Playing Video Games A new study provides some evidence that playing action video games strengthens a person's ability to translate sensory information quickly into accurate decisions. Researchers had 23 male volunteers with an average age of 20 look at moving arrays on a computer screen and indicate the direction in which the dots were moving.¹ Half of the volunteers (11 men) reported playing action video games at least five times a week for the previous year, while the other 12 reported no video game playing in the previous year. The response time and the accuracy score were both measured. A 95%95% confidence interval for the mean response time for game players minus the mean response time for non-players is 1.8-1.8 to 1.2-1.2 seconds, while a 95%95% confidence interval for mean accuracy score for game players minus mean accuracy score for non-players is 4.2-4.2 to +5.8+5.8. ¹Green, et al., "Improved probabilistic inference as a general learning mechanism with action video games," Current Biology, 2010; 20(September 14): 1.

(a) Is it plausible that game players and non-game players are basically the same in response time? If not, which group is faster (with a smaller response time)?

Plausible to be basically the same

Not plausible to be the same, and game players are faster

Not plausible to be the same, and non-game players are faster

(b) Is it plausible that game players and non-game players are basically the same in accuracy? If not, which group is more accurate?

Plausible to be basically the same

Not plausible to be the same, and game players are more accurate

Not plausible to be the same, and non-game players are more accurate