Cognitive process in the technological world - ERQ

Question 1

Positive side of research

Answer 1

Both positive and negative effects have been the subject of research. On the positive side, some argue digital technology can enhance cognitive functioning. For example, video gaming can improve perception, mental rotation skills, visual memory, attention, task-switching, multi-tasking and decision-making.

Question 2

Negative side of research

Answer 2

On the negative side, some contend that digital technology can lead to distraction, reduced attention spans, a sense of social isolation, scattered thinking and a decline in the ability to think analytically.

Question 3

Which cognitive process is used?

Answer 3

Memory has been the focus of several investigations.

Question 4

Studies used

Answer 4

Sparrow et al. (2011)
Kaspersky Lab (2015)
Blacker et al. (2014)

Question 5

Aim of Sparrow et al. (2011)

Answer 5

Interested in how search engines might affect memory

Question 6

How does digital technology affect memory?

Answer 6

They likened these search engines to external memory sources accessible when information is needed. In this way, digital technology is changing the way information is stored. You may not remember the information, but you do know where you can find that information when necessary.

Question 7

Procedure of 1st experiment

Answer 7

The researchers showed participants trivial pieces of information, for example ‘an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain’.

These statements were then typed into a computer by the participants.

Half the participants believed what they typed would be saved while the other half were informed the information would be lost.

Question 8

Results of first experiment

Answer 8

Participants who believed the information would be lost recalled more statements than the participants who were told that the information would be saved.

Question 9

Second experiment procedure

Answer 9

Additional experiments followed the same set of procedures but this time the computer responded either by saying ‘Your entry has been saved’, ‘Your entry has been erased’ or ‘Your entry has been saved to…’ followed by a folder name.

Each person was then shown a list of statements and asked two questions: ‘Have you seen this fact before?’, ‘Was this fact saved or deleted?’ or ‘Where was this fact saved?’

Question 10

Results of second experiment

Answer 10

When a fact had been flagged as one that the computer erased, participants had a better memory of the fact itself.

However, when the computer told them that the fact had been saved and where it had been saved, they more accurately remembered that it had been saved and where it had been saved compared to remembering the fact itself.

Question 11

Did Sparrow et al. (2011) think it was good?

Answer 11

Based on these results the researchers challenged simplistic arguments that digital technology is detrimental (detrimental = make something worse) to cognitive processes like memory.

Some people argue that knowing where to find information, which is almost immediate with a digital device in our hands, critically evaluating that information, and then using the information in an analytical process is better than having a basic memory of the information.

Especially in a learning (school) context, higher order thinking skills can be developed sooner with outsourcing some factual knowledge to ‘search engines’ because the testing of regurgitated factual information takes away time from developing higher order thinking skills.

Question 12

Critical thinking

Answer 12

Do you think that the potential to ‘outsource’ information to digital devices has a positive or negative effect on cognitive processes? Why? Why not?

With the widespread use of search engines like Google, commentators used the term the ‘Google effect’ to describe the tendency to forget information that can be found readily online.

Question 13

Kaspersky Lab (2015) conducted what?

Answer 13

An internet survey

Question 14

Sample of Kaspersky Lab (2015)

Answer 14

6000 consumers aged 16 to 55+

Males and females were equally represented, with 1,000 participants from each of the following countries: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Benelux.

Question 15

What were participants asked to do? Kaspersky Lab (2015)

Answer 15

Participants were asked to recall important telephone numbers.

They were also asked how and where they stored information they located online.

Question 16

Results Kaspersky Lab (2015)

Answer 16

More than half of adult consumers could recall their home phone number, 53% of parents could recall their children’s phone numbers and 51% their work phone number.

One in three participants reported they were happy to forget or risk forgetting information they can find – or find again – online.

36% of participants reported that they would turn to the internet before trying to remember information.

24% reported they would forget an online fact as soon as they had used it.

The results were consistent across male and female respondents but higher rates of amnesia were prevalent in older age groups.

Question 17

Conclusion of Kaspersky Lab (2015)

Answer 17

The overall conclusion of the study was that connected devices enrich lives but they can result in digital amnesia.

Question 18

What term did Kasperby Lab use to describe the ‘Google effect’?

Answer 18

‘Digital amnesia’ to describe this process and they conducted a survey on their customers to understand the process.

Question 19

What did Blacker et al. (2014) theorise?

Answer 19

video games could expand the capacity of VWM.

Of interest were action video games as they provide the player with a complex and changing visual environment in which accurate visual memories often decide the player’s success or failure in the game.

Question 20

Hypothesis of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 20

The hypothesis of the experiment was that exposure to games with rich visual environments over an extensive period would enhance VWM performance compared to games that did not involve rich visual environments.

Question 21

Sample of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 21

39 male undergraduates

Mean age of 20

Question 22

To what were they assigned to? Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 22

Randomly assigned to an action game group or control group

Question 23

Action game group. Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 23

Played video games like ‘Call of Duty’, while the control group played games like ‘Sims’.

Question 24

Aim of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 24

Investigates video gaming and visual working memory (VWM) and argues that gaming can have positive outcomes

Question 25

What is VWM.

Answer 25

The ability to hold visual information in mind for a brief period. This information is used to navigate the visual world. The storage capacity of VWM is limited

Question 26

What did both groups do? Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 26

Both groups played their games for one hour per day for 30 days. After training, the participants’ VWM was tested.

Question 27

Results of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 27

Individuals who played on an action game showed significant improvement on measures of VWM capacity compared with those who played the control game.

Question 28

Conclusion of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 28

The investigators concluded that exposure to rich visual environments over an extensive period is a distinctive form of training that may allow individuals to extend the capacity of VWM.

Question 29

Strengths of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 29

Strengths: The results provide strong support for the responsiveness of VWM to training.

By measuring motivation and enjoyment, which were equal in both groups, these were excluded as
confounding variables that may have affected the improvement in VWM.

Question 30

Limitations of Blacker et al. (2014)

Answer 30

This was a very small all male volunteer sample that cannot be seen as representative of
any population.

There is no clear explanation why improvement was seen on some VWM tests and not on others.

The single-shooter action games used have a level of violence that may be unacceptable to some
participants.

Question 31

Aim of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 31

To investigate a possible link between video game playing and laparascopic surgical skill and suturing.

Question 32

Method of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 32

3 different video game exercises were performed, and questionnaires were completed to assess past experience with video games and current level of play, level
of surgical training, number of cases performed and number of years in medical practice

Question 33

Sample of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 33

Analysis of the performance of 33 surgeons (15 males and 18 females) participating in a ‘Top Gun Laparascopic Skills and Suturing Programme’.

Question 34

Conclusion of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 34

Video gaming skills were positively correlated with laparoscopic surgical skills and appeared more important than traditionally recognised factors, such as years of training

Question 35

Results of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 35

Overall Top Gun score (time and errors) was 33% better for video gamers, and 42% better if they played more than 3 hours a week.

Past video gaming experience of more than 3 hours a week was correlated with 37% fewer errors and 27% faster completion of laparoscopic surgery. An overall video game skill scale was highly correlated with
laparoscopic skill and suturing ability.

Question 36

Strengths of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 36

This study focused not only on speed but also on error reduction. It is the error reduction that will have the most significant effect on patient safety.

Previous video game experience as well as current performance was taken into account.

Question 37

Limitations of Rosser et al. (2007)

Answer 37

This is a correlational study and cause and effect cannot be assumed. It could be that
those best at surgery coincidentally happened to be better at gaming.

The opportunity sample was very small and the results may not be generalised to all laparoscopic surgeons.