Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Research Article

Pattern of Near Transfer Effects Following Working Memory Training With a Dual N-Back Task

Published Online:September 18, 2017https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000370

Abstract

Abstract. In a randomized controlled trial, we investigated the pattern of near transfer effects of working memory (WM) training with an adaptive auditory-visuospatial dual n-back training task in healthy young adults. The results revealed significant task-specific transfer to an untrained single n-back task, and more general near transfer to a WM updating composite score plus a nearly significant effect on a composite score measuring interference control in WM. No transfer effects were seen on Active or Passive WM composites. The results are discussed in the light of cognitive versus strategy-related overlap between training and transfer tasks.

References

  • Anguera, J. A., Bernard, J. A., Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., Benson, B. L., Jennett, S., … Seidler, R. D. (2012). The effect of working memory resource depletion and training on sensorimotor adaptation. Behavioural Brain Research, 228, 107–115. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.11.040 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Au, J., Buschkuehl, M., Duncan, G. J. & Jaeggi, S. M. (2016). There is no convincing evidence that working memory training is NOT effective: A reply to Melby-Lervåg and Hulme (2015). Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23(1), 331–337. doi: 10.3758/s13423-015-0967-4 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Au, J., Sheehan, E., Tsai, N., Duncan, G. J., Buschkuehl, M. & Jaeggi, S. M. (2015). Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory: A meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 22, 366–377. doi: 10.3758/s13423-014-0699-x First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Bäckman, L., Nyberg, L., Soveri, A., Johansson, J., Andersson, M., Dahlin, E., … Rinne, J. O. (2011). Effects of working-memory training on striatal dopamine release. Science, 333, 718. doi: 10.1126/science.1204978 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Baddeley, A. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 4, 417–423. doi: 10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-2 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Beck, A., Steer, R. & Brown, G. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Brehmer, Y., Westerberg, H. & Bäckman, L. (2012). Working-memory training in younger and older adults: Training gains, transfer, and maintenance. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 63. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00063 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Bürki, C. N., Ludwig, C., Chicherio, C. & de Ribaupierre, A. (2014). Individual differences in cognitive plasticity: An investigation of training curves in younger and older adults. Psychological Research, 78, 821–835. doi: 10.1007/s00426-014-0559-3 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Buschkuehl, M., Hernandez-Garcia, L., Jaeggi, S. M., Bernard, J. A. & Jonides, J. (2014). Neural effects of short-term training on working memory. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, 14, 147–160. doi: 10.3758/s13415-013-0244-9 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Carretti, B., Cornoldi, C. & Pelegrina, S. L. (2007). Which factors influence number updating in working memory? The effects of size distance and suppression. British Journal of Psychology, 98, 45–60. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Chooi, W.-T. & Thompson, L. A. (2012). Working memory training does not improve intelligence in healthy young adults. Intelligence, 40, 531–542. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2012.07.004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Colom, R., Román, F. J., Abad, F. J., Shih, P. C., Privado, J., Froufe, M., … Jaeggi, S. M. (2013). Adaptive n-back training does not improve fluid intelligence at the construct level: Gains on individual tests suggest that training may enhance visuospatial processing. Intelligence, 41, 712–727. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2013.09.002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Dahlin, E., Neely, A. S., Larsson, A., Bäckman, L. & Nyberg, L. (2008). Transfer of learning after updating training mediated by the striatum. Science, 320, 1510–1512. doi: 10.1126/science.1155466 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Dimitrov, D. M. & Rumrill, P. D. (2003). Pretest-posttest designs and measurement of change. Work, 20, 159–165. First citation in articleMedline, Google Scholar

  • Engle, R. W. (2002). Working memory capacity as executive attention. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 19–23. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Green, C. S. & Bavelier, D. (2008). Exercising your brain: A review of human brain plasticity and training-induced learning. Psychology and Aging, 23, 692–701. doi: 10.1037/a0014345 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Heinzel, S., Schulte, S., Onken, J., Duong, Q.-L., Riemer, T. G., Heinz, A., … Rapp, M. A. (2014). Working memory training improvements and gains in non-trained cognitive tasks in younger and older adults. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 21, 146–173. doi: 10.1080/13825585.2013.790338 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., Jonides, J. & Perrig, W. J. (2008). Improving fluid intelligence with training on working memory. Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences of the United States of America, 105, 6829–6833. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0801268105 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Jaeggi, S. M., Buschkuehl, M., Shah, P. & Jonides, J. (2014). The role of individual differences in cognitive training and transfer. Memory and Cognition, 42, 464–480. doi: 10.3758/s13421-013-0364-z First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Jaeggi, S. M., Studer-Luethi, B., Buschkuehl, M., Su, Y.-F., Jonides, J. & Perrig, W. J. (2010). The relationship between n-back performance and matrix reasoning – Implications for training and transfer. Intelligence, 38, 625–635. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2010.09.001 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kane, M. J., Hambrick, D. Z. & Conway, A. R. A. (2005). Working memory capacity and fluid intelligence are strongly related constructs: Comment on Ackerman, Beier, and Boyle (2005). Psychological Bulletin, 131, 66–71. author reply 72–75. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.1.66 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Karbach, J. & Verhaeghen, P. (2014). Making working memory work: A meta-analysis of executive-control and working memory training in older adults. Psychological Science, 25, 2027–2037. doi: 10.1177/0956797614548725 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Klingberg, T. (2010). Training and plasticity of working memory. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14, 317–324. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.05.002 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Klingberg, T., Fernell, E., Olesen, P. J., Johnson, M., Gustafsson, P., Dahlström, K. , … Westerberg, H. (2005). Computerized training of working memory in children with ADHD – A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44, 177–186. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Küper, K. & Karbach, J. (2016). Increased training complexity reduces the effectiveness of brief working memory training: Evidence from short-term single and dual n-back training interventions. Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 28, 199–208. doi: 10.1080/20445911.2015.1118106 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lezak, M. D., Howieson, D. B. & Loring, D. W. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Li, S.-C., Schmiedek, F., Huxhold, O., Röcke, C., Smith, J. & Lindenberger, U. (2008). Working memory plasticity in old age: Practice gain, transfer, and maintenance. Psychology and Aging, 23, 731–742. doi: 10.1037/a0014343 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Lilienthal, L., Tamez, E., Shelton, J. T., Myerson, J. & Hale, S. (2013). Dual n-back training increases the capacity of the focus of attention. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 20, 135–141. doi: 10.3758/s13423-012-0335-6 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Lövdén, M., Bäckman, L., Lindenberger, U., Schaefer, S. & Schmiedek, F. (2010). A theoretical framework for the study of adult cognitive plasticity. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 659–676. doi: 10.1037/a0020080 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Melby-Lervåg, M. & Hulme, C. (2013). Is working memory training effective? A meta-analytic review. Developmental Psychology, 49, 270–291. doi: 10.1037/a0028228 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Melby-Lervåg, M. & Hulme, C. (2015). There is no convincing evidence that working memory training is effective: A reply to Au et al. (2014) and Karbach and Verhaeghen (2014). Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 23, 324–330. doi: 10.3758/s13423-015-0862-z First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Melby-Lervåg, M., Redick, T. & Hulme, C. (2016). Working memory training does not improve performance on measures of intelligence or other measures of “far transfer”: Evidence from a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11, 512–534. doi: 10.1177/1745691616635612 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Morrison, A. B. & Chein, J. M. (2011). Does working memory training work? The promise and challenges of enhancing cognition by training working memory. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 18, 46–60. doi: 10.3758/s13423-010-0034-0 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Oberauer, K., Schulze, R., Wilhelm, O. & Süss, H.-M. (2005). Working memory and intelligence – their correlation and their relation: Comment on Ackerman, Beier, and Boyle (2005). Psychological Bulletin, 131, 61–65.author reply 72–75. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.1.61 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Oelhafen, S., Nikolaidis, A., Padovani, T., Blaser, D., Koenig, T. & Perrig, W. J. (2013). Increased parietal activity after training of interference control. Neuropsychologia, 51, 2781–2790. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.08.012 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Oldfield, R. C. (1971). The assessment and analysis of handedness: The Edinburgh inventory. Neuropsychologia, 9, 97–113. First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Redick, T. S., Shipstead, Z., Harrison, T. L., Hicks, K. L., Fried, D. E., Hambrick, D. Z., … Engle, R. W. (2013). No evidence of intelligence improvement after working memory training: A randomized, placebo-controlled study. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 142, 359–379. doi: 10.1037/a0029082 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Salminen, T., Frensch, P., Strobach, T. & Schubert, T. (2016). Age-specific differences of dual n-back training. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 23, 18–39. doi: 10.1080/13825585.2015.1031723 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Salminen, T., Strobach, T. & Schubert, T. (2012). On the impacts of working memory training on executive functioning. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 166. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00166 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Schwaighofer, M., Fischer, F. & Bühner, M. (2015). Does working memory training transfer? A meta-analysis including training conditions as moderators. Educational Psychologist, 50, 138–166. doi: 10.1080/00461520.2015.1036274 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Senn, S. (2006). Change from baseline and analysis of covariance revisited. Statistics in Medicine, 25, 4334–4344. doi: 10.1002/sim.2682 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Shipstead, Z., Redick, T. S. & Engle, R. W. (2010). Does working memory training generalize? Psychologica Belgica, 50, 245–276. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Shipstead, Z., Redick, T. S. & Engle, R. W. (2012). Is working memory training effective? Psychological Bulletin, 138, 628–654. doi: 10.1037/a0027473 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Soveri, A., Antfolk, J., Karlsson, L. C., Salo, B. & Laine, M. (2017). Working memory training revisited: A multi-level meta-analysis of n-back training studies. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. doi: 10.3758/s13423-016-1217-0 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Soveri, A., Rodriguez-Fornells, A. & Laine, M. (2011). Is there a relationship between language switching and executive functions in bilingualism? Introducing a within-group analysis approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 2, 1–8. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00183 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Stepankova, H., Lukavsky, J., Buschkuehl, M., Kopecek, M., Ripova, D. & Jaeggi, S. M. (2014). The malleability of working memory and visuospatial skills: A randomized controlled study in older adults. Developmental Psychology, 50, 1049–1059. doi: 10.1037/a0034913 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Szmalec, A., Verbruggen, F., Vandierendonck, A. & Kemps, E. (2011). Control of interference during working memory updating. Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception & Performance, 37, 137–151. doi: 10.1037/a0020365 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Thompson, T. W., Waskom, M. L., Garel, K.-L. A., Cardenas-Iniguez, C., Reynolds, G. O., Winter, R., … Gabrieli, J. D. E. (2013). Failure of working memory training to enhance cognition or intelligence. PLoS One, 8, e63614. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063614 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • von Bastian, C. C. & Oberauer, K. (2014). Effects and mechanisms of working memory training: A review. Psychological Research, 78, 803–820. doi: 10.1007/s00426-013-0524-6 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Waris, O., Soveri, A. & Laine, M. (2015). Transfer after working memory updating training. PLoS One, 10, e0138734. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138734 First citation in articleCrossref Medline, Google Scholar

  • Wechsler, D. (2005). WAIS-III Käsikirja [Finnish manual of the WAIS-III] Helsinki, Finland: Psykologien Kustannus. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar