Game over for Tetris as a platform for cognitive skill training

This study investigated how to train transferable spatial skills with Tetris. In Study 1 (value added study), participants who played Tetris along with explicit instruction in Tetris cognitive strategies across 4 sessions did not show greater gains in 6 cognitive skills, including spatial and perceptual skills, than participants who only played Tetris across 4 sessions. In Study 2 (cognitive consequences study), participants who played Tetris in Study 1 did not show greater gains in 6 cognitive skills than participants who did not play Tetris. This research demonstrates the failure of Tetris to train cognitive skills even with evidence-based training enhancements, and highlights the idea that fast-paced computer game playing can foster highly specific skills that do not transfer.
Source: Contemporary Educational Psychology - Category: Child Development Source Type: research