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Currently submitted to: JMIR Preprints

Date Submitted: Oct 28, 2024
Open Peer Review Period: Oct 28, 2024 - Oct 13, 2025
(currently open for review)

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

The Impact of Video Games on Attention Span and Working Memory Retention in Underprivileged Adolescents: Preliminary Findings

  • Vrinda Vashisht; 
  • Hasnain Navqi

ABSTRACT

Background:

Video games, especially action games, has become increasingly prevalent among adolescents, with studies indicating potential cognitive benefits, particularly on attention and working memory. However, the effects of video gaming on underprivileged teenagers remain underexplored, despite the unique cognitive challenges they face due to their level of exposure, level of cognitive abilities, and socioeconomic factors.

Objective:

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of action video games on attention span and visual working memory retention among underprivileged adolescents. By comparing cognitive performance between those exposed to action games and those in a control group, as well as a sub-group analysis into the difference between older (16-18) and younger groups (13-15), we sought to determine if gaming could enhance cognitive functions in this population, and whether age has any significant factor to play in memory and attention scores.

Methods:

A sample of 100 adolescents aged 13-18 from the Panaah Communities Center in Maharashtra, India, was divided into control (n=50) and experimental (n=50) groups. The experimental group engaged in a 20-minute action game before completing two assessments: the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) to measure attention and the Visual Pattern Test (VPT) for visual working memory. Each day, the experimental and control groups sat for different tests to ensure reliable results. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare group performances and assess age-related differences. T-test Assuming Unequal Variance and the Mann-Whitney U Test were utilized to measure statistical significance. Cohen's d was applied to all variables to ensure real-life applicability through effect size.

Results:

The experimental group scored higher than the control group in both attention (CPT: M = 79.028, SD = 32.0; p = 0.034) and working memory (VPT: M = 77.019, SD = 51.5; p = 0.026), suggesting that video game exposure had a positive effect on cognitive functioning. Further analysis revealed minimal age-related differences in cognitive outcomes. High variability in responses, especially among those in the experimental group, highlighted the influence of individual baseline characteristics inherently present in the population.

Conclusions:

The findings indicate that action video games can enhance attention and visual working memory in underprivileged adolescents, though individual differences must be considered. These results emphasize the potential for video games as supplementary cognitive training tools in the classroom, especially for those who have cognitive deficits or trouble learning in normal, peer-group settings.


 Citation

Please cite as:

Vashisht V, Navqi H

The Impact of Video Games on Attention Span and Working Memory Retention in Underprivileged Adolescents: Preliminary Findings

JMIR Preprints. 28/10/2024:68080

DOI: 10.2196/preprints.68080

URL: https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/68080

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