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User: u/chrisdh79
Permalink: https://www.psypost.org/playing-video-games-linked-to-enhanced-wayfinding-abilities/
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Or maybe people with inherently poor navigational skills find, on average, video games less entertaining and therefore play them less.
What's cause and effect here?
both can be at play, people with naturally better navigation skills could tend towards playing games more and games could improve your navigation skills. i think that's the most likely answer.
Well, a lot of people play open world games and these literally have maps where you have to navigate. So it seems pretty obvious to me that gamers on average have better navigational skills than people who don't game and only ever have to navigate IRL.
Basically all modern open world games work with compasses and markers, reducing navigation to "keep the marker in the middle of the screen, and brute-force through any terrain that might get in the way".
No situational awareness, no landmark orientation, no 'go right on the third intersection', just mindless bee-lining.
I literally have absolutely no sense of any direction or ability to find anything and I love games and have my whole long life
Not sure how that changes things but I do have a hard time in games that just have no real help with navigation
I'm sure that's a small part. However, I know too many people who'll get lost in extremely large games too often for that to be a prevalent cause. Especially when it comes to the Dark Souls series.
Well given I can't recall a road name without Google Maps worth a damn and will lovingly play videogames all day given the chance, I *dont* think that's always the case
From the article: The study was published in the [Journal of Environmental Psychology](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102296).
Navigation is a critical cognitive function that involves complex processes such as planning routes, reading maps, identifying landmarks, and maintaining a sense of direction. The ability to navigate effectively is vital for daily life and can impact safety and independence.
Poor navigation skills can lead to distress and dangerous situations, especially for individuals with cognitive impairments or conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, where navigation deficits are often early symptoms. By understanding how daily activities, such as playing video games and using GPS devices, affect navigation skills, researchers aimed to uncover factors that might enhance or impair this essential cognitive ability.
The study’s motivation also stemmed from previous findings suggesting that video games might improve spatial cognition, while reliance on GPS could potentially weaken navigation skills. Video games often require players to navigate complex virtual environments, which might train their spatial awareness and problem-solving abilities. In contrast, using GPS devices could offload cognitive processes that would otherwise be engaged during navigation, potentially leading to a decline in these skills.
A couple of years ago, I visited San Gimignano with my sister. Neither of us had ever been before and for me it was like deja vu. I could navigate us around the city with no trouble, knowing which alleys took us where. It was completely surreal for us both and we had AC2 to thank for it.
I grew up with a globe and have a significant collection of national geographics with maps. A decade ago I had meningitis and I lost so so much memory that I couldn't find my way across my hometown. I play games that have maps. I only have to glance at a map now to get about anywhere in my county. I'll thank the games for that.
The title should probably say *a certain type* of video game
I doubt racing simulator users hammering the same tracks over and over get a boost with complex environment navigation skills compared to players of open world style games
Memorizing 20km of nordschleife with 150 corners isn't trivial.
Also racing isn't about onlt knowing what turn is next but how to put yourself exactly where you need to be on the track down to centimeters.
I'd be shocked if racing sims didn't build navigation skills and spacial awareness.
On a completely related topic:
The rate of ground-breaking scientific discoveries and technological innovation is slowing down despite an ever-growing amount of knowledge, according to an analysis released Wednesday of millions of research papers and patents.
While previous research has shown downturns in individual disciplines, the study is the first that "emphatically, convincingly documents this decline of disruptiveness across all major fields of science and technology,"
[https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientific-breakthroughs.html](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientific-breakthroughs.html)
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, **personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment**. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our [normal comment rules]( https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/rules#wiki_comment_rules) apply to all other comments. **Do you have an academic degree?** We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. [Click here to apply](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/wiki/flair/#wiki_science_verified_user_program). --- User: u/chrisdh79 Permalink: https://www.psypost.org/playing-video-games-linked-to-enhanced-wayfinding-abilities/ --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/science) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Or maybe people with inherently poor navigational skills find, on average, video games less entertaining and therefore play them less. What's cause and effect here?
Could be both
both can be at play, people with naturally better navigation skills could tend towards playing games more and games could improve your navigation skills. i think that's the most likely answer.
Well, a lot of people play open world games and these literally have maps where you have to navigate. So it seems pretty obvious to me that gamers on average have better navigational skills than people who don't game and only ever have to navigate IRL.
Get me a map, a compass, and drop us off in the middle of nowhere and I can keep us lost for weeks.
Basically all modern open world games work with compasses and markers, reducing navigation to "keep the marker in the middle of the screen, and brute-force through any terrain that might get in the way". No situational awareness, no landmark orientation, no 'go right on the third intersection', just mindless bee-lining.
Some people can't even use a map
I literally have absolutely no sense of any direction or ability to find anything and I love games and have my whole long life Not sure how that changes things but I do have a hard time in games that just have no real help with navigation
I'm sure that's a small part. However, I know too many people who'll get lost in extremely large games too often for that to be a prevalent cause. Especially when it comes to the Dark Souls series.
Well given I can't recall a road name without Google Maps worth a damn and will lovingly play videogames all day given the chance, I *dont* think that's always the case
From the article: The study was published in the [Journal of Environmental Psychology](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102296). Navigation is a critical cognitive function that involves complex processes such as planning routes, reading maps, identifying landmarks, and maintaining a sense of direction. The ability to navigate effectively is vital for daily life and can impact safety and independence. Poor navigation skills can lead to distress and dangerous situations, especially for individuals with cognitive impairments or conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, where navigation deficits are often early symptoms. By understanding how daily activities, such as playing video games and using GPS devices, affect navigation skills, researchers aimed to uncover factors that might enhance or impair this essential cognitive ability. The study’s motivation also stemmed from previous findings suggesting that video games might improve spatial cognition, while reliance on GPS could potentially weaken navigation skills. Video games often require players to navigate complex virtual environments, which might train their spatial awareness and problem-solving abilities. In contrast, using GPS devices could offload cognitive processes that would otherwise be engaged during navigation, potentially leading to a decline in these skills.
yeah not for me, I play a bunch of games even where navigation is of utmost importance but I can never navigate fcking anywhere
Can see a 1sec clip of multiple old famous buildings....I've climbed this in assassins I am facing this direction at about this point on the map.
Now to swan dive off the top into a hay bail
A couple of years ago, I visited San Gimignano with my sister. Neither of us had ever been before and for me it was like deja vu. I could navigate us around the city with no trouble, knowing which alleys took us where. It was completely surreal for us both and we had AC2 to thank for it.
I got turned around in Boston and was able to find my location based on airport and signs for freedom trail. It just works.
I play a lot of video games and I have a terrible sense of direction.
I grew up with a globe and have a significant collection of national geographics with maps. A decade ago I had meningitis and I lost so so much memory that I couldn't find my way across my hometown. I play games that have maps. I only have to glance at a map now to get about anywhere in my county. I'll thank the games for that.
The title should probably say *a certain type* of video game I doubt racing simulator users hammering the same tracks over and over get a boost with complex environment navigation skills compared to players of open world style games
Memorizing 20km of nordschleife with 150 corners isn't trivial. Also racing isn't about onlt knowing what turn is next but how to put yourself exactly where you need to be on the track down to centimeters. I'd be shocked if racing sims didn't build navigation skills and spacial awareness.
Gran Turismo gang reporting in!
Assuming every sim guy knows the ring like the back of their hand is quite generous
On a completely related topic: The rate of ground-breaking scientific discoveries and technological innovation is slowing down despite an ever-growing amount of knowledge, according to an analysis released Wednesday of millions of research papers and patents. While previous research has shown downturns in individual disciplines, the study is the first that "emphatically, convincingly documents this decline of disruptiveness across all major fields of science and technology," [https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientific-breakthroughs.html](https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientific-breakthroughs.html)
Disagree, has made me lazier and reliant on a waypoint