Thesis: Playing video games help to improve your memory.
The cognitive process that will be studied is memory. The research will look at how well people can remember things after playing a video game.
This study is relevant because we use our memory every day. From the moment we wake up we remember a dream, or something we are supposed to do. While traveling to work or school we use our memory to help us remember how to get there or to help find our keys if we are driving. Throughout the day we may see something that reminds us of something else’s or someone and we try to retrieve those thoughts. In addition, this study may be relevant to patients who suffer from mild or severe memory loss as it can help improve their memory over time.
A recent study was done where it tested the memory of subjects who played videos games. One group played 3D games and the other played 2D games. The subjects played these games for 30 minutes each day for two weeks. Both before and after playing the game the researchers tested the memory of all subjects through a series of test. The results concluded that there was more of an increase in memory among the subjects that played 3d games. If I replicated this experiment I would allow the players to play the game for a longer period of time such as 1 hour each day to see if there is drastic increase in memory.
This project interests me because as I get older I have noticed a decrease in my own ability to remember things. People can tell me something and later ask me to recall the information and I sometimes have trouble with this. Many of times after much debate on whether I was told or not I ask them to describe to me detailed information such as date and time, what we were doing when they told me and what my response was. Usually after this sort of detail is when I suddenly recall the information. This concerns me because I wonder if I am slowly losing my memory of things or if it’s simply because I wasn’t paying attention in the first place. Also, I have a family member who has dementia so it makes me wonder if I am at risk myself. Additionally, I read an article some time ago that said playing certain games and engaging in specific activities can help strengthen your brain which in turn will improve your memory. The answer to this question is one that I would like discover first hand. This sort of discovery can help researchers and patients who have mild to severe memory loss greater than imagined.
