Did I do that? The association between action video gaming experience and feedback processing in a gambling task

The association between action video game experience and the neural correlates of feedback processing related to positive and negative outcomes was examined in a virtual Blackjack game in combination with event-related brain potentials (ERPs). The behavioral data revealed that the frequency of various outcomes was not related to action gaming experience, indicating that the associations between action gaming experience and the ERP correlates of feedback processing are unlikely to result from variation in motivation or skill related to the Blackjack game between the gamers and non-gamers. The ERP data revealed that action gaming experience was not related to the processing of positive feedback related to wins, or negative feedback for losses that resulted from the joint action of the player and dealer. In contrast, action gaming experience was associated with a reduction in the amplitude of the ERPs elicited by negative feedback wherein the loss resulted from the direct action of the individual (i.e., busts). Together these data may indicate that action gaming is associated with a reduced sensitivity to feedback related to negative outcomes resulting from the direct action of the individual.