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How a Computer Game Is Reinventing the Science of Expertise

Posted by Soulskill on from the so-many-volunteers dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Cognitive scientists at Simon Fraser University and UCSD are beginning to use StarCraft 2 replays to study the development of expertise and the cognitive mechanisms of multitasking. Unlike similar expertise studies in chess that consider roughly a dozen players, these studies include thousands of players of all skill levels — providing an unprecedented amount of data on how players move from 'chumps to champions.'"

2 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. As a fellow cognitive scientist... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Let me be the first to explain "why Starcraft 2?"

    The answer lies in the oft-cited measure of player skill at the game: actions per minute. This is an unprecedented numerical measure of expertise that lends itself well to the study of "expertise" -- a term which means something different in the study of the brain than it does to the everyday person. Expertise is nothing less than a figurative rewiring of your brain in order to better excel at a chosen repetitive task. You can check out Wikipedia if you want to read more about it.

  2. Re:"micromanagement, not strategy" by ultranova · · Score: 4, Informative

    How did that work out for him in Russia?

    He reached Moscow. So I'd say it worked for him far better than most "conquer Russia" strategies have.

    --

    Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.