How real is real?

One more demonstration of the way in which experience in a simulated world can have effects in the real world–this time showing that playing a first person shooter video game can overcome the difference between men and women in some aspects of spatial cognition. From  Feng, J., Spence, I., & Pratt, J. (2007). Playing an action video game reduces gender differences in spatial cognition. Psychological Science, (in press, October 2007):

We demonstrate a previously unknown gender difference in the distribution of spatial attention, a basic capacity that supports higher-level spatial cognition. More remarkably, we found that playing an action video game can virtually eliminate this gender difference in spatial attention and simultaneously decrease the gender disparity in mental rotation ability, a higher-level process in spatial cognition. After only 10 hr of training with an action video game, subjects realized substantial gains in both spatial attention and mental rotation, with women benefiting more than men. Control subjects who played a nonaction game showed no improvement. Given that superior spatial skills are important in the mathematical and engineering sciences, these findings have practical implications for attracting men and women to these fields.

The Economist  (subscription required) has an interesting take on the issue, pointing out (rightly) that this not only suggests that video games can be an effective teaching tool, but that differences that we take to be genetic can often be accounted for by experience. Which means the right kinds of experiences–even virtual experiences, it turns out–can be powerful learning opportunities.