Communality of Videogame Performances with Tracking Tasks

Performances on three videogames were compared with two different tracking tasks and a third dual tracking task, after stability of performance was achieved by 40 male subjects. The six tasks were performed in succession for three weeks each, and one year separated administration of the tracking tasks from the videogames. Convergence of the cross-correlations among these tasks occurred such that higher correlations were attained for scores obtained late in practice (late/late) of two tasks (even when they were performed a year apart) rather than for scores obtained earlier in training (viz., early/early). High communality between these two types of tasks was observed as indicated by virtual overlap between the videogames and the tracking tasks, even though different control media (joysticks, knobs), control orders (zero/first), and control inputs (displacement/force transducer) were required. Because these tasks apparently index similar abilities, there may be advantages to measuring tracking skills with videogames, which include low cost, wide availability, inherent interest to subjects and motivation, rapid approach to stable levels, and, in many cases greater apparent face validity relative to real world performance requirements.