Brain Training doesn't improve your brain power (new study)

[whiskey rock n' roller]

Ok the jist of this story is a pretty maor study was carried out on the effectiveness of brain training games on brain activity. The study showed that the group got better and better at the game, but not actually smarter.

I only played one of these games for about a month, can't say it had much of an effect on me, and it seems like people are paying to do maths tasks.

Nintendo acknoweledged that it wasn't scientifically proven and "In this way it is like a workout for the brain and the challenges in the game can help stimulate the player's brain".

Just wanted to know what you think about this, I mean these games are pretty popular and do any of you actually think these games helped you in any way?

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8630588.stm

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

Those games are probably useful for engaging your mind in an educationally stimulating way, but nobody really expects to learn new math concepts from a DS game. Most likely you will be able to do simple math calculations faster, which is a useful ability for people of all ages. The "training" is accomplished through repetition and gradual improvement in basic skills, but you'll probably have to open a math textbook if you want to get "smarter."

 

[Darkenwrath]

No one expects you to go "Gee-whizzers! I can suddenly do calculus!" with these games, my guess is it works in the same way as chess in that it makes you better at certain tasks and keeps your brain stimulated reducing the risk of alzheimers etc, but doesn't actually make you smarter overall.

 

[Bonkekook]

Anyone who has taken multiple psychology courses understands that while skills may be practiced, transfer of those skills to other domains does not occur very often, or easily.

Besides, I was always under the impression that they were supposed to help stave off memory loss and such(directed at an older crowd), not actually improve your cognitive abilities.

 

[Redliph]

Yeah, it seems like people had a problem understanding how these things worked. They don't make you smarter, they simply keep you as smart. I could see older people benefiting from these exercises as math is not like riding a bike and you will forget it if you don't use it. I have also read that things like this can help stave off Alzheimer disease too. Even without the testing, I suspect that it does as there seems to be a lot of evidence that people who use their brains more in late life (ie reading books, taking classes at the local college, etc) tend to not suffer as badly from it.

 

[Asehujiko]

I was planning on writing a whole rant on how 99% of all these things are BS but a router hiccup ate the page so I'll leave it at this:

Well, duh.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Hey, its training, right?

I'm training right now. I'm training my typing skill.

You Typing Skill Increased

Speak of the devil.

 

[Emberwolf]

I took part in that study, and the games didn't do anything for me. I've not got a great attention span for things like that anyway, plus I did psychology A Level so never really expected a huge different from the training games.

 

[T3h Camp3r T3rr0r1st]

Hey, its training, right?

I'm training right now. I'm training my typing skill.

[b]You[/b] Typing has Increased

Speak of the devil.

Evidently, it hasn't.

/facepalm

You Joke Getting has Decreased

to regain these points, make a funny

OT: those games are CRAP!

any game thats endorsed by a bored fairly old ex-"actress" isn't worth my time

 

[FinalDream]

My attitude to training games is as follows:

A game huh, ok I like games...Wait a minute...ITS TRYING TO TEACH ME STUFF! BURN IT WITH FIRE!

also maths is not fun, seriously.

 

[Veldt Falsetto]

It's not meant to make you smarter, it's all very simple primary school questions done quickly to exercise your brain and get you thinking quickly and that's what it does.

It never said it'd make you smarter and anyone who thinks it will is a moron

 

[C_sector]

hmmm.......what about driving and flying simulators??? do they make you better drivers and pilots?

 

[Silva]

I think the BBC was a little gun-ho with their television reportage on this issue, particularly with headlines like "Brain Training doesn't work".

Yes, the Brain Training games don't develop your real intelligence. I don't think they ever claimed to. What they have proven to do, is help older people who have problems like dementia by keeping their brains active like any puzzle does. Funnily enough, I think the BBC actually reported on this side of the equation themselves some time ago, though it may since have been taken down.

It's funny how they somehow kept side of the story that out of their current reportage. A change in sponsors, perhaps? Aren't Nintendo paying for any advertisements on the BBC site any more?

I should also point out that the study has been disputed by Posit Science, a company that makes "brain fitness" programs apparently supported by many peer-reviewed studies by large science groups like the American Medical Association:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/posit-science-disputes-results-of-the-bbc-brain-training-study-91634379.html

This is hardly as open and shut a case as the BBC claims it is.

 

[Anticitizen_Two]

I never saw the appeal of those games, or any educational games for that matter. Games should be about fun, not learning.