Working Memory Training May Increase Working Memory Capacity but Not Fluid Intelligence

In the citing paper

“This is because effects of working memory training on fluid intelligence or academic attainment are typically seen as being mediated by (i.e. dependent upon) increases in working memory capacity (Harrison et al., 2013; Lange & Süß, 2015; Tidwell et al., 2014; von Bastian & Oberauer, 2014).”

In the citing paper

“It is important to note, however, that their active control groups did not improve over baseline, nor did they outperform their associated passive control groups, suggesting that the failure to find transfer was irrespective of control type.”

In the citing paper

“With this in mind, two recent, widely publicized training studies used active controls and failed to find transfer to measures of Gf (Harrison et al., 2013;Redick et al., 2013).”

In the citing paper

“Cognitive training has shown to have an impact on task performance and on fluid intelligence (Gf) tests [13-15].”

In the citing paper

“The overlap in the cognitive processes involved in performing distractor tasks such as verifying equations and judging whether letters are upright or mirror-reversed when mentally rotated (Harrison et al., 2013) is minimal.”

In the citing paper

“In four studies different groups completed different WM training programs: updating and Cogmed RM (Ang, Lee, Cheam, Poon, & Koh (2015); complex span and running span (Foster et al., 2017) complex span and simple span (Harrison et al. (2013); n-back and complex span (Minear et al., 2016).”

In the citing paper

“Previous evidence has pointed to transfer across tasks sharing only the paradigm and not either the stimuli or distractor activity (Harrison et al., 2013; von Bastian et al., 2013; Henry et al., 2014; Richmond et al., 2014; Minear et al., 2016).”

In the citing paper

“Significant transfer has been reported across the majority of these studies (Harrison et al., 2013; Henry et al., 2014; Richmond et al., 2014).”

In the citing paper

“Research investigating transfer within and across working memory paradigms following training has largely concluded that transfer is confined to untrained working memory tests that are highly similar to the trained activities (e.g., Harrison et al., 2013; Sprenger et al., 2013; von Bastian et al., 2013; Minear et al., 2016; Blacker et al., 2017; Soveri et al., 2017).”

In the citing paper

“The present findings both add to other evidence for lack of transfer across complex span tasks (Minear et al., 2016; Blacker et al., 2017) and stand in contrast to other reports of transfer across different memory items and interpolated distraction activities (e.g., Harrison et al., 2013; von Bastian et al., 2013; Henry et al., 2014; Richmond et al., 2014).”