The Effect of Computer Games on Information Processing in Young Adults

This study mainly focuses on the effect of violent and mental computer games on information processing (time and accuracy of reaction) in young adults. It also seeks to identify the possible differences between automatic and controlled information processing. With a semi-experimental design، this research worked with a population of 90 male junior high school students in second grade; the students were randomly classified into an experimental and a control group and were studied for two months. In the experimental group، the students were in the category of either violent or mental games. The students in the control group were not familiar with computer games at all. The instrument for measuring computational test was Stroop Effect which would record the exact time and the precision of the response of all students for both automatic and controlled information processing in the pre-test and the post-test. The data were then analyzed using dependent t-test. The results of the study revealed that computer games of mental type have a significant relationship with reaction time in automatic (p = 0. 04) and controlled (p = 0. 01) processing as well as the precision of reaction in automatic (p = 0. 0) and controlled (p = 0. 0) processing. The results concerning violent computer games showed that this type of games have a significant impact on the reaction time in automatic (p = 0. 001) and controlled (p = 0. 002) information processing as well as on the precision of reaction in automatic (p = 0. 00). The result of precision of reaction in controlled processing (p = 0. 08)، however، was not significant. The analysis of the results of the control group in both the pre-test and the post-test proved to be insignificant with regard to both reaction time and precision of reaction، in both automatic and controlled processing. All in all، this study showed a better processing of information، both automatic and controlled، in games of mental type. In violent games، the performance was impaired.