Enumeration versus multiple object tracking: the case of action video game players
Open accessAbstract
Here, we demonstrate that action video game play enhances subjects' ability in two tasks thought to indicate the number of items that can be apprehended. Using an enumeration task, in which participants have to determine the number of quickly flashed squares, accuracy measures showed a near ceiling performance for low numerosities and a sharp drop in performance once a critical number of squares was reached. Importantly, this critical number was higher by about two items in video game players (VGPs) than in non-video game players (NVGPs). A following control study indicated that this improvement was not due to an enhanced ability to instantly apprehend the numerosity of the display, a process known as subitizing, but rather due to an enhancement in the slower more serial process of counting. To confirm that video game play facilitates the processing of multiple objects at once, we compared VGPs and NVGPs on the multiple object tracking task (MOT), which requires the allocation of attention to several items over time. VGPs were able to successfully track approximately two more items than NVGPs. Furthermore, NVGPs trained on an action video game established the causal effect of game playing in the enhanced performance on the two tasks. Together, these studies confirm the view that playing action video games enhances the number of objects that can be apprehended and suggest that this enhancement is mediated by changes in visual short-term memory skills.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Video game players outperform nongamers on tests of working memory, visual attention, and processing speed.
“There is good evidence that video game players outperform nongamers on tests of working memory [52] visual attention [53,54] and processing speed [55,56].”
From Gamification of Cognitive Assessment and Cognitive Training: A Systematic Review of Applications and Efficacy (2016) · cites this paper as [54]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
The information available in brief visual presentations
Sperling, G. (1960) · Psychological Monographs: General and Applied · doi:10.1037/h0093759 · Cited by 4,042 · see citing works
Action video game modifies visual selective attention
Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2003) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature01647 · Cited by 2,540 · see citing works
Self-citationTracking multiple independent targets: Evidence for a parallel tracking mechanism*
Pylyshyn, Z. W., & Storm, R. W. (1988) · Spatial Vision · doi:10.1163/156856888x00122 · Cited by 1,911 · see citing works
Preverbal and verbal counting and computation
Gallistel, C. R., & Gelman, R. (1992) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(92)90050-r · Cited by 1,373 · see citing works
The Discrimination of Visual Number
Kaufman, E., Lord, M. W., Reese, T. W., & Volkmann, J. (1949) · The American Journal of Psychology · doi:10.2307/1418556 · Cited by 1,177 · see citing works
Trick, L. M., & Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1994) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.101.1.80 · Cited by 969 · see citing works
The role of location indexes in spatial perception: A sketch of the FINST spatial-index model
Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1989) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(89)90014-0 · Cited by 768 · see citing works
Subitizing: An analysis of its component processes.
Mandler, G., & Shebo, B. J. (1982) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037//0096-3445.111.1.1 · Cited by 691 · see citing works
Subitizing: An analysis of its component processes.
Mandler, G., & Shebo, B. J. (1982) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/0096-3445.111.1.1 · Cited by 664 · see citing works
Cortical fMRI Activation Produced by Attentive Tracking of Moving Targets
Culham, J. C., Brandt, S. A., Patrick Cavanagh, B., Kanwisher, N., Dale, A. M., & Tootell, R. B. H. (1998) · Journal of Neurophysiology · doi:10.1152/jn.1998.80.5.2657 · Cited by 530 · see citing works
(1993) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/1477.001.0001 · Cited by 503 · see citing works
Effect of video game practice on spatial skills in girls and boys
Subrahmanyam, K., & Greenfield, P. M. (1994) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/0193-3973(94)90004-3 · Cited by 459 · see citing works
Transfer of skill from a computer game trainer to flight
Gopher, D., Well, M., & Bareket, T. (1994) · Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society · doi:10.1177/001872089403600301 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
Trick, L. M., & Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1993) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037//0096-1523.19.2.331 · Cited by 331 · see citing works
What is a visual object? Evidence from target merging in multiple object tracking
Scholl, B. J., Pylyshyn, Z. W., & Feldman, J. (2001) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/s0010-0277(00)00157-8 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
Culham, J. C., Patrick Cavanagh, B., & Kanwisher, N. (2001) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00499-8 · Cited by 307 · see citing works
Trick, L. M., & Pylyshyn, Z. W. (1993) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037/0096-1523.19.2.331 · Cited by 288 · see citing works
Action video games and informal education: Effects on strategies for dividing visual attention
Greenfield, P. M., deWinstanley, P. A., Kilpatrick, H., & Kaye, D. B. (1994) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/0193-3973(94)90008-6 · Cited by 283 · see citing works
Early Childhood Computer Experience and Cognitive and Motor Development
Li, X., & Atkins, M. S. (2004) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.113.6.1715 · Cited by 215 · see citing works
Pylyshyn, Z. W. (2004) · Visual Cognition · doi:10.1080/13506280344000518 · Cited by 214 · see citing works
The Skill of Attention Control: Acquisition and Execution of Attention Strategies
Gopher, D. (1993) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/1477.003.0021 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
The Information Available in Brief Visual Presentations
Sperling, G. (2003) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/2834.003.0028 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
The Magic Number 4 ± 0: A New Look at Visual Numerosity Judgements
Atkinson, J., Campbell, F. W., & Francis, M. R. (1976) · Perception · doi:10.1068/p050327 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Multiple object tracking and attentional processing.
Sears, C. R., & Pylyshyn, Z. W. (2000) · Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology/Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale · doi:10.1037/h0087326 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
Effect of Playing a Video Game on a Measure of Spatial Visualization
Dorval, M., & Pépin, M. (1986) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1986.62.1.159 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Multiple-object tracking in children: The “Catch the Spies” task
Trick, L. M., Jaspers‐Fayer, F., & Sethi, N. (2005) · Cognitive Development · doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2005.05.009 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Computer Games: Environments for Developing Spatial Cognition?
McClurg, P. A., & Chaillé, C. (1987) · Journal of Educational Computing Research · doi:10.2190/9n5u-p3e9-r1x8-0rqm · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Single judgments of numerosity
Krueger, L. E. (1982) · Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/bf03206218 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Individual differences in working memory capacity and enumeration
Tuholski, S. W., Engle, R. W., & Baylis, G. C. (2001) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/bf03196399 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Configurational effects on the enumeration of dots: Counting by groups
van Oeffelen, M. P., & Vos, P. G. (1982) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/bf03202432 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Computer Games and Information-Processing Skills
Yuji, H. (1996) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1996.83.2.643 · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Decision processes in visual discrimination of line orientation.
Vogels, R., & Orban, G. A. (1986) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037//0096-1523.12.2.115 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Psychology of Computer Use: XII. Videogame Play: Human Reaction Time to Visual Stimuli
Orosy-Fildes, C., & Allan, R. W. (1989) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1989.69.1.243 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Span of attention, backward masking, and reaction time
Oyama, T., Kikuchi, T., & Ichihara, S. (1981) · Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/bf03207273 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Simon, T. J., & Vaishnavi, S. (1996) · Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/bf03205493 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Contrast Transfer Characteristics of Visual Short-term Memory
Lee, B., & Harris, J. (1996) · Vision Research · doi:10.1016/0042-6989(95)00271-5 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Delayed monochromatic hue matches indicate characteristics of visual memory.
Nilsson, T. H., & Nelson, T. (1981) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037//0096-1523.7.1.141 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Decision processes in visual discrimination of line orientation.
Vogels, R., & Orban, G. A. (1986) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037/0096-1523.12.2.115 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Delayed monochromatic hue matches indicate characteristics of visual memory.
Nilsson, T. H., & Nelson, T. M. (1981) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037/0096-1523.7.1.141 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Quantification of three-dimensional structures.
Akın, Ö., & Chase, W. G. (1978) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037//0096-1523.4.3.397 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Quantification of three-dimensional structures.
Akın, Ö., & Chase, W. (1978) · Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance · doi:10.1037/0096-1523.4.3.397 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Transfer of Skill from a Computer Game Trainer to Flight
Gopher, D., Weil, M., & Bareket, T. (2017) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315243092-7 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games
Connolly, T. M., Boyle, E. A., MacArthur, E., Hainey, T., & Boyle, J. M. (2012) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.004 · Cited by 2,890 · see citing works
Do “brain-training” programs work?
Simons, D. J., Boot, W. R., Charness, N., Gathercole, S. E., Chabris, C. F., Hambrick, D. Z., & Stine-Morrow, E. A. L. (2016) · Psychological Science in the Public Interest · doi:10.1177/1529100616661983 · Cited by 1,183 · see citing works
Can training in a real-time strategy video game attenuate cognitive decline in older adults?
Basak, C., Boot, W. R., Voss, M. W., & Kramer, A. F. (2008) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/a0013494 · Cited by 855 · see citing works
Meta-analysis of action video game impact on perceptual, attentional, and cognitive skills.
Bediou, B., Adams, D. M., Mayer, R. E., Tipton, E., Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2018) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000130 · Cited by 807 · see citing works
Self-citationBoot, W. R., Simons, D. J., Stothart, C., & Stutts, C. (2013) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691613491271 · Cited by 670 · see citing works
Exercising your brain: A review of human brain plasticity and training-induced learning.
Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2008) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/a0014345 · Cited by 660 · see citing works
Self-citationLumsden, J., Edwards, E. A., Lawrence, N. S., Coyle, D., & Munafò, M. R. (2016) · JMIR Serious Games · doi:10.2196/games.5888 · Cited by 555 · see citing works
“There is good evidence that video game players outperform nongamers on tests of working memory [52] visual attention [53,54] and processing speed [55,56].”
BackgroundBrain plasticity through the life span: Learning to learn and action video games
Bavelier, D., Green, C. S., Pouget, A., & Schrater, P. (2012) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev-neuro-060909-152832 · Cited by 541 · see citing works
Self-citationDo Action Video Games Improve Perception and Cognition?
Boot, W. R., Blakely, D. P., & Simons, D. J. (2011) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00226 · Cited by 472 · see citing works
Kühn, S., Gleich, T., Lorenz, R. C., Lindenberger, U., & Gallinat, J. (2014) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/mp.2013.120 · Cited by 441 · see citing works
Enhancing cognition with video games: a multiple game training study
Oei, A. C., & Patterson, M. D. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0058546 · Cited by 398 · see citing works
Effects of video-game play on information processing: a meta-analytic investigation
Powers, K. L., Brooks, P. J., Aldrich, N. J., Palladino, M. A., & Alfieri, L. (2013) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-013-0418-z · Cited by 348 · see citing works
Adachi, P. J. C., & Willoughby, T. (2013) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9913-9 · Cited by 328 · see citing works
How Has the Internet Reshaped Human Cognition?
Loh, K. K., & Kanai, R. (2016) · The Neuroscientist · doi:10.1177/1073858415595005 · Cited by 272 · see citing works
Video game training does not enhance cognitive ability: A comprehensive meta-analytic investigation
Sala, G., Tatlidil, K. S., & Gobet, F. (2018) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000139 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
Colzato, L. S., van den Wildenberg, W. P. M., Zmigrod, S., & Hommel, B. (2013) · Psychological Research · doi:10.1007/s00426-012-0415-2 · Cited by 256 · see citing works
Children, wired: for better and for worse
Bavelier, D., Green, C. S., & Dye, M. W. G. (2010) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.035 · Cited by 193 · see citing works
Self-citationPerceptual learning during action video game playing
Green, C. S., Li, R., & Bavelier, D. (2010) · Topics in Cognitive Science · doi:10.1111/j.1756-8765.2009.01054.x · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Self-citationCognitive enhancement in video game players: The role of video game genre
Dobrowolski, P., Hanusz, K., Sobczyk, B., Skorko, M., & Wiatrow, A. (2015) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.051 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Action Video Game Training for Healthy Adults: A Meta-Analytic Study
Wang, P., Liu, H.-H., Zhu, X.-T., Meng, T., Li, H.-J., & Zuo, X.-N. (2016) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00907 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
Decision-making and prepotent response inhibition functions in excessive internet users
Sun, D.-L., Chen, Z.-J., Ma, N., Zhang, X.-C., Fu, X.-M., & Zhang, D.-R. (2009) · CNS Spectrums · doi:10.1017/s1092852900000225 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Cardoso-Leite, P., & Bavelier, D. (2014) · Current Opinion in Neurology · doi:10.1097/wco.0000000000000077 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Self-citationRodriguez, D. M., Teesson, M., & Newton, N. C. (2014) · Drug and Alcohol Review · doi:10.1111/dar.12102 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Oei, A. C., & Patterson, M. D. (2015) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00113 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Are videogame training gains specific or general?
Oei, A. C., & Patterson, M. D. (2014) · Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnsys.2014.00054 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
West, G. L., Drisdelle, B. L., Konishi, K., Jackson, J., Jolicoeur, P., & Bohbot, V. D. (2015) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.2952 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
The effects of video game use on performance in a virtual navigation task
Murias, K., Kwok, K., Castillejo, A. G., Liu, I., & Iaria, G. (2016) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.020 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
The case for causal influences of action videogame play upon vision and attention
Kristjánsson, Á. (2013) · Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/s13414-013-0427-z · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Ramírez-Granizo, I. A., Ubago-Jiménez, J. L., González-Valero, G., Puertas-Molero, P., & San Román-Mata, S. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17124243 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Gaming to see: action video gaming is associated with enhanced processing of masked stimuli
Pohl, C., Kunde, W., Ganz, T., Conzelmann, A., Pauli, P., & Kiesel, A. (2014) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00070 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
What does It take to Show that a Cognitive Training Procedure is Useful?
Jacoby, N., & Ahissar, M. (2013) · Progress in Brain Research · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-63327-9.00004-7 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
A game-factors approach to cognitive benefits from video-game training: A meta-analysis
Smith, E. T., & Basak, C. (2023) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0285925 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Neri, F., Smeralda, C. L., Momi, D., Sprugnoli, G., Menardi, A., Ferrone, S., Rossi, S., Rossi, A., Di Lorenzo, G., & Santarnecchi, E. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.598410 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
- Authors
- Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Rochester (US)
- Corresponding author
- Green, C.S.
- ORCID
- Bavelier, D.
- Venue
- Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-08
- Volume
- 101
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 217-245
- ISSN
- 0010-0277 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2896820
- OpenAlex
- W2103355737
- Cited by
- 560
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 59 · 2012: 41
- FWCI
- 4.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- erratum (2020-05-01)
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Archive ouverte UNIGE (University of Geneva) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Eye Institute (R01EY016880, EY O16880)
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (DC 04418, R01DC004418)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- action video games, gamers, enumeration, multiple object tracking, subitizing, counting, critical numbers, visual short-term memory, attention allocation
- MeSH terms
- Awareness, Cognition, Humans, Mathematics, Reaction Time, Visual Perception, Video Games
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
