A simultaneous examination of two forms of working memory training: Evidence for near transfer only.

The efficacy of working-memory training is a topic of considerable debate, with some studies showing transfer to measures such as fluid intelligence while others have not. We report the results of a study designed to examine two forms of working-memory training, one using a spatial n-back and the ot...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Memory & Cognition Vol. 44; no. 7; pp. 1014 - 1038
Autores principales: Minear, Meredith, Brasher, Faith, Guerrero, Claudia, Brasher, Mandy, Moore, Andrew, Sukeena, Joshua
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Oct2016
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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Sumario:The efficacy of working-memory training is a topic of considerable debate, with some studies showing transfer to measures such as fluid intelligence while others have not. We report the results of a study designed to examine two forms of working-memory training, one using a spatial n-back and the other a verbal complex span. Thirty-one undergraduates completed 4 weeks of n-back training and 32 completed 4 weeks of verbal complex span training. We also included two active control groups. One group trained on a non-adaptive version of n-back and the other trained on a real-time strategy video game. All participants completed pre- and post-training measures of a large battery of transfer tasks used to create composite measures of short-term and working memory in both verbal and visuo-spatial domains as well as verbal reasoning and fluid intelligence. We only found clear evidence for near transfer from the spatial n-back training to new forms of n-back, and this was the case for both adaptive and non-adaptive n-back.