Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory

Abstract

Fluid intelligence (Gf ) refers to the ability to reason and to solve new problems independently of previously acquired knowledge. Gf is critical for a wide variety of cognitive tasks, and it is considered one of the most important factors in learning. Moreover, Gf is closely related to professional and educational success, especially in complex and demanding environments. Although performance on tests of Gf can be improved through direct practice on the tests themselves, there is no evidence that training on any other regimen yields increased Gf in adults. Furthermore, there is a long history of research into cognitive training showing that, although performance on trained tasks can increase dramatically, transfer of this learning to other tasks remains poor. Here, we present evidence for transfer from training on a demanding working memory task to measures of Gf. This transfer results even though the trained task is entirely different from the intelligence test itself. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the extent of gain in intelligence critically depends on the amount of training: the more training, the more improvement in Gf. That is, the training effect is dosage-dependent. Thus, in contrast to many previous studies, we conclude that it is possible to improve Gf without practicing the testing tasks themselves, opening a wide range of applications.cognitive training ͉ transfer ͉ individual differences ͉ executive processes ͉ control processes

Does working memory training have to be adaptive?

“…To keep comparability of single sessions between training conditions as high as possible, task difficulty was modified only once per session (i.e., after 100% of the trials per session). In contrast, in the previous study, task difficulty was adjusted within sessions, a procedure more typical in the training literature (e.g., Chein & Morrison, 2010;Dunning, Holmes, & Gathercole, 2013;Jaeggi, et al, 2008;von Bastian, Langer, et al, 2013). Furthermore, in the present study, task difficulty could increase or decrease, whereas it was only increased in the earlier study.…”

Brain potentials predict substance abuse treatment completion in a prison sample

“…2003; Jaeggi et al. 2008; Morrison and Chein 2011). Future studies should investigate working memory training as an adjunct to substance abuse treatment in participants at high risk for treatment discontinuation to determine if such training improves processing of treatment‐related information, and thereby improves treatment retention and outcomes.…”

On the validity and generality of transfer effects in cognitive training research

“…While 26 studies investigated the effects of practice on single tasks like the dual n-back task (e.g. Chooi & Thompson, 2012;Jaeggi et al, 2008;Rudbeck et al, 2012;Redick et al, 2013;Salminen, Strobach, & Schubert, 2012), the dual task (e.g. Bherer, Kramer, & Peterson, 2008;Lussier, Gagnon, & Bherer, 2012;Mackay-Brandt, 2011), or the task-switching paradigm (e.g.…”

“…Recently, positive transfer to performance on untrained tasks has been observed in response to working memory (e.g., Borella, Carretti, Riboldi, & De Beni, 2010;Jaeggi, Buschkuehl, Jonides, Perrig, 2008;Klingberg et al, 2005Kuwajima & Sawaguchi, 2010 and executive control training (e.g., Forte et al, 2013;Karbach & Kray, 2009). Together with findings showing that cognitive engagement can result in changes at the neuronal level (Brehmer et al, 2011;Kühn et al, 2012;McNab et al, 2009;Olesen et al, 2004;Wenger et al, 2012), these observations have fostered optimism about the effectiveness of cognitive training procedures.…”

“…Both studies employed the dual n-back paradigm that had been used before to induce reliable transfer in measures of matrix reasoning (e.g., Jaeggi et al, 2008;. Although both studies showed substantial improvements in the criterion task, they failed to demonstrate transfer to any of the transfer measures assessed, including measures of fluid intelligence, multitasking, working memory capacity, crystallized intelligence, and perceptual speed (Redick et al, 2013), as well as measures of verbal, perceptual, and mental rotation abilities (Chooi & Thompson, 2012).…”