Mental training exercises enhances working memory

Mental training exercises enhances working memory

When we finally got the theme of spiritual exercises, took software attack, the prognosis was not good. Despite what the proponents of this software is that it leads to a general increase in mental capacity, failed to show detailed examination of this general effect, and for some subjects, the software has been surpassed by a quiz. Now a new study has revisited the topic, the authors found that some mental exercises, general performance, but only a certain type of exercise, and increase only under a subset of users.

The study builds on a well-established relationship between the general reason and spatial memory. Have seen the ability to perform abstract thinking and to solve problems you never called fluid intelligence. It is not clear what the fundamental mental capacity provides for this capability, but have a number of studies show that the performance demonstrated in tests that stress is working fluid intelligence storage, a test subject, the basic information stored for use, without it is about the long-term memory in context. Working memory, for example, where you intermediate sums, if you are adding a large column of numbers to keep.

Although we do not know whether it is possible to improve general reasoning, several studies have shown that it is possible to increase the working memory through the taxation system. Thus, the authors created a series of simple games, which emphasizes working memory, and place a group of nine-year-old children on them.

These games force the children to what the authors term "n-back" to solve problems. In one example, the children have a pond where a frog appears at random on a number of lilly pads were shown. When the frog disappeared and reappeared, the children would have to remember where it was before. For example, for the third time the frog was found that the children must remember where it was the first time. Continued exposure to these games would have the memory capacity. And on average it has to improve scores over time.

On its own, but this seemed a very limited impact on the performance of children when they were given a test of fluid intelligence, with no statistically significant trend in performance. By this measure, mental exercises had failed.

But it was not, at least not entirely. The authors found that the children who had undergone a training improves their working memory was variable, they share the children trained in high-and low improvement groups and reran the numbers. Now appeared a significant effect: fluid intelligence improvements had occurred in the children who saw the greatest changes in working memory. Their advantage to control their peers (who had played a vocabulary oriented game) remained even after three months, although it shrank a bit during this time. In contrast, after those who saw little improvement in working memory both their peers and trained to control the population.

"In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the improvement in the training market and improving job [fluid intelligence]," the authors note, "suggesting that the larger gain the education, the greater the transfer."

What drove the difference between the two groups? The authors asked the children how the game was over, and found that both groups considered it pleasant. But those who gave it a boost for a fun challenge, while those who tend to think less improve it much too difficult and frustrating at the end saw of her. That would sort out cause and effect seem to be a nightmare, they were frustrated because they can not simply keep pace with some of their abilities or their skills have not downloaded because a general lack of interest?

In any case, it is important to emphasize that the authors of the improvements in working memory and fluid intelligence are not pursued in the absolute values. The high-improvement group landed tuned statistically no better than their peers when it was over. In fact, the children began, starting with the highest score off fluid intelligence with higher working memory scores, but look at the end, less improvement with the training. So, at some levels, it seems that education is simply leveling the playing field.

At the end of the study seems to show that mental training exercises can work, but whether or not it is designed to be very sensitive to the type of training and the individual. Those are pretty significant limitations, and we could probably get a better feel for what benefit the boundaries of education. As such, the author concludes: "Future research should examine not whether mental training works" (emphasis added them), seems a little premature. Yes, we should examine the factors, influence how well it works, as the authors suggest. But we could also learn from you about, if possible, be at all effective benefit.

Mental training exercices