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Cited by 199Cognitive Abilities and TestingNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesCognitive Functions and Memory

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 36 of the 36 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Extending Brain-Training to the Affective Domain: Increasing Cognitive and Affective Executive Control through Emotional Working Memory Training

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Schweizer, Susanne, Hampshire, Adam, Dalgleish, Tim·2011·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0024372PMC PMC3176229
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Abstract

So-called 'brain-training' programs are a huge commercial success. However, empirical evidence regarding their effectiveness and generalizability remains equivocal. This study investigated whether brain-training (working memory [WM] training) improves cognitive functions beyond the training task (transfer effects), especially regarding the control of emotional material since it constitutes much of the information we process daily. Forty-five participants received WM training using either emotional or neutral material, or an undemanding control task. WM training, regardless of training material, led to transfer gains on another WM task and in fluid intelligence. However, only brain-training with emotional material yielded transferable gains to improved control over affective information on an emotional Stroop task. The data support the reality of transferable benefits of demanding WM training and suggest that transferable gains across to affective contexts require training with material congruent to those contexts. These findings constitute preliminary evidence that intensive cognitively demanding brain-training can improve not only our abstract problem-solving capacity, but also ameliorate cognitive control processes (e.g. decision-making) in our daily emotive environments.

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Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pone.0024372

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Figures

Figure 1 Emotional dual n-back block (n = 1). The figure depicts a block of the emotional version of the dual n-back task (training task) where n = 1. The top row shows the sequence across trials (A, B, C, D, etc.) of visually presented stimuli in a 4×4 grid (the visual stimuli were presented on a standard 1280×1024 pixel computer display). A picture of a face appeared in one of the 16 possible grid positions on each trial. Simultaneously, with the presentation of these visual stimuli on the computer display, participants heard words over headphones (second row in the figure). Participants were required to indicate, by button press, whether the trial was a ‘target trial’ or not. Targets could be visual or auditory. In the example here, Trial C is a visual target. That is, the face in Trial C is presented in the same location as the face in Trial B (i.e., n = 1 positions back). Note, the faces are of different actors. For visual stimuli participants were asked to ignore the content of the image and solely attend to the location in which the images were presented. In the current example, Trial D was an auditory target trial because ‘Evil’ is the same word as the word presented in Trial C - n positions back (where n = 1). Each block consisted of 20+n trials.
Figure 1 Emotional dual n-back block (n = 1). The figure depicts a block of the emotional version of the dual n-back task (training task) where n = 1. The top row shows the sequence across trials (A, B, C, D, etc.) of visually presented stimuli in a 4×4 grid (the visual stimuli were presented on a standard 1280×1024 pixel computer display). A picture of a face appeared in one of the 16 possible grid positions on each trial. Simultaneously, with the presentation of these visual stimuli on the computer display, participants heard words over headphones (second row in the figure). Participants were required to indicate, by button press, whether the trial was a ‘target trial’ or not. Targets could be visual or auditory. In the example here, Trial C is a visual target. That is, the face in Trial C is presented in the same location as the face in Trial B (i.e., n = 1 positions back). Note, the faces are of different actors. For visual stimuli participants were asked to ignore the content of the image and solely attend to the location in which the images were presented. In the current example, Trial D was an auditory target trial because ‘Evil’ is the same word as the word presented in Trial C - n positions back (where n = 1). Each block consisted of 20+n trials.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 2 Performance improvement across training days. These two graphs show the linear improvement in average training performance across training days for all three groups. For the neutral n-back and affective n-back the score refers to mean level of n-back achieved. The score on the feature match task for the control group constitutes a mean composite score (see Methods and Materials).
Figure 2 Performance improvement across training days. These two graphs show the linear improvement in average training performance across training days for all three groups. For the neutral n-back and affective n-back the score refers to mean level of n-back achieved. The score on the feature match task for the control group constitutes a mean composite score (see Methods and Materials).CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 3 Transfer benefits of training to fluid intelligence. Figure 3 reports mean group scores achieved on the Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM; measure of fluid intelligence). Means (standard deviation) for the control and n-back trained groups are 28.29 (0.64), 26.56 (0.46) at pre-training and 26.27 (0.73), 27.29 (0.53) at post-training, respectively.
Figure 3 Transfer benefits of training to fluid intelligence. Figure 3 reports mean group scores achieved on the Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM; measure of fluid intelligence). Means (standard deviation) for the control and n-back trained groups are 28.29 (0.64), 26.56 (0.46) at pre-training and 26.27 (0.73), 27.29 (0.53) at post-training, respectively.CC BY · PubMed Central
Figure 4 Training benefits on the emotional Stroop only in affective training group. Changes in reaction time (post-training reaction time in msec – pre-training reaction time in msec) in congruent and incongruent indices on the emotional Stroop task from pre-training to post-training, displayed such that the higher the change the greater the training-related benefits.
Figure 4 Training benefits on the emotional Stroop only in affective training group. Changes in reaction time (post-training reaction time in msec – pre-training reaction time in msec) in congruent and incongruent indices on the emotional Stroop task from pre-training to post-training, displayed such that the higher the change the greater the training-related benefits.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. M D'Esposito, 2000, Prefrontal cortical contributions to working memory: evidence from event-related fMRI studies., Experimental Brain Research, 133, 3, 10.1007/s002210000395 · DOI

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Metadata

Authors
Schweizer, S., Hampshire, A., & Dalgleish, T.
Affiliations
  • MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (GB)
  • Western University (CA)
Corresponding author
Schweizer, Susanne
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2011-09-19
Volume
6
Issue
9
Pages
e24372
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0024372
PMC
PMC3176229
OpenAlex
W2057146321
Cited by
198
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 7
FWCI
11.96
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UNSWorks (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
Keywords
brain training, working memory training, emotional working memory, executive function, affective control, transfer effects, fluid intelligence, emotional Stroop task
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain, Cognition, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Photic Stimulation, User-Computer Interface, Young Adult, Executive Function

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