The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Working Memory Training May Increase Working Memory Capacity but Not Fluid Intelligence
Abstract
Working memory is a critical element of complex cognition, particularly under conditions of distraction and interference. Measures of working memory capacity correlate positively with many measures of real-world cognition, including fluid intelligence. There have been numerous attempts to use training procedures to increase working memory capacity and thereby performance on the real-world tasks that rely on working memory capacity. In the study reported here, we demonstrated that training on complex working memory span tasks leads to improvement on similar tasks with different materials but that such training does not generalize to measures of fluid intelligence.
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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).”
From Working Memory Training Does Not Improve Performance on Measures of Intelligence or Other Measures of “Far Transfer”: Evidence From a Meta-Analytic Review (2016) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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.”
From Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory: a meta-analysis (2015) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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).”
From Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory: a meta-analysis (2015) · cites this paper as Harrison 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.”
From Working memory training involves learning new skills (2019) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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).”
From Working memory training involves learning new skills (2019) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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).”
From Are Working Memory Training Effects Paradigm-Specific? (2019) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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).”
From Are Working Memory Training Effects Paradigm-Specific? (2019) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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).”
From Are Working Memory Training Effects Paradigm-Specific? (2019) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
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).”
From Are Working Memory Training Effects Paradigm-Specific? (2019) · cites this paper as Harrison et al., 2013
Citations
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Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory
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When and where do we apply what we learn?: A taxonomy for far transfer
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“(Barnett & Ceci, 2002).”
MethodComputerized training of working memory in children with ADHD – a randomized, controlled trial
Klingberg, T., Fernell, E., Olesen, P. J., Johnson, M., Gustafsson, P., Dahlström, K., Gillberg, C. G., Forssberg, H., & Westerberg, H. (2005) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00004583-200502000-00010 · Cited by 1,949 · cited 3×
“We included a simple-spantraining condition to compare the results of our study with those of other studies that used simple-span-training tasks (Klingberg et al., 2005; Klingberg, Forssberg, & Westerberg, 2002).”
BackgroundResultInfluentialIs working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review
Melby-Lervåg, M., & Hulme, C. (2013) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0028228 · Cited by 1,782
Kane, M. J., Hambrick, D. Z., Tuholski, S. W., Wilhelm, O., Payne, T. W., & Engle, R. W. (2004) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/0096-3445.133.2.189 · Cited by 1,679
Self-citationTraining of Working Memory in Children With ADHD
Klingberg, T., Forssberg, H., & Westerberg, H. (2002) · Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1076/jcen.24.6.781.8395 · Cited by 1,225
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Do “brain-training” programs work?
Simons, D. J., Boot, W. R., Charness, N., Gathercole, S. E., Chabris, C. F., Hambrick, D. Z., & Stine-Morrow, E. A. L. (2016) · Psychological Science in the Public Interest · doi:10.1177/1529100616661983 · Cited by 1,183
Self-citationDiamond, A., & Ling, D. S. (2016) · Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2015.11.005 · Cited by 1,177
Melby-Lervåg, M., Redick, T. S., & Hulme, C. (2016) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691616635612 · Cited by 983
“The absence of such effects may simply reflect the fact that there is no causal relationship between working memory capacity and fluid intelligence (Harrison et al., 2013).”
Self-citationThe bilingual adaptation: How minds accommodate experience
Bialystok, E. (2017) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000099 · Cited by 906
Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory: a meta-analysis
Au, J., Sheehan, E., Tsai, N., Duncan, G. J., Buschkuehl, M., & Jaeggi, S. M. (2015) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/s13423-014-0699-x · Cited by 727
Metadata
- Authors
- Harrison, T. L., Shipstead, Z., Hicks, K. L., Hambrick, D. Z., Redick, T. S., & Engle, R. W.
- Affiliations
- Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- Arizona State University (US)
- Michigan State University (US)
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
- Corresponding author
- Engle, Randall W.
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2013-10-03
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2409-2419
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- OpenAlex
- W2158068742
- Cited by
- 305
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 43 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 45.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- Association for Psychological Science
- Office of Naval Research
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- working memory training, working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, transfer of training, working memory span, generalization of training effects, cognitive training
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Humans, Intelligence, Memory, Short-Term, Random Allocation, Transfer, Psychology, Young Adult
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