Video gamers better at driving and cell phone talking?

M

mordeki

Weaksauce
Joined
Feb 24, 2004
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I was reading the article on the front page and it reminded me of something ive always wondered. Wouldn't the reaction time of a video gamer be better in many different situations? Not just driving and talking on cell phone. But maybe just driving alone?

I understand that driving knowledge would play a part such as knowing not to slam on brakes when you slide blah blah. But all driving knowledge being equal, wouldnt the video gamer just have better reaction time?

Perhaps in other fast reaction situations?

Have there been any studies on this?
 
sounds cool, but i'm sure for only very 1337 gamers, not casual like myself. :D
 
Interesting yeah. I'm a pretty big gamer and yes I do notice I drive much better than most people out there.
 
I dunno. But I do blame all the times I've gotten pulled over on the Need For Speed series :D
 
There’s been a study on similar case few years back. Apparently, surgeons who play video games are more precise. It has something to do with the analog sticks on the gaming pad. :rolleyes:
 
I read a study, that said.. that just after 6 horus of FPS.. peripheral vision becomes better.. and that people that game FPS games regularly have much better peripheral vision than the average person..

in other words.. you're more likely to catch something moving in the corner of you're eye than the average person..

i think that's true.. i tend catch a lot of things that move off the coners of my eyes..
 
Yeah, also because I am an avid video gamer, I think I can crash my car a little. And it doesn't matter, because I can either just wait until the next race or get out and steal a different car.
 
adamadekat said:
Yeah, also because I am an avid video gamer, I think I can crash my car a little. And it doesn't matter, because I can either just wait until the next race or get out and steal a different car.
Click to expand...

Or you can press the car reload button to reset your car if it flips over!
 
I do believe there was a study that showed video gamers solved puzzles /tasks better than those who didn't.

And then there was a study or story of doctors who played games had better hand eye coordination? I'm sure it would be a helpful skill with using micro cameras and joysticks to do surgery.
 
Wow this is a great study. The end result? Young adults will think its perfectly ok to drive and talk on the phone. "Oh, I'm a gamer, and we all know how gamers are super l33t and shiznit"

ITS NOT. Nothing pisses me off more than someone behind the wheel of a car chatting on a cell phone and not paying enough attention to the road. It's called situational awareness, and you don't get it from focusing on a conversation youre having on the phone. And I don't care if you are "really freakin schweet at multitasking", you're still a fucking dunce. End of story.
 
GFreeman9 said:
Nice idea, but I haven't heard anything about it.
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Closest i heard is a study that showed gamers finding items quicker than their normal counterparts. Both searches through an image or situation in the same order, the gamers just do it faster.

Maybe because we use our eyes so often to spot hidden details (Is that a rifle in the corner or a twig?), we've gotten better at object recognition. That doesn't mean we're any better at multitasking tho. Some of use would be so immersed we wouldn't even notice someone standing beside us, that's not good when you're talking and driving.
 
Oh yea I passed my permit test with all right answers, and pasted my driving test with perfect scrore, I am better than you/.
 
I think so. Gaming has a lot to do with reaction time, attentiveness, and hand-eye coordination. But I think the key to being able to talk on the cell phone and drive is multi-tasking and gamers are good at that too. I can't even list all the things I've done while playing games...eating, drinking, talking on the phone, etc...plus all the games that require multi-tasking :).
 
video games have significantly increased my imagination, creativity, problem solving skills, logical thinking, and hand-eye coordination.

I don't care what anyone says.
 
Well, before I moved out, I used to play tons of Burnout 3 on my brother's xbox. We had built a custom soundtrack for the game, which was totally kickass. Then one time I was driving, and one of the songs came on. Then I saw a truck towing a bus, and I thought to myself "I wonder how much THAT thing is worth!?" and then I remembered I wasn't playing the game...
 
I'm they do. And young people drive better than a senile 90 year old who can't remember their children's names. But it doesn't matter. Driving laws fall to the lowest common denominator, and do not reflect individual skill.
 
Slartibartfast said:
Well, before I moved out, I used to play tons of Burnout 3 on my brother's xbox. We had built a custom soundtrack for the game, which was totally kickass. Then one time I was driving, and one of the songs came on. Then I saw a truck towing a bus, and I thought to myself "I wonder how much THAT thing is worth!?" and then I remembered I wasn't playing the game...
Click to expand...
:eek:
 
WorldRunner said:
video games have significantly increased my imagination, creativity, problem solving skills, logical thinking, and hand-eye coordination.

I don't care what anyone says.
Click to expand...
smae here, i have noticed that i do have fast response times than any of my friend/family, and i have also noticed that i come up with different, creative ideas that noone else thinks of too; guess what, i play the most games! i play FPS a lot, so i think that helps response time and coordination, and i also like point-and -Click games too, like the Myst series, NOW THOSE games will make you think like crazzy! but they are fun, but i do tend to be imersed so much sometime i dont even notive when someone turns on the light. But, i know not to talk on the phone a drive, its just stupid, so i just become really immersed in my driving, and it helps too, never been stopped. :D And i agree, most other drivers THINK they are good drivers! :p
 
One other thing you guys may have noticed. You're more subconsciously attentive.

You know that trick in an FPS where you pop out of cover, take a quick look and then duck down and start looking around with the image in your head? This morning the bus i'm on passed a construction site full of workers, i barely noticed, but afterwards i realized i knew where everyone was.

I think i've been playing too much FPS :eek:
 
I think driving is more of a experience thing.

Also a weight and physics thing.
 
I've been playing video games since I was 6 and now im 22 and I'm just an OK driver, never hit anything or anybody, but thats because I drive like a grandmom. Its a pretty good record considering I drive on the Skukyll Express in philly aka the SureKill Expressway, everyday. So I would say, no it doesn't help. In fact it gives me the false assurance that if my car wreckes it will put me back on the road, blink a bit and be all fixed.
 
Im telling you guys...CAL-I gamers are not only better at games, but they are indeed better at life!!!

:rolleyes:

Hah but anyways you do have a valid point. Its not just gamers though. If anyone does anything that builds their reaction time than they would be better at certain situations...like driving while talking on a cell phone. (Which you never should do, someone almost killed me because they were doing that)
 
My point was never that it automatically made you a better driver. Skill and experience both count more. My idea was that video games would both make your reaction time better and make you more capable of dealing with more than one thing at a time (talking and driving).

People realize the difference between real life and video games. I dont think my car is going to reappear if I crash it. But the reaction times from games should stay with me.

I think about what a game of counter strike involves. It requires very fast reaction times to be good and the ability to react to a rapidly changing situation. Plus if you own a headset you can add talking to the mix.

Whats interesting is a realistic enough game ( MS flight simulator ect..) can help teach a pilot without even having to sit in a plane. They might not be completely taught from it but you can have pretty good idea.

People mentioned about video games make them creative. Thats something I actually wonder about. If anything video games make you think in a box. You are only allowed to do what the creators of the game have allowed for you. I cant take all the boxes on a level and build a fort out of them in most games.

At the same time video games probably help with problem solving. So I dunno what to think about that.

Someone mentioned about everyone thinking they are a good driver. I was reading about how most men think they are better than most other drivers on the road. Something like half of all men thought they were race car driver good!
 
i'm a better driver on the phone b/c it makes me stay in one lane and drive the speed limit. when i'm not on the phone i'm passing ur slow arse.
 
My multi-tasking has greatly improved due to video games. Just yesterday I was playing CS, talking on the phone with my girlfriend, Instant messaging friends, and posting on hard forum.

Also, my reaction time is so much better. I paintball often and I use tricks from CS during matches. Also, I can see the balls coming and dodge them (At 120-160 feet per second). It also comes in handy in extreme snowball wars. =D I love the winter.
 
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