'Are You Game?'
Ohio Wesleyan Students Explore Effect of Video Games on Thoughts, Actions
Name: Melayna Rios '26
Hometown: Rossford, Ohio
High School: Penta Career Center
Majors: Neuroscience and Psychology
Name: Mannat Sikand '27
Hometown: Gurgaon, India
High School: Heritage Xperiential Learning School
Majors: Psychology and Business Administration
OWU Connection Experience: Summer Science Research Program
Rios and Sikand are researching "Are You Game? Examining the Effects of Video Games on Cognition" as part of Ohio Wesleyan's annual 10-week Summer Science Research Program (SSRP). They are being mentored by Kira Bailey, Ph.D., the David O. Robbins Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience.
What We're Researching?
Rios: "I am helping Dr. Bailey in her endeavors to better understand the nuances of cognitive control used when people perform a Stroop task as video game players and non-video game players.
"Alongside that, I am also helping her prepare for an upcoming study involving the massively popular video game, 'League of Legends.' In this, we are hoping to better understand how personality traits influence players' decisions on the roles they play."
Sikand: "We are researching how video games impact our ability to control, coordinate, and sequence our thoughts and actions in accordance with goals, also known as cognitive control.
"In our study, we asked participants to perform a Stroop task (a task that helps us measure cognition) while we monitored their brain activity using a machine called an EEG (electroencephalogram). We are hoping to uncover any changes in cognition that take place. Since so many of us play video games today, we feel that it is vital to study any effects it has on us."
Why This Opportunity?
Rios: "Dr. Bailey's work involves two of my largest interests: neuroscience and video games. I have an undying love for both, and so to get a chance to involve myself in this research has been amazing. Video games have completely changed the media people consume and have renovated storytelling. So, to study video game players and compare them to non-players undoubtedly gives us more insight into just exactly how this medium is impacting us all as consumers."
Sikand: "I chose this particular OWU Connection experience because it perfectly aligned with my interest in studying psychology further since research is a crucial part of the field. It has allowed me to apply concepts I learned within the classroom to real-world situations and equip me with other important skills such as data collection, data analysis, and EEG operation. It also took place on campus during the summer and housing was provided – as an international student that was a big plus."
Favorite Moments
Rios: "My favorite part of this experience has been learning how to run a participant in the EEG. EEG is a tool often used in neurological research and to get a hands-on understanding of it has been awesome!"
Sikand: "So far my favorite moment of the experience has been learning how to operate an EEG. To do so, electrodes are inserted into a cap, which is then placed on a participant's head. We then use gel to connect the electrodes to the scalp and successfully monitor brain activity. This is a time-consuming process that requires patience and accuracy. It helped me gain a clearer understanding of the process involved in psychological and neurological research and solidified my interest in exploring this field further."
The things I have learned through this experience are things I directly want to do in the future, such as cognitive research and experimental design.
Lessons Learned
Rios: "My heart is truly in the cognitive sciences, and so to get the experience involved with physically running the EEG to learning how to design a study has been so important to me. The things I have learned through this experience are things I directly want to do in the future, such as cognitive research and experimental design."
Sikand: "This experience has taught me what psychological research actually entails and the effort it requires. It helped me gain new skills, like learning how to operate an EEG, and sharpened existing skills including data analysis, data collection, and presentation skills."
Helpful Mentor
Rios: "Dr. Kira Bailey has been my faculty mentor for this summer. I have learned quite a bit about designing a study from Dr. Bailey. A lot of the research and work she does is exactly what I could see myself doing in the future, so to work with her has really helped me see what a future in academic neuroscience could look like for me."
Sikand: "My faculty mentor is Dr. Kira Bailey. She has helped give me more perspective about grad school and what a career in psychology would look like. She has always been very supportive and patiently answers all my questions."
Campus Involvements
Rios: "I am the co-chair of OWU's Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) chapter."
Sikand: "I am a part of the Bishop Way Program as a peer educator and am working at the Sagan Academic Resource Center. I also help out at the testing center."
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
Rios: "I chose OWU because of the beauty of its campus. When I first toured, I thought the campus was very nice and I loved the walkability of it. The heart of Delaware truly is a beautiful place to have a college campus."
Sikand: "OWU gave me a very generous financial aid package, which made college affordable from India and eased the financial burden for my family. It had a small class size that would allow me to ease my transition academically from school to college as well as culturally from India to America."
Plans After Graduation
Rios: "Graduate school! With two majors in neuroscience and psychology, graduate school is definitely in my future. The OWU professors have been so helpful in preparing me for what is ahead. I am most grateful for the encouragement from my professors and their own zest for students' education."
Sikand: "I plan on going to graduate school after OWU. OWU has continuously provided me with good opportunities like the SSRP, which has allowed me to gain exposure and prepared me for the future."