The Neuroscience of Games: 10 Ways Games Train Your Brain

Growth Engineering
3 min readJun 28, 2016

Gamers are smarter than other people. We already know that. In fact, playing games (in moderation) fine tunes your mental faculties, improves your reaction speeds and reduces stress, turning you into an altogether brighter spark. Let’s take a look at why this is the case. Here are seven ways that games improve our cognition skills, train our brain and help ease the learning process.

1. THE HIPPOCAMPUS CONTROLS RECALL

The hippocampus is an area in the lower section of the brain which is largely responsible for knowledge recall. During learning, a strong hippocampal activation makes the content easier to remember and recall (Foerde & Shohamy, 2011). In clinical tests, game play has been shown to stimulate these conditions.

“Identifying a direct connection between the stimulation of neural circuits and game play is a key step in unlocking the potential for game-based tools to inspire positive behavior and improve health,”

- Brian Knutson, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Stanford University.

2. DOPAMINE CREATES POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS WITH LEARNING

Dopamine, or the feel-good hormone, is released whenever we are rewarded for a specific action. Gamers quickly learn what is right and wrong, as they are rewarded instantaneously for making good decisions. These dopamine spikes, encourage gamers to repeat good behaviours and embed new information within their brain.

3. THE BRAIN PROCESSES STORIES BETTER THAN FACTS

One of the key components of a compelling game is a good story. People tend to remember stories better than lists of unconnected facts. This isn’t just a matter of preference; it’s a physiological imperative. When we are engaged in a strong narrative, the brain releases oxytocin — a chemical that generates feelings of trust and empathy. As a result, when the brain receives information presented as a story, it recognises it as being more valid.

4. PLAYING GAMES RELEASES ENDORPHINS

The thrill and excitement of playing a game is the result of endorphins being released. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkiller but they can also lower stress and anxiety levels, and even create a sense of euphoria. Combined with other neurotransmitters, this helps create an ideal environment for focused learning.

5. PLAYING GAMES KEEPS THE BRAIN FIT

Studies have shown that gameplay can improve brain functions. In a study conducted by BBC’s Horizon, a test group of older subjects played a popular racing game for 15 hours over 5 weeks. When they were evaluated after that period, their memory and attention span scores had improved by around 30%.

6. GAMEPLAY REDUCES STRESS

Cortisol is known as the stress hormone and it controls the body’s reaction to stressful situations. When it comes to learning, high levels of cortisol force the brain into survival mode, distracting from the learning in order to deal with the stress. Results of a Texas A&M International University study showed that “games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management.”

7. GAMES TEACH WORK SKILLS

The workforce is filling with people who grew up playing complex video games that require a lot of intricate coordination. By commanding a Roman army to victory or managing the facilities of a virtual city, players can gain skills like resource management and prioritisation.

“These young people may be better equipped to switch between tasks easily, adapt to new information, and modify their strategy as new input comes in.” — Judy Willis, M.D., American Academy of Neurology

With gamification and game-based learning producing some outstanding results, the scientific community is conducting more and more research into the power of gameplay in non-game scenarios. If you want to stay ahead of the game, why not subscribe to Growth Engineering’s awesome learning-focused blog?

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Growth Engineering

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