Action Games Augment Decision Making, New Study Finds

A split second can often mean the difference between a successful kill and a quick death in games like Halo and Call of Duty, a fact that seems to enhance decision-making on the part of action gamers.

Scientists at the University of Rochester have found that playing action games trains players to make the correct decisions at a faster pace thanks to a heightened sensitivity to the world around them. The researchers believe that fast, accurate decision making can help in everything from driving to reading small print.

Dozens of non-gamer 18-to-25 year olds were tested in the study. They were split into two groups, with one set playing Call of Duty 2 and Unreal Tournament, and the other set playing The Sims 2. After playing the games, they had answer a simple question about the game in as little time as possible, with the action game players coming with accurate answers up to 25 percent faster than the second ground.

Researcher Daphne Bavelier says that the games help players' brains to more efficient collect visual and auditory information, which helps them arrive at their decisions much more quickly.

"It's not the case that the action game players are trigger-happy and less accurate: They are just as accurate and also faster," Bavelier says. "Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference."

Sounds like the perfect excuse to get in an extra couple hours of Halo Reach when it arrives later this week.