Open AccessNearest transfer effects of working memory training: A comparison of two programs focused on working memory updating
Author(s) -
Rocío Linares,
Erika Borella,
M. Teresa Lechuga,
Barbara Carretti,
Santiago Pelegrina
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0211321
Subject(s) - working memory , working memory training , task (project management) , fluid intelligence , transfer of learning , computer science , transfer (computing) , transfer of training , cognitive psychology , training (meteorology) , process (computing) , artificial intelligence , machine learning , cognition , psychology , neuroscience , meteorology , physics , management , parallel computing , economics , operating system
This study analyzed the mechanisms involved in possible transfer effects for two different working memory updating (WMU) training programs administered to young adults and based on two updating paradigms: n -back and arithmetical updating. The influence of practice distribution on transfer effects was also explored by including two training regimens: massed and spaced practice. Performance on different WMU tasks more or less structurally similar to the tasks used in the training was assessed to analyze the nearest transfer effects. Near and far transfer effects were tested using complex working memory (WM) and fluid intelligence tasks. The results showed that the WMU training produced gains in only some of the WMU tasks structurally similar to those used in the training, not in those lacking the same structure, or in WM or fluid intelligence tasks. These limited nearest transfer effects suggest that gains could be due to the acquisition of a specific strategy appropriate for the task during the training rather than to any improvement in the updating process per se. Performance did not differ depending on the training regimen.