A game-factors approach to cognitive benefits from video-game training: A meta-analysis
Open accessAbstract
This current study is a meta-analysis conducted on 63 studies on video-game based cognitive interventions (118 investigations, N = 2,079), which demonstrated a moderate and significant training effect on overall gains in cognition, g = 0.25, p < .001. Significant evidence of transfer was found to overall cognition, as well as to attention/perception and higher-order cognition constructs. Examination of specific gameplay features however showed selective and differential transfer to these outcome measures, whereas the genre labels of "action", "strategy", "casual", and "non-casual" were not similarly predictive of outcomes. We therefore recommend that future video-game interventions targeting cognitive enhancements should consider gameplay feature classification approach over existing genre classification, which may provide more fruitful training-related benefits to cognition.
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Enhancements in higher-order cognitive functions such as working memory, reasoning, and executive control appear linked to mechanics involving allocentric perspective, combat engagement, and single controllable object gameplay.
“Enhancements in higher-order cognitive functions, such as working memory, reasoning, and executive control, appear linked to mechanics involving allocentric (external) perspective, combat engagement, and single controllable object gameplay [38].”
From Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [38]
The Discussion’s “Higher-order cognition outcomes” section links transfer in executive control, working memory updating, and reasoning to allocentric movement, combat interaction, and a single controllable object. The claim calls the first factor an allocentric (external) perspective, but the paper codes movement and perspective separately; its finding for higher-order cognition concerns movement, not external perspective. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredVideo game features such as first-person perspective, combat interactions, control of multiple objects, passive win conditions, and high time pressure are most strongly associated with improvements in attention and perception.
“Video game features such as first-person perspective, combat interactions, control of multiple objects, passive win conditions, and high time pressure are most strongly associated with improvements in attention and perception [38–40].”
From Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [38]
The Discussion (page not provided) reports greater transfer to attention and perception for first-person perspective, combat-focused games, multiple controllable objects, and passive thresholds or objectives. It also says attention and perception outcomes were insensitive to the presence or absence of time pressure, so the claim's inclusion of high time pressure is unsupported. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredAnalyzing specific game mechanics may provide a more accurate measure of cognitive transfer in video games than category or genre classifications such as action or strategy.
“A recent study suggests that analyzing specific game mechanics may provide a more accurate measure of cognitive transfer in video games than category/genre classifications, such as action or strategy [38].”
From Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [38]
Cognitive transfer outcomes for action video games vary substantially across studies.
“Cognitive transfer outcomes for action video games vary substantially across studies [38–40].”
From Health Benefits of Video Games in Adolescents and Young Adults (2026) · cites this paper as [38]
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- Authors
- Smith, E. T., & Basak, C.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Dallas (US)
- Corresponding author
- Smith, Evan T.
- Basak, Chandramallika
- Venue
- PLOS ONE
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science (PLoS)
- Published
- 2023-08-02
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- e0285925
- ISSN
- 1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10395941
- OpenAlex
- W4385481234
- Cited by
- 28
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 1.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R56AG060052)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Educational Games and Gamification
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- video games, cognitive training, game-based intervention, transfer of training, game genre classification, attention, perception, higher-order cognition, cognitive enhancement
- MeSH terms
- Attention, Cognition, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Video Games
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