Learning to read on a battlefield: can action video games serve as a training task for enhancing reading capabilities?

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

Date

2015-09-23

Department

Towson University. Department of Psychology

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There are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.

Subjects

Abstract

Action video games have been consistently associated over the years with a range of visual benefits, including widened visual attention window, processing speed of visual stimuli, and saccadic eye movement control. These same visual functions are also essential to reading speed and comprehension. However, only video games which involve direct reading challenges, such as pronunciation games, have been studied for an influence on reading capabilities on healthy populations (Schwartz, 1988). If action video games are capable of enhancing the fundamental functions of reading, it is essential to examine the relationship between action video games and reading skill. The purpose of the current study is to examine whether or not action video games can serve as a training task to improve participants' reading speed without sacrificing reading comprehension. Results and future directions are discussed.