Is working memory training effective? Only within modest limits.

   

While working on part 4 of my series of presentations (which will 

be about short term memory), I found this paper:

Melby – Lervag, M. and Hulme, C.  Is working memory training effective? A meta analytic review.  Developmental Psychology 2013, vol 49 no. 2, 270-291.

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/dev-49-2-

 270.pdf

This meta-analysis reviewed several research based

computerized working memory training methods.

Before shortly reviewing it, I'll define short term memory, memory span and working memory within the CHC 

framework.  These definitions are from this excellent chapter:

Schneider, W. J.,& McGrew, K. (2012).  The Cattell-

Horn-Carroll model of intelligence. In, D. Flanagan & P. Harrison (Eds.), Contemporary Intellectual Assessment: Theories, Tests, and Issues (3rd ed.) (p. 99-144). New York: Guilford.

http://www.iapsych.com/articles/schneider2012.pdf

Within CHC framework, short term memory is the ability to encode, maintain and manipulate information in one's immediate awareness.  There are 2 narrow abilities within 

short term memory:

1.  memory span – the ability to encode information, maintain it in immediate awareness and immediately reproduce it in the sequence in which it was represented.

2.  working memory capacity: the ability to direct the focus of attention to perform relatively simple manipulations of information within immediate awareness while avoiding distracting stimuli and engaging in controlled searches for information in long term memory.

Back to the  Melby – Lervag  and Hulme paper:

A.  Interesting facts from this paper:

Working memory reflects a domain –general cognitive capacity and not modality specific systems (verbal vs. visual).

Working memory capacity places a general limitation on attentional capacity.  The unique variance measured by working memory tasks that is not shared with memory span is executive attention.  That's why working memory (but not memory span) correlates very highly with fluid ability and executive attention.  Some say that working memory is identical to fluid ability and executive control.  This leads to the hypothesis that people with high working memory capacity will perform better on tasks requiring the inhibition of distracting information.

B.  Results of the meta - analysis

The meta – analysis included 23 studies of training methods which had randomized controlled trials and at least 2 week interventions.  Participants were mostly healthy and typically developing children and adults.

 It turned out that the training programs yield short term improvements on working memory tasks (tasks close to those trained).  These improvements are not sustained after 9 months for verbal working memory, and might be modestly sustained after 5 months for visuospatial working memory.

 There was no evidence that working memory training roduces generalized gains to other skills like verbal ability, word decoding or arithmetic, even right after training.

To conclude, the findings cast strong doubts on claims 

that working memory training is effective in improving 

cognitive ability and scholastic achievement.