[tt] (fwd) Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory -- Jaeggi et al., 10.1073/pnas.0801268105 -- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Allen Smith
<easmith at beatrice.rutgers.edu> on
Wed Apr 30 16:02:45 UTC 2008
I've examined the PDF file. Very interesting, but some problems:
A. The Gf test used was Raven's Progressive Matrices (or a more
difficult variant of it), in a timed format; that is a non-verbal
("performance") IQ test, and in some cases can differ significantly
from verbal IQ (such as in those with ADD/ADHD), although admittedly
verbal IQ may be argued to have more of a "fixed" component;
moreover, the timed modification means that reaction time may play a
role, and it may have been quite a bit of what was being trained by
the training task.
B. They checked for correlations between the improvement in Gf and the
level of skill reached on the training task, but not for the degree
of improvement in said skill, which would seem to be what would be
most comparable with the degree of improvement in Gf.
C. I have to wonder if the subjects were checked for ADD/ADHD, given
that the research was done in Germany (where IIRC adult ADD is not
as well recognized as in the US) and that the authors disparage the
effects of methylphenidate (ritalin) on cognitive ability (not a
small increase, at least effectively, for those of us with ADD!).
I do note that the method of training is one that should be doable with a
video game-style device, and would bet that one of the game makers is going
to program such soon...
-Allen
------- start of forwarded message -------
Subject: Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory -- Jaeggi et al., 10.1073/pnas.0801268105 -- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:41:19 -0400 (EDT)
X-URL: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0801268105v1
Published online on April 28, 2008
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0801268105
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PSYCHOLOGY
Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory
Susanne M. Jaeggi*, {dagger} , {ddagger} , Martin Buschkuehl*,
{dagger} , {ddagger} , John Jonides*, and Walter J. Perrig {dagger}
*Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, East Hall, 530
Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043; and {dagger} Department of
Psychology, University of Bern, Muesmattstrasse 45, 3012 Bern,
Switzerland
Edited by Edward E. Smith, Columbia University, New York, NY, and
approved March 18, 2008 (received for review February 7, 2008)
Abstract
Fluid intelligence (Gf) refers to the ability to reason and^ to solve
new problems independently of previously acquired knowledge. Gf is
critical for a wide variety of cognitive tasks, and it is considered
one of the most important factors in learning. Moreover, Gf is closely
related to professional and educational success, especially in complex
and demanding environments. Although performance on tests of Gf can be
improved through direct practice^ on the tests themselves, there is no
evidence that training on any other regimen yields increased Gf in
adults. Furthermore, there is a long history of research into
cognitive training showing that, although performance on trained tasks
can increase^ dramatically, transfer of this learning to other tasks
remains poor. Here, we present evidence for transfer from training on
a demanding working memory task to measures of Gf. This transfer
results even though the trained task is entirely different from the
intelligence test itself. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the extent
of gain in intelligence critically depends on the^ amount of training:
the more training, the more improvement in Gf. That is, the training
effect is dosage-dependent. Thus, in contrast to many previous
studies, we conclude that it is possible to improve Gf without
practicing the testing tasks themselves, opening a wide range of
applications.
cognitive training | transfer | individual differences | executive
processes | control processes
___________________________________
Footnotes
Author contributions: S.M.J. and M.B. contributed equally to this
work; and S.M.J., M.B., J.J., and W.J.P. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
{ddagger} To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
sjaeggi{at}umich.edu or mbu{at}umich.edu
© 2008 by [39]The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
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--
Allen Smith, Ph.D. http://cesario.rutgers.edu/easmith/
September 11, 2001 A Day That Shall Live In Infamy II
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
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