The Washington Post has a very interesting article questioning the validity of various games' claims that they can enhance your mental ability. People are suckers for quick and easy ways to self-improve without putting in any effort, and games like Brain Training and Big Brain Academy are there to give the lazy masses some of the mental stimulus they crave.
It's a pretty interesting read, and seeks to compare the marketing claims of these cognitive training games to the actual benefits they may provide. One worthy point is the argument that while brain fitness titles might improve various isolated aspects of the mind, that's not necessarily an improvement of the gray matter as a whole:
"We've known for a hundred years that most training is highly specific," says psychologist Timothy Salthouse, director of the Salthouse Cognitive Aging Lab at the University of Virginia. "Training on one kind of memory does not necessarily have any kind of impact on other kinds of memory."
In other words, you may get better with practice at matching pictures of ice cream cones or frogs from rapidly changing images or mastering obscure facts about famous people. (James Joyce was afraid of dogs.) But whether that translates into brain protection -- or confers benefits beyond those offered by square-dancing, eating blueberries or simply yukking it up with friends -- is anybody's guess.
I'm a natural cynic, so the only interaction I ever have with Brain Training is when I look over a DS player's shoulder on the train, see that's what they're playing and then sneer with a smug and elitist contempt. I'm doubtful that they can do much more than make you better at the puzzles contained within the "game" itself, just like playing Street Fighter a lot makes you better at pulling off Hadoukens and Command & Conquer makes you better at knowing when to build the Barracks. In other words -- while there is certainly educational merit in videogames, it's unlikely that Brain Training will get you into Harvard, moron!
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
Likes
PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
27 comments | showing # 1 to 27
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
9:38 PM on 08.15.2008
| 
I assume your next avatar will be you in earphones and sunglasses.
Psh, Seaman Ticks.
Exercising your brain might not improve it, but I'm certain it will slow down decay.
I noticed that I am better at calculating math problems.
Also you are not gonna get smarter in general by playing game like this, but I think it can still help older people stay mentally active. That in turn can help against memory degradation at old age and all that. Playing a game with specific tasks will not make you better at unrelated tasks though :)
:(
oh, and im with cheeburga. im on to round three and i can see its going to be a very busy afternoon...
Using the gamepad and getting familiar with the standard layout of the game is kind of important when it comes to being good at it. Unfortunately people seem to be less and less familiar with how to go about finding solutions. I'd say that these games won't make you a genius but they'll at least get you in the flow of using your mind to tackle problems, albeit simple and cutesy ones.
I liked your old pic better. This new one looks a little creepy and a lot emo. Please fix it immediately.
Also, your Wikipedia page sucks.
-hpv
Also, cocks.
Also, Destructoid is the only gaming blog where an editor's avatar will be discussed more than the story he's writing about. I <3 this place.
another smarmy asinine blog by sterling? couldnt be....⌐_⌐
tell that to the people that are learning other languages using the DS
or better yet, make a blog about royalties being donated as a front to fund their heroin smuggling..........
THAT would make more sense....
comparing memory exercising to something that defies physics altogether(hadoukens) is funny but not really getting your point across...
the games do what theyre meant to do... or tell taht to the picos or V-smarts out in the market
Not everyone is going to draw results, not immediate results anyway but in the long run you're adding wrinkles to the brain...
not everygame can eb the repetitive mindless over-indulgence of dynasty warriors D=
but then again you strike as a fella who doesnt particularly abstain from overindulging ^o^
Games as education tools, hmmm. Is it true playing Madden makes you understand football better? I suppose so. Definitely won't make you a coach in the NFL though...
Seriously, son, you've had far more better reasons to whine about my posts before now. This one was really reaching for an excuse.