A new study conducted among 3D movie goers in London has come up with some pretty interesting results that show significant boosts in brain power after watching; it may even hold some hope for seniors.
The study was led by Patrick Fagan among 129 individuals who watched 2D and 3D versions of a 30 minute clip from Disney's Big Hero 6. In general, a boost in brain power, reaction times, memory, and problem solving skills were reported to last for up to 20 minutes after viewing the 3D film.
Although individual results varied (one participant even wrote that his grammatical reasoning scores went down post 3D viewing), in general, the study found an increase of 23 percent in cognitive processing and 11 percent increase in reaction times in the minutes after watching a 3D movie.
According to Fagan, he was not surprised by the results of these tests. "First of all, 3D films are more exciting. They get people aroused. From an evolutionary perspective it's the same as if a tiger jumps out at you; that too makes you aroused, as you have to think very quickly about whether you should run or fight. In such an excited state, your brain gets a boost," he said.
The results of Fagan's test is in contradiction to an earlier study conducted on 3D films by Mark Carrier of the California State University in 2011 which found that "found that stereoscopy did not allow viewers to experience more intense emotional reactions, and offered no apparent advantage over 2D."
However, this study has a different focus and did not address on the enjoyment of a viewer of a 3D film over a 2D film, but rather on how the immersive 3D film experience would increase brain potential.
As for the results of his study, Fagan remains optimistic and excited on how 3D film can be used to help seniors with deteriorating brain power.
"It is a fact that people are living longer and there is a noticeable decline in cognitive brain function in old age which can impair future quality of life... The initial results of this study indicate that 3D films may potentially play a role in slowing this decline," he said.
