Studies By Trinity University Determine Massively Multiplayer Online Games Increase Cognitive Performance

Cognition is activities of  understanding, thinking, learning, and remembering
(Webster)

With the on-going growth of technology, videos games have evolved to more than just a single player or coop experience. Studies from Trinity University have determined Massively Multiplayer Online Games not only promote increase in social interaction and critical problem solving, but overall cognitive growth. Online Games catering real players simultaneously is what is defined as an MMO(Massively Multiplayer Online Game), these types of video games encompass all kinds of genres, from RPG's to Shooters. With technology growing at a rapid rate, users are affected by many different forms of media. With people having a constant need for distraction, such as college students with heavy work loads, MMO's may prove as a beneficial alternative to more passive media like watching T.V or browsing the internet.

An article published by the scientific journal outlet Elsevier  titled  "MMORPGS and Cognitive Performance" was a study conducted on 1280 High School students to determine if MMORPG's had an impact on cognitive performance. The authors Bruno Campello de Souza, Leonardo Xavier de Lima e Silva, and Antonio Roazzi concluded that " MMORPG players tend to be more hyper cultural than their non-playing peers, engaging more not only in games in general but also in the use of almost every type of digital technology." They noticed this was accompanied by evidence of "superior logical and mathematical skills". Their study also concluded this increase in cognitive thinking directly held  positive impact to academic performance. This positive impact was directly related to the time spent playing MMORPG's. The reason why the outcome was so successful is because of the complex thinking involved in playing these games whilst concurrently being in a social environment.

Black Desert Online, a next-gen Korean MMORPG
emphasizes social interaction

When playing an MMO, you are interacting with media in ways that simply aren't possible compared to more passive media. This interactment will ultimately affect the user in a multitude of ways. Communities and long term friendships have been made in many MMO's and these social interactions help with social skills and cognitive growth, especially amongst adolescents. However, there can be negative affects that MMO's have on users. For example, MMORPG's usually have a large scale group activity called raids in which players gather together in order to destroy boss that is extremely high in difficulty. When in a group such as this, it wouldn't be surprising if the social environment suddenly turned hostile if one user does not play their part.

MMO's are becoming more popular everyday  and affect large amounts of people. The MMOFPS Planetside 2, recently broke the world record for most most online players in a single FPS battle. This type of MMO is usually at a  faster pace than most MMORPG's  and require more team coordination and quick reflexes. Some might view the cognitive benefits that are associated with MMOFPS's as not worth it with the amount of violence the FPS genre is known for. However, the amount of thinking and quick time reflexes involved can prove a good mental exercise. With the constant amounts of rewards and goals, these incentives can give players a sense of accomplishment and a way to release stress.

Is passive media not worth engaging with the lack of cognitive improvement that active media such as MMO's provide? Well it is up to the user to decide that. Passive Media such as T.V comes with its own benefits as well. Although it is not as taxing on the mind as an MMO it can still stimulate come type of cognitive performance. An example of this is the game Jeopardy in which the user at home watching may want to try to answer the questions posted. Another example would be if the user is engaged in a channel that dealt with politics and the economy. Subjects such as those require a deeper understanding to comprehend all the details. Passive media in general is more laid back and mostly requires the user to only retain knowledge and not issue it. This allows the user to even sleep while engaged in them because of the little effort involved with the brain.

Passive Media can require little to no Cognitive Performance

In conclusion, with the fast pace of American culture combined with exhaustive routines of work and school, at the end of the day everyone wants to sit back and relax. Whether this is in the form of active media such as playing MMO's or passive media such as T.V, it is up the the user to decide which is more beneficial and enjoyable. Some might like the relaxing nature of sitting back and watching a movie whilst others enjoy more social environments where users get together for a common purpose. Although passive media is less taxing on the brain and doesn't require much thinking, active media can play a big part is increasing cognitive performance.