Do action video gamers search better than non-gamers?

Studies have shown that action video gamers are better at visual search than non-gamers, but less is known about the specific ways in which gamers excel. We conducted an extensive set of experiments to examine whether and how gamers and non-gamers differ in their search performance. We used both simple, efficient feature search tasks and difficult, inefficient configuration search tasks, including search for game-style figures. In four of the experiments, we adopted a psychophysical staircase procedure to determine the minimal display duration or target-distractor color difference required for participants to find the target. In the other eight experiments, we measured response time and search efficiency for efficient as well as inefficient search tasks. This study is the first to use both staircase procedures and response time measures to give a comprehensive examination of group differences between gamers and non-gamers in various aspects of visual search behavior. We found only minimal evidence for superior search skills among gamers. Only in one of four cases did we find a gamer benefit in their perceptual threshold - gamers’ color discrimination exhibit a higher robustness against search difficulty. In one of four efficient searches did gamers respond marginally faster or switch faster. On the other hand, in one of four inefficient searches gamers actually suffered more from increased set size, suggesting a less efficient search than non-gamers. These findings call for more cautious consideration of the advantage of gamers in visual search.