Computer Games Boost Creativity in Children

A group of researchers at the Michigan State University (MSU) has determined in a new study that children tend to be more creative when they play video games, regardless of whether the games themselves are violent or not.

Interestingly, the experts also found that the finding applies to both boys and girls. Previous studies had only identified such effects in boys, as they are generally more prone to playing games than girls are.

According to the team, the study was carried out on 12-year-olds, since researchers determined this to be a critical age for brain development. A total of 500 children were included in the investigation, MSU investigators report.

They also managed to discover a connection between the length of time the kids spent in front of the computer and the amount of creativity they became capable of displaying as a direct result. Some of the tasks used to assess this connection included drawing pictures and writing stories.

Test participants were asked to do this after being allowed to play on the computer for variable lengths of time. The team was able to observe improvements in creativity even in those who spent the smallest amount of time playing.

What is also interesting to note is that regular Internet, cell phone and computer use – the type of use that did not involve playing video game – was not related to boosts in creativity in follow-up studies.

MSU professor of psychology Linda Jackson, the lead researcher on the project, says that the new findings indicate the presence of certain elements in video games that are triggering a response in the brains of children.

She says that future studies could identify these elements, allowing game designers to create improved products to stimulate creativity even more. Considering that about 72 percent of US homes have at least one person playing video games, the stage is set for such useful tools.

“Once they do that, video games can be designed to optimize the development of creativity while retaining their entertainment values such that a new generation of video games will blur the distinction between education and entertainment,” Jackson says of the potentially-hidden elements.

Details of the new investigations were published in the latest issue of the scientific journal Computers in Human Behavior.