by Jaidev Adigopula

Created on: July 13, 2010   Last Updated: July 22, 2010

Visual perception as the name suggests, is a combination of the faculty of vision (to sense light data), and the capability of perception (to process that data into a scene). Visual perception has been linked to many higher forms of intellect including academic achievement and to dexterity in sensory-motor activities such as eye-hand coordination. Several studies have shown that visual perceptual skills can be significantly enhanced by playing certain computer games. Some of the main categories of games are:

* First Person Shooter (FPS) games *

FPS games such as Halo, Call of Duty and Unreal Tournament may not exactly be the kind of games you would associate with a lot of cognitive improvement but they are particularly useful in improving visual perception and related motor perception. These games are known to push the envelope on the human visual pathways forcing the brain to adapt to suit heightened and rapid visual perception. Virtual reality based FPS games have been clinically demonstrated to improve certain conditions such as ambylopia or lazy eye.

* Web-based brain training games *

A number of online brain training websites are emerging and most of these have an emphasis on developing visual perceptual skills. An example of that would be Lumosity- a website that has many games intended at developing different aspects of the brain including visual perception. The main games to improve the visual field (i.e. the area you can see without moving your eyes) are Birdwatching, Top Chimp and Space Junk; while games such as Memory Matrix and Spatial Speed Match help achieve better visuospatial capability and visual working memory. Another really good brain-training site is Happy Neuron with popular games such as Points of View and Turn Around and Around. Unfortunately neither site is free, but they do allow you to try the games before you decide to with them.

* The classics *

One cannot but cite Tetris as a classic example and one of the best studied and proven games to improve visual perceptual skills.  Tetris enhances visual discrimination based on differences in shape, size, color and orientation and simultaneously hones visuospatial ability and peripheral vision. Similarly, popular games from the past such as Pac-man and Zaxxon were amongst the earliest ones known to improve areas such as shape and motion perception as well as eye-hand coordination. 

Visual perception is an important capability, known to be primarily responsible for healthy mental development in general. Computer games can play a significant role in improving color, shape, size and orientation processing, peripheral vision and visual memory. So after you’ve finished reading this, do get going on one of those computer games above!

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