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

Fent, Andrew Thomas

Author	Fent, Andrew Thomas
Title	The Effect of Action Video Game Play on the Distribution and Resolution of Visuospatial Attention
URL	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1503943019166304
Publication Date	2017
Degree	MS
Discipline/Department	Human Factors and Industrial/Organizational Psychology MS
Degree Level	masters
University/Publisher	Wright State University
Abstract	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.
Subjects/Keywords	Psychology; selective visual attention; attention; video game; VGP
Contributors	Watamaniuk, Scott (Advisor)
Language	en
Rights	unrestricted ; This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: some rights reserved. It is licensed for use under a Creative Commons license. Specific terms and permissions are available from this document's record in the OhioLINK ETD Center. [Always confirm rights and permissions with the source record.]
Country of Publication	us
Format	application/pdf
Record ID	oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:wright1503943019166304
Repository	ohiolink
Date Indexed	2021-01-29
Grantor	Wright State University

Sample Search Hits | Sample Images | Cited Works

…VGPs were recruited with a flyer placed at various locations on the campus of Wright State University. The flyer exclusively recruited participants who currently played first-person shooter games for 5-10 hours a week and had done so for the last 6…

…on campus at Wright State University. STIMULI All stimuli were adapted from Watamaniuk and Heinen (2015). Stimuli were presented on a 23-in. Samsung SA750 LED monitor with a 100Hz refresh rate. Participants viewed the display from a distance…

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