New research suggests that the amount of time adolescents spend playing video games does not inherently predict cognitive impairment, but rather that signs of behavioral addiction are true indicators of cognitive impairment. By separating the effects of heavy gaming from compulsive gaming, this study provides evidence that simply playing for long periods of time is associated with certain cognitive benefits, while feeling unable to stop playing is associated with poorer cognitive performance. The results of this study were recently published in the journal Computers in human behavior.
The scientific literature on video games often points to inconsistencies regarding their effects on adolescents. Some studies suggest that gaming is associated with poor academic performance and sleep problems, while others highlight potential benefits for attention and spatial thinking. The research team was led by scientists from Austria’s Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences and collaborated with the Educational Information Center in St. Pölten.
The authors theorized that this discrepancy in research existed because previous studies often classified all heavy gamers into one category. In doing so, they combined people who simply spent a lot of time gaming with people who showed signs of Internet gaming disorder. Internet gaming disorder is a mental illness characterized by loss of control, intense desire, and continued gaming despite negative real-world consequences.
Failure to separate enthusiasm and addiction can obscure the clear relationship between each behavior and cognitive development. The researchers first cited a theoretical framework that suggests games are an adaptive way for people to regulate their mood and find psychological rewards. However, for some people, this behavior can transform from a goal-oriented hobby to a compulsive habit driven by desire.
To address this ambiguity, researchers set out to uncover how daily gaming time and gaming addiction severity are independently related to teens’ mental and physical skills. They also wanted to see if the specific types of games young people play may play a role in cognitive development.
The authors collected data from 3,854 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 16, with a mean age of 13.5 years. The sample was almost evenly divided by gender, with 47.4% being girls. Participants were recruited through the Austrian Vocational Information Center. Each teenager provided demographic information and answered questions about their gaming habits, including average minutes of gaming time per day.
To measure the severity of potential gaming addiction, participants completed a widely known questionnaire designed to assess symptoms of Internet gaming disorder over the past year. They also indicated their preferred game genre from the list provided and wrote down the name of their current favorite video game. The researchers mapped these free-text responses to specific game franchises for analysis.
Rather than relying on self-reported intelligence estimates, the scientists used a series of standardized computer-based tests to assess cognitive ability. The evaluation used an adaptive design in which question difficulty was adjusted based on participant performance. The test measured logical reasoning, language comprehension, numerical skills, visual-spatial abilities, and long-term memory. Visual-spatial ability refers to the ability to mentally rotate and manipulate objects.
The researchers also measured motor skills and information processing using specialized hardware devices. The device recorded tapping speed, fine and global dexterity of the fingers, and the number of errors made by participants who were asked to respond quickly to visual and auditory stimuli under pressure. For example, dexterity was measured by how quickly participants could place a small pin into a designated hole, while hand guidance was measured by tracking errors during a tracing task.
To analyze this large data set, the team used a statistical technique known as structural equation modeling. This method allowed us to examine relationships between multiple variables simultaneously. Using this approach, it is possible to mathematically remove the effects of gaming addiction while isolating specific associations with gaming time, and vice versa.
The analysis revealed a strong relationship between gaming time and gaming addiction, but a completely opposite relationship with cognitive ability. Internet gaming disorder severity was consistently associated with poorer performance in all five cognitive domains measured. Those with higher addiction scores also made more mistakes during stress-inducing information processing tasks and had slightly worse overall finger dexterity performance.
In contrast, when the researchers adjusted their data to account for the negative effects of addiction, total gaming time showed a positive relationship with several mental skills. Increased daily gaming time was associated with improved scores in visuospatial ability, logical reasoning, and long-term memory. The authors pointed out that averaging these opposing associations, as is common in epidemiological studies, would cancel each other out, creating the false illusion that gaming has no effect at all.
“Game time alone is far too limited as a stand-alone measure,” said David Willinger, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychological Methodology at Karl Landsteiner University. “A teenager who plays a complex strategy game for hours on end and a teenager who feels unable to stop playing despite negative consequences behaves very differently.”
Willinger added that their analysis highlights the need to distinguish between enthusiastic engagement and problematic behavior. “Our study shows why research needs to more carefully separate these user patterns,” he said.
The researchers also found that the type of games adolescents played mattered. Strategy and role-playing games were associated with better reasoning and language skills. Shooting games showed no significant positive association with cognitive performance and were strongly associated with higher symptoms of Internet gaming disorder.
Focusing on specific game titles provides more nuanced insights. Games that focused on building and exploration, such as Minecraft, were associated with improved verbal and visuospatial performance. Simulation games with a lot of text elements, such as The Sims and Animal Crossing, also improved language skills.
On the other hand, competitive action games like Fortnite and Brawl Stars were associated with lower reasoning and visual-spatial scores and higher rates of gaming addiction. The authors suggest that games that feature continuous progression elements or live services may encourage repeated participation, steering players away from deliberate practice and toward unregulated use. Casual mobile games that require simple swipe gestures, such as Subway Surfers, did not show reliable associations with any cognitive domain.
The data also revealed some notable gender differences. In general, girls report less severe Internet gaming disorder than boys. Although girls tended to score slightly lower on certain cognitive tasks, they performed significantly better on fine motor tasks, with faster manual dexterity and fewer tracking errors.
Although this study provides robust data, the authors noted several limitations and potential misinterpretations. Because the study is cross-sectional, meaning it captures only one moment in time, it cannot prove cause and effect. It is quite possible that adolescents who already have advanced reasoning abilities are naturally drawn to complex strategy games, rather than the games themselves resulting in increased intelligence. Similarly, pre-existing cognitive vulnerabilities may make certain people more susceptible to gaming addiction.
Reliance on self-reported gaming time is another limitation. Adolescents may not remember exactly how much they play, and simple daily averages may not capture differences between weekend and weekday habits. Future research may benefit from using objective digital tracking data to more accurately measure play time.
The scientists also noted that they did not measure other factors that may influence cognitive development, such as sleep quality, socioeconomic status, or underlying mental health conditions such as depression. Sleep deprivation is a known side effect of excessive screen time and can independently impair executive function and memory.
Additionally, the sample consisted primarily of middle school students undergoing vocational training. This specific demographic means that the findings may not fully apply to the broader adolescent population. Future research should aim to include a more diverse range of educational backgrounds to see if a pattern holds.
Finally, the authors suggest that future research should continue to focus on specific game mechanics rather than broad genre labels. Modern video games often mix genres, making it difficult to pinpoint which in-game activities are associated with specific cognitive changes.
The study, “The Tug of Engagement and Dysregulation: A Comprehensive Analysis of Adolescent Cognition and Internet Gaming Disorder,” was authored by David Willinger, Sabine Wunderl, and Stefan Stieger.
