The effect of action video game experience on task-switching

There is now a substantial body of work demonstrating that action video game experience results in enhancements in a wide variety of perceptual skills. More recently, several groups have also demonstrated improvements in abilities that are more cognitive in nature, in particular, the ability to efficiently switch between tasks. We add to this body of work by demonstrating that the action video game player switch cost advantage generalizes to (1) vocal responses in addition to traditional manual responses, (2) tasks that are more cognitive rather than perceptual in nature, and (3) goal switches as well as motor switches. Finally, a training study establishes that the relationship between the reduction in switch cost and action game playing is causal.

► Establishes a causal link between video game play and task-switching improvements. ► Game player switch advantage seen with both manual and vocal responses. ► Game player switch advantage seen in both perceptual and cognitive tasks. ► Game player switch advantage seen for goal- and motor-switches.