scholarly journals The Cognitive and Academic Benefits of Cogmed: A Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Deniz Aksayli ◽  
Giovanni Sala ◽  
Fernand Gobet
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Near Transfer ◽  
Academic Benefits ◽  
And Mathematics

Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) is a commercial cognitive-training program designed to foster working-memory capacity. Enhanced working-memory capacity is then supposed to increase one’s overall cognitive function and academic achievement. This meta-analysis investigates the effects of CWMT on cognitive and academic outcomes. The inclusion criteria were met by 50 studies (637 effect sizes).Highly consistent near-zero effects were estimated in far-transfer measures of cognitive ability (e.g., attention and intelligence) and academic achievement (language ability and mathematics). By contrast, slightly heterogeneous small to medium effects were observed in memory tasks (i.e., near transfer). Moderator analysis showed that this effect was weaker for near-transfer measures not directly related to the trained tasks. These results highlight that while near transfer occurs regularly, far transfer is rare or, possibly, nonexistent. Transfer thus appears to be a function of the degree of overlap between trained tasks and outcome tasks.

scholarly journals Working Memory Training in Typically Developing Children: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sala ◽  
Fernand Gobet
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Training Research ◽  
Active Controls

Working memory (WM) training in typically developing (TD) children aims to enhance not only performance in memory tasks but also other domain-general cognitive skills such as fluid intelligence. These benefits are then believed to positively affect academic achievement. Despite the numerous studies carried out, researchers still disagree over the real benefits of WM training. This meta-analysis (m = 41, k = 393, N = 2,375) intended to resolve the discrepancies by focusing on the potential sources of within-study and between-study true heterogeneity. Small to medium effects were observed in memory tasks (i.e., near transfer). The size of these effects was proportional to the similarity between the training task and the outcome measure. By contrast, far-transfer measures of cognitive ability (e.g., intelligence) and academic achievement (mathematics and language ability) were essentially unaffected by the training programs, especially when the studies implemented active controls (g ̅ = 0.001, SE = 0.055, p = .982, τ2 = 0.000). Crucially, all the models exhibited a null or low amount of true heterogeneity, wholly explained by the type of controls (non-active vs. active) and statistical artifacts, in contrast to the claim that this field has produced mixed results. Since the empirical evidence shows an absence of generalized effects and true heterogeneity, we conclude that there is no reason to keep investing resources in WM training research with TD children.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Working Memory Training Programs for Special Needs and Typically Developing Students in Arab Countries: A Meta-Analysis Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-73
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Special Needs ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Near Transfer

Working memory training programs have attracted great interest, with claims that the training programs can have diverse beneficial effects. The purpose of this article was to examine near- and far-transfer effects following working-memory training and identify the significant moderators related to these effects. Twenty- three research articles were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that near-transfer effects of verbal and visual-spatial working memory skills had effect sizes ranging from 3.22 to 2.99 respectively. Far-transfer effects of reading comprehension and academic achievement had effect sizes ranging from 3.17 to 2.43 respectively. Two significant moderators, namely, learner status (typically/special needs) and duration of training sessions(less 40 m/more 40 m) had an impact on near-transfer effects only.

scholarly journals Retest effects in working memory capacity tests: A meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 2175-2199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Scharfen ◽  
Katrin Jansen ◽  
Heinz Holling
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity

scholarly journals Effect of Relaxation Training on Working Memory Capacity and Academic Achievement in Adolescents

2013 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 608-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rezaei Kargar Flor ◽  
Kalantar Choreishi Monir ◽  
Ajilchi Bita ◽  
Noohi Shahnaz
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Relaxation Training ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity

scholarly journals Investigating the mediating effect of working memory on intentional forgetting in dysphoria

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saima Noreen ◽  
Richard Cooke ◽  
Nathan Ridout
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Operation Span ◽  
Intentional Forgetting ◽  
Memory Resources ◽  
Additional Explanation ◽  
Subclinical Depression

Our aim was to determine if deficits in intentional forgetting that are associated with depression and dysphoria (subclinical depression) could be explained by variations in working memory capacity. Sixty dysphoric and 61 non-dysphoric participants completed a modified version of the think/no-think (TNT) task and a measure of complex working memory (the operation span task). The TNT task involved participants learning a series of emotional cue-target word pairs. They were then presented with a series of the cues and asked to either recall the associated target or to prevent it from coming to mind (by thinking about a substitute word). Participants were subsequently asked to recall the targets to all cues (regardless of previous recall instructions). As expected, we found that dysphoric individuals exhibited impaired forgetting relative to the non-dysphoric participants. Also as expected, we found that greater working memory capacity was associated with more successful forgetting. Critically, we found that working memory capacity mediated the effect of depression on intentional forgetting. That is, depression influenced forgetting indirectly via its effect on working memory, perhaps reducing the amount of available working memory resources that could be applied to the suppression of the memories. These findings are important as they provide an additional explanation for the finding of impaired forgetting in depression and also suggest that working memory training might be a viable intervention for improving the ability of depressed individuals to prevent unwanted memories from coming to mind.

Bilingualism and working memory capacity: A comprehensive meta-analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
John G Grundy ◽  
Kalinka Timmer
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Conflict Monitoring ◽  
Bilingual Advantage ◽  
Language Variables

Bilinguals often outperform monolinguals on executive function tasks, including tasks that tap cognitive flexibility, conflict monitoring, and task-switching abilities. Some have suggested that bilinguals also have greater working memory capacity than comparable monolinguals, but evidence for this suggestion is mixed. We therefore conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis on the effects of bilingualism on working memory capacity. Results from 88 effect sizes, 27 independent studies, and 2,901 participants revealed a significant small to medium population effect size of 0.20 in favor of greater working memory capacity for bilinguals than monolinguals. This suggests that experience managing two languages that compete for selection results in greater working memory capacity over time. Moderator analyses revealed that largest effects were observed in children than other age groups. Furthermore, whether the task was performed in the first (L1) or second (L2) language for bilinguals moderated the effect size of the bilingual advantage; this factor is often overlooked and our results point to the importance of defining language variables that influence critical cognitive outcomes.

scholarly journals Does Far Transfer Exist? Negative Evidence From Chess, Music, and Working Memory Training

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 515-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Sala ◽  
Fernand Gobet
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Music Instruction ◽  
Working Memory Training ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Negative Evidence ◽  
Far Transfer ◽  
Meta Analyses

Chess masters and expert musicians appear to be, on average, more intelligent than the general population. Some researchers have thus claimed that playing chess or learning music enhances children’s cognitive abilities and academic attainment. We here present two meta-analyses assessing the effect of chess and music instruction on children’s cognitive and academic skills. A third meta-analysis evaluated the effects of working memory training—a cognitive skill correlated with music and chess expertise—on the same variables. The results show small to moderate effects. However, the effect sizes are inversely related to the quality of the experimental design (e.g., presence of active control groups). This pattern of results casts serious doubts on the effectiveness of chess, music, and working memory training. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings; extend the debate to other types of training such as spatial training, brain training, and video games; and conclude that far transfer of learning rarely occurs.

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