Study finds Nintendo’s “edutainment” ineffective, researcher calls charlatanism
Here’s why you shouldn’t believe everything you read and hear from ads. Nintendo has been packaging their Big Brain Academy and Brain Training as “edutainment,” which supposedly improves blood flow to the brain, thus, improving “practical intelligence.” Not true, researchers say.
Here’s why you shouldn’t believe everything you read and hear from ads. Nintendo has been packaging their Big Brain Academy and Brain Training as “edutainment,” which supposedly improves blood flow to the brain, thus, improving “practical intelligence.” Not true, researchers say.
A study was conducted with a survey of ten year old children, and no evidence was found to support Nintendo’s claims. “The Nintendo DS is a technological jewel. As a game it’s fine,” said Alain Lieury, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes, Brittany, who conducted the survey. “But it is charlatanism to claim that it is a scientific test.”
The kids were split into four groups: the first two did a seven-week memory course on a DS, the third did puzzles with pencils and paper, while the fourth group just went to school as normal.
In the survey, these kids were asked to do a few tasks such as memorizing words and logic tests. Researchers found that those who are using the DS games failed to show any significant improvement in memory tests. In math tests, the DS users showed just as much improvement as the pencil-and-paper group.In memorizing, the pencil-and-paper group recorded a 33 per cent improvement, while the Nintendo children were 17 per cent worse.
So why ten year olds? Professor Lieury notes, “That’s the age where you have the best chance of improvement,” Professor Lieury said. “If it doesn’t work on children, it won’t work on adults.” So that Nicole Kidman DS ad is a bunch of hooey too, huh? Oh well…
More studies:
- Study: video gamers are more likely to become drunks and druggies
- New research says violent games not linked to school shootings
- Study: violence is not a plus for gamers, challenge is
Via Times Online
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