ArticleJournal of cognitive enhancement : towards the integration of theory and practice2019
The Influence of Individual Differences in Cognitive Ability on Working Memory Training Gains.
Article in Journal of cognitive enhancement : towards the integration of theory and practice, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The asymmetry of working memory training transfer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychonomic bulletin & review · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-analytic investigations of the effect of cognitive offloading on memory-based task performance and interindividual variability.Memory & cognition · 2026Pooled it
- Visual working memory training enhances simulated mine monitoring performance: the modulating role of memory growth potential.Cognitive research: principles and implications · 2026Trial
- Distractor filtering and task load in working memory training in healthy older adults.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Network Meta-Analysis of Exercise Interventions on Working Memory Capacity in College Students: A Comparative Study Based on Intervention Types.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Log File Times as Indicators of Structured Figural Matrix Processing.Journal of Intelligence · 2025Article
- Using clustering algorithms to examine the association between working memory training trajectories and therapeutic outcomes among psychiatric and healthy populations.Psychological research · 2023Article
- Take a load off: examining partial and complete cognitive offloading of medication information.Cognitive research: principles and implications · 2023Article
- Unicorn, Hare, or Tortoise? Using Machine Learning to Predict Working Memory Training Performance.Journal of cognition · 2023Article
- Investigating the Role of Individual Differences in Adherence to Cognitive Training.Journal of cognition · 2023Article
- A Machine Learning Approach to Personalize Computerized Cognitive Training Interventions.Frontiers in artificial intelligence · 2022Article
- Perspectives on heterogeneity-informed cognitive training for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Exploring Individual Differences as Predictors of Performance Change During Dual-N-Back Training.Journal of cognitive enhancement : towards the integration of theory and practice · 2021Article
- Change by challenge: A common genetic basis behind childhood cognitive development and cognitive training.NPJ science of learning · 2021Article
- Training-induced improvement in working memory tasks results from switching to efficient strategies.Psychonomic bulletin & review · 2021Article
- Mental-Imagery-Based Mnemonic Training: A New Kind of Cognitive Training.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- Why Does Cognitive Training Yield Inconsistent Benefits? A Meta-Analysis of Individual Differences in Baseline Cognitive Abilities and Training Outcomes.Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- The role of proactive interference in working memory training and transfer.Psychological research · 2020Article
- Offloading items from memory: individual differences in cognitive offloading in a short-term memory task.Cognitive research: principles and implications · 2020Article
- The Hype Cycle of Working Memory Training.Current directions in psychological science · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Working memory training research has produced mixed results in terms of finding benefits beyond the trained tasks (i.e., transfer). One potential limitation is that the research thus far has failed to isolate the specific combination of factors that makes working memory training work best. Individual differences in cognitive ability at pretest may be an important factor, suggesting possible aptitude-by-treatment interactions. Baseline cognitive ability could be (a) positively related, (b) negatively related, or (c) unrelated to training task improvements. The relationship between ability and training gains is important given the idea that larger training improvements should lead to greater transfer. However, the majority of training studies tend to be under-powered to examine individual differences. We pooled studies conducted in related labs to increase power while minimizing differences between studies. In the studies that were identified for this project, young adults completed complex span training and working memory and/or fluid intelligence as pretest measures. The combined samples from seven studies resulted in a sample of 192 participants. Analyses focused on the relationship between pretest cognitive ability and training performance across training days. There was no evidence that individuals lower in cognitive ability improved more than high-ability subjects on the training tasks. Instead, we found a positive relationship for both working memory and fluid intelligence measured at pretest with the amount of training improvement. In addition, the association between pretest working memory and working memory training performance appears to be domain-general - verbal and visuospatial content do not produce differential relationships.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.