Psychology of Counter-Strike

Does playing Counter-Strike make you think faster?

Professor Claudia von Bastian and PhD student Eleanor Hyde are looking into the cognitive benefits of playing video games like Counter-Strike, one of the world’s most popular first-person shooter games. It is the first study to look at the impact that video games have on the cognitive abilities of gamers, ranging from complete novices to professional esports players. 

The study has found that experienced players of the game are faster at decision-making and executing a response. In a more complex decision-making task, expert players also demonstrated quicker evidence accumulation, suggesting these Counter-Strike players have an edge in fast-paced environments where rapid decision-making is vital.

The researchers believe the findings could have benefits beyond gaming – for example, they could be used to design training and interventions for those who work in high pressure environments in which fast, accurate decision-making is crucial, such as doctors and nurses.