A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence on the near- and far-transfer effects among children’s executive function skills.
Open accessAbstract
In the present meta-analysis we examined the near- and far-transfer effects of training components of children's executive functions skills: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. We found a significant near-transfer effect (g + = 0.44, k = 43, p + = 0.11, k = 17, p = .11). That is, training a component did not have a significant effect on the untrained components. By showing the absence of benefits that generalize beyond the trained components, we question the practical relevance of training specific executive function skills in isolation. Furthermore, the present results might explain the absence of far-transfer effects of working memory training on academic skills (Melby-Lervag & Hulme, 2013; Sala & Gobet, 2017). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Interventions to improve EF have met with limited success.
“While interventions to improve EF have met with limited success (Kassai et al., 2019; Melby-Lervåg & Hulme, 2013; Takacs & Kassai, 2019), interest in EF persists in large part because it is believed to be malleable and relevant to a wide range of important outcomes.”
From Early childhood executive function predicts concurrent and later social and behavioral outcomes: A review and meta-analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as Kassai et al., 2019
The same null effect applies to action and nonaction videogame training and brain training.
“The same applies to action and nonaction videogame training and brain training (Duyck & Op de Beeck, 2019; Kassai, Futo, Demetrovics, & Takacs, 2019; Libertus et al., 2017; Lintern & Boot, 2019; Sala et al., 2019a; Sala, Tatlidil, & Gobet, 2018, 2019b; Simons et al., 2016).”
From Cognitive and academic benefits of music training with children: A multilevel meta-analysis (2020) · cites this paper as Kassai, Futo, Demetrovics, & Takacs, 2019
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- Authors
- Kassai, R., Futo, J., Demetrovics, Z., & Takacs, Z. K.
- Affiliations
- Eötvös Loránd University (HU)
- Venue
- Psychological Bulletin
- Published
- 2019-02
- Volume
- 145
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 165-188
- ISSN
- 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1455
- OpenAlex
- W2910613434
- Cited by
- 294
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 47 · 2025: 37 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 10
- FWCI
- 4.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (PD121297)
- Ministry of Human Capacities (UNKP-17-4-I-ELTE-125)
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Keywords
- executive function, near transfer, far transfer, working memory training, children, training specificity, generalization of training effects, academic skills
- MeSH terms
- Child, Humans, Memory, Short-Term, Practice, Psychological, Transfer, Psychology, Executive Function
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