Study: Playing puzzle games will make you better at puzzle solving

***wraggster*** · December 30th, 2009, 20:04

Wheaton College psychology professor Rolf Nelson has come to a startling conclusion based on the outcome of a recently conducted study: Playing games makes people better at playing ... games. According to GamePolitics, the study results -- published in the journal Perception (subscription required) -- showed that its 20 participants performed more accurately on two spatial relations tests after spending time playing a puzzle game, but were faster at completing the tests after sitting down with an action game.

In one test, participants were tasked with clicking on a spot where a target had briefly flashed on-screen; the second required them to choose from four shapes the one that most closely matched a target shape -- so, essentially, they were playing puzzle games after playing ... puzzle games. We're puzzled by the fact that Professor Nelson hadn't himself realized much sooner that, hey, this Professor Layton game tape is making me better at these here tests.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/30/st...-puzzle-solvi/

**symbal** · December 30th, 2009, 20:21

Who the hell pays for these obviou studies? I mean saying doing something makes you better at it, i'm sure if you survey serial killers you'll find the more experienced ones are better killers, and that news would be about as interesting as this.