Are Soldiers Gamers? Videogame Usage among Soldiers and Implications for the Effective Use of Serious Videogames for Military Training

Abstract

Videogames are increasingly being used for military training. One assumption is that the majority of soldiers play videogames regularly; however, research by Orvis, Horn, and Belanich (2009) Orvis, K. A., Horn, D. B. and Belanich, J. 2009. An examination of the role individual differences play in videogame-based training. Military Psychology, 21: 461–481. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] found that only approximately 40% of U.S. Military Academy cadets reported moderate to heavy game-play. Given that cadets may be a special population, this research examines the frequency of videogame usage across the U.S. Army. Results indicate that fewer than 43% of over 10,000 soldiers surveyed play videogames at least weekly. Junior enlisted soldiers report the highest frequency (51–59%), whereas senior enlisted/officer ranks play much less (11–37%). Implications for utilizing serious videogames for military training are discussed.

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