Truth: Brain training games will not make you smarter!
Although games designed to improve memory , attention, and general problem solving do seem to improve these skills while you are playing the games, the results don’t actually translate into the real world. You are actually getting better because you are learning to beat the game. The games teach you how to improve on the task at hand not on a general skill. Games are fun so by all means carry on, but f you’re spending hundreds of dollars on this gimmick trust me, you’re better off having a cup of coffee.
1 comment
Games and cognitive function isn’t a myth, however most games aren’t going to have any impact outside of the game itself. Cogmed is probably the one with the most research backing it, but lumosity does have a fair amount of research as well.
However, in most cases, I would assume that any positive impact is either a placebo or a side effect. As in a crossword puzzle will tend to increase your vocabularly mainly because you’re seeing new words and valuing the extra vocab.
As far as the alcohol goes, I’d take that one with a grain of salt. People who abstain completely are mch more likely to be former alcoholics and likewise individuals who drink more than one a day are going to comprise a larger percentage of current alcoholics than people who drink in moderation.