Video-game training,
does it really help with Improved untrained general cognitive ability?
research showsThe grade is C. The main model across 63 studies, 3,286 participants, and 359 effects gave g=0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.12, with I-squared 18%; its interval excluded zero. General-cognitive transfer therefore was not exactly absent, but it was below Cohen's 0.2 convention for a small effect. Publication-bias correction after imputing 37 effects gave -0.01, -0.06 to 0.05, and the action-versus-non-action game subgroup was also inconclusive at 0.10, -0.01 to 0.20.
ads claimImprovement in a particular game or a closely related task is real practice learning. It cannot be marketed as broad transfer to untrained memory, reasoning, cognitive control, or everyday functioning when the meta-analysis did not confirm that transfer.
Useful facts when choosing a product
- The meta-analysis included 63 training studies and 3,286 participants with cognitive measures unrelated to the trained games.
- Overall training effect was g=0.07; publication-bias-adjusted effect was g=-0.01.
- Action games versus other active games yielded g=0.10 with a confidence interval crossing zero and adjusted g=-0.03.
- Skill at a game or a similar task is a different claim from improvement in untrained general cognition.
What the research actually shows
ERIC, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, and dissertations were searched through 2016. Sixty-three training studies with 3,286 participants and 359 effects were included. Outcomes were grouped as visual attention, spatial ability, cognitive control, memory, and intelligence or reasoning, and inclusion required a domain-general measure unrelated to the game. The main model gave g=0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.12, with I-squared 18%. Bias correction imputing 37 effects gave -0.01, -0.06 to 0.05. The 96-effect action-versus-non-action subgroup gave 0.10, -0.01 to 0.20, and adjusted -0.03, -0.14 to 0.09. Which analysis was prespecified as primary could not be established. No meta-analysis registration or funding statement was identified, and funding of all included primary trials was not verified.
Why this is classified as C (46)
The main model found a nonzero but very small effect, while publication-bias correction and the action-versus-non-action analysis were inconclusive, giving C with 46 points.
Counterpoint. C does not imply a large general-cognitive benefit. The main-model interval excluded zero, but its magnitude was very small and near-task learning remains a different claim.
Rejudgment record. Cross-check applied — Separation of overall, publication-bias-corrected, and active-control meta-analytic estimates, and distinction between trained-task learning and far cognitive transfer
| Endpoint | P | Patient-reported treatment goal - the symptom is the goal |
| Replication | R1 | Single confirmatory trial |
| Independence | I1 | Mixed funding sources |
| Effect size | E~ | Statistically positive but below the threshold |
The scoring table and the verdict agree (C).
Sub-claim grades by effect
This ingredient is marketed for several effects. A single overall grade blends strong and weak claims together, so each effect is graded separately here. The overall grade reflects the strongest disconfirming or core claim.
| Effect (sub-claim) | Grade | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Improved untrained general cognitive ability | D | Publication-bias-adjusted g was -0.01. |
| General-cognitive superiority of action games over other games | D | The active-control estimate g=0.10 had a confidence interval crossing zero. |
| Improved skill in the trained game or nearby tasks | C | Some task-specific small gains occurred, but they are not general cognitive transfer. |
Cross-check — Codex and Claude
Evidence Table
| Study | Design | Sample | Funding | Endpoint | Result | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study 1 | Meta-analysis of randomized and quasi-randomized video-game training studies | 359 | Funding of the meta-analysis and all included trials was not established | Game-unrelated visual attention, spatial ability, cognitive control, memory, and intelligence or reasoning tasks | Main-model g=0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.12, I-squared 18%; adjusted g=-0.01, -0.06 to 0.05 after imputing 37 effects; action versus non-action games g=0.10, -0.01 to 0.20 | Very small positive main model with inconclusive bias-corrected and action-versus-non-action estimates |
Receipt — 1 References
All 1 cited sources were verified for existence at the original page (as of 2026-08-05).
Reviewed and approved: Chamgap Editorial Team · Approval date: 2026-08-05 · Corrections: none
Cite this verdict
[Chamgap] Video-game training x improved general cognitive ability — Evidence Grade C·46. 1 cited sources checked. Source: https://chamgap.com/en/verdicts/cognition/video-game-training-general-cognition/ · CC BY 4.0CC BY 4.0 — free to use with attribution; do not distort grades, numbers, or verdict meaning.
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