In my quest to search for more things positive on gaming, I have just come across this piece of info in ScienceDaily. It had an article on the hazards of multitasking while driving such as talking on a cell phone while driving.
Assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University, Mei-Ching Lien says;
Even with a seemingly simple task, structural cognitive limitations can prevent you from efficiently switching to a new task. A lot of people think talking on the cell phone while driving is natural, but each time someone asks a question or changes the subject, it’s like taking on a new task. It requires a certain amount of thought and preparation. It’s actually quite different than listening to the radio, where you don’t need to respond.In her lab studies, she has yet to test any volunteers who are immune to delays in multi-tasking, though she says some students do much better than others.
She pointed that such people are video gamers and said;
I have to say that the best ones are those who play a lot of video games.” However, in the same breath she added; “Those are lab studies, however, and not driving tests.I wonder if she knows about the bloke who actually installed an Xbox 360 in his Mazada. She would have been impressed to say the least. *heh*
So while gamers might be better in driving while talking to cell phones, I certainly can’t recommend you doing that. It is always better to drive home or to a friend’s safely for a good gaming session isn’t it?
Source: ScienceDaily
