of Rochester published a
paper in Psychological Science this week regarding a study on the effects of gaming and eyesight.
The study found a noticeable difference between the visual acuity of
subjects after a session of action-oriented gaming, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Those who played the first-person shooter Unreal Tournament (the paper
did not say which version of Unreal Tournament was played) experienced
greater improvements to visual acuity and peripheral vision than
subjects who had played Tetris.
Professor Daphne Bavelier, who ran the study, said the research
gives hope to those who feared the part of the brain that manages
visual acuity could not improve after adulthood. She also said that
gaming, because of participation by subjects, likely has a greater
affect on eyesight than passive media, such as movies or television
shows.
Tim Surette
February 6, 2007
Source:
GameSpot