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Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research 1/2023

02-02-2022 | Original Article

Effects of working memory training on cognitive and academic abilities in typically developing school-age children

Auteurs: Santiago Vernucci, Lorena Canet-Juric, María M. Richard’s

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 1/2023

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Abstract

Process-based working memory (WM) training in typically developing children usually leads to short- and long-term improvements on untrained WM tasks. However, results are mixed regarding far transfer to academic and cognitive abilities. Moreover, there is a lack of studies jointly evaluating the different types of transfer, using an adequate design and considering motivational factors. In addition, evidence is needed about how pre-training performance is related to individual differences in training-induced transfer. Therefore, this study aimed to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a computerized process-based WM training in typically developing school-age children. Near and far transfer effects were evaluated both immediately after training and after 6 months, as well as individual differences in training-induced transfer. The sample was composed of 89 typically developing children aged 9–10 years (M = 9.52, SD = 0.30), who were randomized to a WM training group or an active control group. They were evaluated at pre-training, post-training, and follow-up phases with measures of visuospatial and verbal WM, reading comprehension, math computation, and fluid intelligence. Results showed that the training group significantly improved performance in verbal WM and fluid intelligence compared to the active control group, immediately after training and after 6 months. Trained children with lower initial performance in verbal WM or fluid intelligence showed greater transfer gains. No group differences were found in motivational factors. Findings of this study suggest that process-based WM training may promote transfer to cognitive abilities and lead to compensation effects of individual differences in typically developing school-age children.
Voetnoten
1
It may be possible that by using an average score, differences between groups in any of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory dimensions might have been balanced out. Thus, additional t-tests were run separately on the scores of each dimension to check for differences between the training group and active control group. Results suggest no significant differences between groups in children from the initial sample: interest/enjoyment, t (87) = 0.015, p = .988, d = 0.003; perceived competence, t (77.55) = 1.014, p = .314, d = 0.214; effort/importance, t (74.94) = 1.600, p = .114, d = 0.335; as well as in children that participated in all the assessment phases of the study: interest/enjoyment, t (80) = 0.234, p = .815, d = 0.052; perceived competence, t (69.77) = 0.471, p = .639, d = 0.105; effort/importance, t (70.71) = 1.577, p = .119, d = 0.388.
 
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Metagegevens
Titel
Effects of working memory training on cognitive and academic abilities in typically developing school-age children
Auteurs
Santiago Vernucci
Lorena Canet-Juric
María M. Richard’s
Publicatiedatum
02-02-2022
Uitgeverij
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Gepubliceerd in
Psychological Research / Uitgave 1/2023
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-022-01647-1

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