Video Games Boost Night Vision

[TheMailMan78]

I thought you guys might like to read this.

Video Games Boost Night Vision
Computer and video games that involve guns and shooting may not do much for a childs education but they can improve eyesight, according to a study showing that a person's night-time vision gets better after playing electronic action games.

Scientists found that games involving aiming and shooting at virtual objects on a computer screen can significantly increase people's ability to see objects in twilight conditions, when colours fade into different shades of grey.

Until now the only recognised way of improving a person's ability to detect small changes in shades of grey visual contrast was to improve the optics of the eye with contact lenses, spectacles or surgery.

But researchers have found that training on a video game can be just as effective, if not more so.

Unfortunately, contrast sensitivity is one of the aspects of vision that is most easily compromised, said Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester in New York, who led the study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

This problem affects thousands of people worldwide, including those with professional activities requiring excellent eyesight, and ageing populations, along with individuals who are clinically evaluated for vision problems such as amblyopia, Professor Bavelier said. Normally, improving contrast sensitivity means getting glasses or eye surgery, somehow changing the optics of the eye. But we have found that action video games train the brain to process the existing visual information much more efficiently. The improvements last for months after game play has stopped.

The scientists tested the contrast sensitivity of a group of people who regularly played action video games, such as Unreal Tournament and Call of Duty, where the player has to shoot at virtual targets. They found the groups ability to detect different shades of grey was 58 percent better on average than people who had not played the games.

Those who were not regular game players were then put through a training regime involving hours of console gaming. When they had completed the course, their contrast sensitivity had improved by 43 percent on average.

People who played action video games have better vision in the sort of conditions where there is not much contrast, said Professor Bavelier.

It can make all the difference when driving at dusk, or in fog, in being able, for instance, to see a dog crossing the road in twilight.

There are practical benefits for people who rely on their eyesight for their work, such as the military or commercial airline pilots.

It shows that if you need to improve your vision, you can train your brain to get better at using the visual information you get, she said.

Source

[FordGT90Concept]

Game on!


...which sucks because I have too many games and not enough time to play them all.

[Hybrid_theory]

must say in cod waw and cod 4 i do look harder for those enemies than any other game.

[Frogger]

"But we've found that action video games train the brain to process the existing visual information more efficiently, and the improvements last for months after game play stopped."

source

[tigger]

Plus they improve hand eye coordination,which is no bad thing.

[HolyCow02]

sweet... I always wondered why I was so much better a manhunt than the other kids...lol

good find though.

[newconroer]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

I thought you guys might like to read this.

Video Games Boost Night Vision
Computer and video games that involve guns and shooting may not do much for a childs education but they can improve eyesight, according to a study showing that a person's night-time vision gets better after playing electronic action games.

Scientists found that games involving aiming and shooting at virtual objects on a computer screen can significantly increase people's ability to see objects in twilight conditions, when colours fade into different shades of grey.

Until now the only recognised way of improving a person's ability to detect small changes in shades of grey visual contrast was to improve the optics of the eye with contact lenses, spectacles or surgery.

But researchers have found that training on a video game can be just as effective, if not more so.

Unfortunately, contrast sensitivity is one of the aspects of vision that is most easily compromised, said Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester in New York, who led the study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

This problem affects thousands of people worldwide, including those with professional activities requiring excellent eyesight, and ageing populations, along with individuals who are clinically evaluated for vision problems such as amblyopia, Professor Bavelier said. Normally, improving contrast sensitivity means getting glasses or eye surgery, somehow changing the optics of the eye. But we have found that action video games train the brain to process the existing visual information much more efficiently. The improvements last for months after game play has stopped.

The scientists tested the contrast sensitivity of a group of people who regularly played action video games, such as Unreal Tournament and Call of Duty, where the player has to shoot at virtual targets. They found the groups ability to detect different shades of grey was 58 percent better on average than people who had not played the games.

Those who were not regular game players were then put through a training regime involving hours of console gaming. When they had completed the course, their contrast sensitivity had improved by 43 percent on average.

People who played action video games have better vision in the sort of conditions where there is not much contrast, said Professor Bavelier.

It can make all the difference when driving at dusk, or in fog, in being able, for instance, to see a dog crossing the road in twilight.

There are practical benefits for people who rely on their eyesight for their work, such as the military or commercial airline pilots.

It shows that if you need to improve your vision, you can train your brain to get better at using the visual information you get, she said.

Source

I REALLY don't buy into this.

1. Staring at any screen for hours is a top leading cause to short-sightedness, or the loss of eye sight over farther distances.

2. The false lighting and increased brightness of screens, distorts your eyes ability to distinguish certain shades of darkness.

Combine those two together, and kids who play games are not going to become TOP GUN Navy pilots without corrective surgery.

All they are really saying, is that by continous exposure to these types of games/programs, the brain and eye work quicker at suspecting a potential object amongst a dark atmosphere. But half of that can be memory, not instinct-real time response; which in itself is dangerous because it's the mind producing and image that does not exist in the first place.

[lemonadesoda]

^ Agree with newcon. Especially the issue that in a FPS shooter, the things that move need to be shot at. That is NOT the type of training we need for real-world-night-vision. Oh I do hate quack-psuedo-science. This is what happens in the "social sciences" where researchers and professors HAVE to publish to stay "active and credible" in their field. It just encourages people to do something "interesting", "easy", potentially "controversial", based on "limited data", but enough to make "sweeping generalisations", and get another +1 on the scoreboard to meet your department's publishing target.

The GREATEST problem we have is that there are too many poorly educated undiscerning journalists in print and internet media just trying to make articles due to THIER publishing target too. It's a virtual circle of non-value-added nothingness.

[TheMailMan78]

Wow lemonadesoda and newconroer agree on this. It must be untrue or true. However you want to look at it the doctors must be wrong. We have two interwebz forum rats that say so.

[vladmire]

more games please!

[Marineborn]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

Wow lemonadesoda and newconroer agree on this. It must be untrue or true. However you want to look at it the doctors must be wrong. We have two interwebz forum rats that say so.

LOL!!!...thats awesome...anyhow i agree, ive noticed im able to spot things easier then most people, i play games constantly..like i can grab a fly out of the air with chopsticks

The increase in hand - eye coordination can help career wise too. Take the RAF for example - they purposely ask wannabe pilots if the play video games often, as they are more likely to have faster reactions and better H - E coordination, they get given priority in selection too

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by kyle2020

The increase in hand - eye coordination can help career wise too. Take the RAF for example - they purposely ask wannabe pilots if the play video games often, as they are more likely to have faster reactions and better H - E coordination, they get given priority in selection too

That cant be true. lemonadesoda and newconroer said its not.

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

That cant be true. lemonadesoda and newconroer said its not.

I got told that by my CISCO teacher, he must be lying then

[TheMailMan78]

<< waits for his lashing from lemonadesoda and newconroer.

[lemonadesoda]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

Wow lemonadesoda and newconroer agree on this. It must be untrue or true. However you want to look at it the doctors must be wrong. We have two interwebz forum rats that say so.

And one skunk that buys any drivel shovelled

It is one of the most "unscientific" social science papers I've ever read. I hope you looked at it. No control group, small sample size, no concept of "self selection", ie those people with quick reactions LIKE playing games, and QED. The paper is about as insightful as saying girls wearing short skirts make the sun shine. Oh, or is it the other way round?

2 people on an internet forum cant say its true or untrue, just decide for yourself. I believe it, and I think my reactions are faster due to playing high speed twitch games, but again, thats my opinion.

[lemonadesoda]

I think my reactions are faster due to playing high speed twitch games

Any practice or training in ANY sport is all about that! No one is saying that training, practising and becoming skilled in some action-response activity doesnt improve reaction times.

The complain is the poor quality and pseudo science (and BLXXDY OBVIOUSNESS) of the paper... and that WE the tax paying public, or in your case, your student loans, are paying for this rubbish.

[lemonadesoda]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

That cant be true. lemonadesoda and newconroer said its not.

LOL. Your logic levels are at the height of a grasshopper. Nowhere did I say or imply that. You have picked up the wrong end of the proverbial stick.

PS. Are you trolling? Get back to gaming your slowcoach. Every letter you type here is not typed fast enough... a sign of your grey hair and paedestrian reactions. LOL

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

Any practice or training in ANY sport is all about that! No one is saying that training, practising and becoming skilled in some action-response activity doesnt improve reaction times.

The complain is the poor quality and pseudo science (and BLXXDY OBVIOUSNESS) of the paper... and that WE the tax paying public, or in your case, your student loans, are paying for this rubbish.

Erm Im not recieving any student loans, im not even in your country - stop running your mouth lemonde.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

Any practice or training in ANY sport is all about that! No one is saying that training, practising and becoming skilled in some action-response activity doesnt improve reaction times.

The complain is the poor quality and pseudo science (and BLXXDY OBVIOUSNESS) of the paper... and that WE the tax paying public, or in your case, your student loans, are paying for this rubbish.

I disagree. We should spend more money on the research of gaming and its affects to piss you off.

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

LOL. Your logic levels are at the height of a grasshopper. Nowhere did I say or imply that. You have picked up the wrong end of the proverbial stick.

I prefer "knee high to a grass hopper".

[lemonadesoda]

Mixing metaphors is as good as beer and whine.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by lemonadesoda

Mixing metaphors is as good as beer and whine.

How can anyone match wits with someone of your amazing stature lemonadesoda.

[lemonadesoda]

Wow Mailman, you are typing so fast this thread is like a chatroom. The speed of your response rate is turning me on. ROFL

This is the only forum I know of where someone can post something of interest to him / her and have a single troll of a member come muscling in and trying to change everyones opinion within.

Furthermore, ive reported your previous comment lemonade, it was downright immature and offensive.