**2.2. Emotional enhancement of video game players**

128 Current Topics in Children's Learning and Cognition

(data are means±SD; \*P<0.001, ANOVA).

**Figure 4.** Differences between players and non-players in VTS AHA Attitudes Test for impulsiveness

**Figure 5.** Difference between players and non-players in WAIS-R Picture Completion Test for

perception of details (data are means±SD; \*P<0.001, Mann-Whitney U test).

When we compared emotional stability between the video game players and nonplayers, as expressed by the level of neuroticism, it turned out that the players were appreciably less neurotic and more emotionally stable. The two populations of subjects not only significantly differed concerning the level of neuroticism, but the players also had characteristically different personality traits. This is shown in Fig. 6 which demonstrates the profiles of the introversion-extroversion continuum, expressed in stens. Extroversion appeared a clearly predominating personality trait in the majority of players (23 subjects), with but one subject scoring in the lowest sten division corresponding to introversion. This profile contrasted with that present in the nonplayers, where ambiversion predominated (15 subjects), followed by introversion in 10 subjects.

**Figure 6.** Personality traits in video game players and non-players surveyed with EPQ-R questionnaire (χ2=22.8, P<0.001; reproduced with permission from Borecki et al., 2011).

More adaptive emotional characteristics of video game players were also reflected in their tackling of stressful situations. The majority of them presented the advantageous taskoriented strategy of coping with stress. Other less adaptive styles of coping were present in a fewer number of players than in non-players; avoidance-oriented 0 *vs.* 8 subjects, distraction 2 *vs.* 13 subjects, social diversion 0 *vs*. 8 subjects, respectively. The only exception here was the emotion-oriented style of coping which appeared in eight players as opposed to one non-player. All these differences between the players and non-players were significant as depicted in detail in Fig. 7.

Psychological Fitness in Young Adult Video Game Players 131

game user might be able to use redundant neuronal pathways to accomplish the task or, in

Our work demonstrates the presence of a specific game-related psychological pattern developed as a result of repetitive gaming sessions. The on-line games require an active interaction and cooperation with other players. This is congruous with the more outgoing, more approachable, and socially interactive personality trait of extroversion present in the players. Players are better emotionally equipped. They employ emotionally superior taskoriented strategy of coping with stress and are, in general, more emotionally stable. Gaming acquaints with a highly competitive, i.e., stressful circumstances. Such circumstances may actually help the players adapt to other real-life stressful situations and make them feel more secure and of higher self-esteem, which is reflected in taking on the more adaptive task-oriented strategy of coping with stress. The players would then be less vulnerable to

Choosing a more adaptive style of coping with stress is in correspondence with disconfirmation of less-adaptive styles by video game players, as seen in our results. Unexpectedly, the emotion-oriented style of coping was up in this group. Possibly, there were persons among the players who were inherently predisposed to the feelings of anger or sadness. Such feelings may have been mitigated during the gaming sessions, but came to

The overall advantageous psychological pattern in video game players may likely have to do with more efficient and less susceptible to disruption use of neuronal networks. Emotional stability would then go in harmony with enhanced cognitive functions due possibly to coordinated interaction of neurons in wider spread areas as a result of repetitive

Repetitive, training-like binding of perceptive signals in the context of previously acquired experience and knowledge while using video games fits well into Jean Piaget's cognitive theory known as 'cognitive constructivism'. The theory was originally created to understand the successive stages of intellectual development from the neonatal to childhood age (Piaget, 1977). On the premise, however, that cognitive development does not end at the age of physical maturity and rather represents a sort of continuum throughout the life cycle (Commons & Richards, 1984; Demetriou et al., 2010), we submit that the process of cognitive improvement in young adults due to video gaming may be seen extensional to this theory. One can find in the cognitive enhancement due to video gaming the basic tenets of Piaget's ideas. Games help classify or group subjects together on the basis of common features, which seems obvious in case of a battlefield or other action games. They help a person take new material into his mind from the fictitious fable and from the real environment

other words, approach the task from different angles.

**3.2. Personality and emotion** 

stress in the longer-run.

light between the sessions.

**3.3. Piagetian aspects** 

'training' sessions (Uhlhaas & Singer, 2006).

**Figure 7.** Styles of coping with stress in video game players and non-players assessed with CISS questionnaire (χ2=49.5, P<0.001; reproduced with permission from Borecki et al., 2011).
