Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

The Effect of Action Video Game Play on the Distribution and Resolution of Visuospatial Attention

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology MS.
Previous research has found that Video Game Players, or VGPs, perform better on a variety of attention tasks (i.e. attentional blink, useful field of view, flanker compatibility, etc.) as compared to Non-Video Game Players, or NVGPs. We examined the extent of this previously observed VGP attentional advantage on a target identification task. Most VGP studies have examined the VGP advantage on tasks that primarily require detection but not identification. Identification is an important process beyond detection for encoding and later retrieving information. VGPs and NVGPs were tested on briefly flashed strings of digits subtending less than 10 degrees of visual angle. They were tasked with identifying a target among distractors. Some of the strings were visually crowded and others were spaced such that crowding was not present. Our results indicated that the previously observed VGP attentional advantages do not extend to an identification task. VGPs and NVGPs performed similarly on all conditions of number of digits and spacing. One previous study indicated that VGPs had a lower crowding threshold than NVGPs even at 0 degrees of visual angle. We did not find that this reduction in crowding threshold allowed for better performance on an identification task. Future research is needed to fully investigate whether VGPs are able to perform with better accuracy than NVGPs on identification or a similar task.
Scott Watamaniuk, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Herbert Colle, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Joseph Houpt, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
60 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Fent, A. T. (2017). The Effect of Action Video Game Play on the Distribution and Resolution of Visuospatial Attention [Master's thesis, Wright State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1503943019166304

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Fent, Andrew. The Effect of Action Video Game Play on the Distribution and Resolution of Visuospatial Attention. 2017. Wright State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1503943019166304.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Fent, Andrew. "The Effect of Action Video Game Play on the Distribution and Resolution of Visuospatial Attention." Master's thesis, Wright State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1503943019166304

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)