Video games stimulate reflexes, strategic thinking and even creativity. But a new “study” has shaken up these certainties, at least for certain games. What if your choice of game said a lot about your intelligence? This is the thorny question raised by a recent survey carried out by a site called WhichBingo.
FIFA at the bottom: myth or reality?
The study had the effect of a bomb in the gaming community by trying to determine the favorite games of HPIs and young people. FIFA players (yes FC 24, but does anyone in the world call it that?) find themselves in last position with an average IQ of 89.8. This places FIFA players at 10 points less than the French average of 100.
But before we cry foul, let’s take a step back. These results do not mean that FIFA makes you stupid or that its players are stupid necessarily. IQ is just one measure of intelligence. Additionally, the skills developed in FIFA (reflexes, reading the game, team management) are not necessarily those assessed by traditional IQ tests.
League of Legends in the lead
At the other end of the spectrum are players of League of Legends. With an average IQ of 120.4, they dominate the rankings. Following closely behind are fans of Black Myth: Wukong (119.8) and Baldur’s Gate 3 (117.9).
This podium is not trivial. These games share common points: complex strategy, rapid decision-making and resource management. These are all skills that align well with the criteria of traditional IQ tests.
Beyond the numbers: what does this study really tell us?
While these results are thought provoking, they also raise questions. The study was conducted by WhichBingo, an online gambling company, and not by academic researchers. Moreover, the sample of 1002 players leaves doubts about its representativeness.
More importantly, this study revives the debate on the relevance of IQ as a single measure of intelligence. Psychologists today agree on the existence of multiple forms of intelligence that IQ tests struggle to capture.
So, should you put away your PS5 and rush to League of Legends to boost your IQ? Not so fast. Each game develops unique skills. FIFA, for example, can improve hand-eye coordination, reflexes and even tactical understanding of real football. The main thing is therefore to vary the pleasures here.
- Study ranks FIFA players as having the lowest IQ among gamers, but these results should be taken with a grain of salt
- Strategy games like League of Legends come out on top, probably because they use skills similar to those tested by IQ
- IQ is just one measure of intelligence. Each game develops unique and valuable skills
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