Cognitive Styles Are Poor Predictors of Esports Player Performance in League of Legends

This research investigates the predictive power of specific cognitive styles on player performance in League of Legends, measured by in-game rank. The central thesis posited that cognitive styles such as field-dependence/independence, reflectivity/impulsivity, and rigidity/flexibility of cognitive control would correlate with higher in-game rank. The study involved 41 participants, focusing exclusively on League of Legends players.

Contrary to the initial hypothesis, the findings indicate that none of the examined cognitive style indicators significantly predict in-game rank. Instead, the only statistically significant predictor identified was game experience, whether quantified by years played (p = .0002) or total ranked matches (p = .0008). A linear model incorporating these factors explained approximately 41% of the variance in player rank (adjusted R2 = 0.41), with game experience being the primary driver.

The conclusion is that cognitive styles, as defined and measured in this study, are poor predictors of esports player performance in League of Legends. In-game experience emerges as a far more significant determinant of player rank. This outcome challenges some existing literature, suggesting that the specific task structures and cognitive control measures employed in different studies may lead to varying conclusions regarding the influence of cognitive styles on performance.