Training generalized relational operants in a school sample: A randomized controlled trial

Rationale & Objectives: In recent years, small-scale studies have suggested that we may be able to substantially strengthen children's general cognitive abilities and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores using a relational... [ view full abstract ]

Rationale & Objectives: In recent years, small-scale studies have suggested that we may be able to substantially strengthen children's general cognitive abilities and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores using a relational operant skills training program (SMART). Only one of these studies to date has included an active control condition, and that study reported the smallest mean IQ rise. The present study is a larger, quasi-randomized, active-controlled trial to independently test the utility of SMART training for raising fluid IQ and processing speed. Method: We measured personality traits, fluid IQs, and processing speeds of 182 school pupils (aged 13-14). Participants were randomly allocated to either a SMART intervention group or a Scratch computer coding control group, for a period of three months. We reassessed pupils’ fluid IQs and processing speeds after the three-month intervention. We analysed data from 70 participants who met the study criteria at Time 2. Results:  We observed a significant mean increase in the SMART training group’s fluid IQs of 5.98 points, while there was a non-significant increase of 1.85 points in the Scratch active-control group. We also observed an increase in processing speed across both conditions over Time. Implications: Our results suggest that fluid intelligence is pliable and that relational skills training may be useful for accelerating children’s progression towards developmental milestones.