The relationship between baseline cognitive ability and working memory training improvement

Working memory training research has produced mixed results in terms of transfer – most studies observe significant improvement in tasks that are similar to the training materials, but not to other outcomes. One potential... [ view full abstract ]

Working memory training research has produced mixed results in terms of transfer – most studies observe significant improvement in tasks that are similar to the training materials, but not to other outcomes. One potential limitation is that the research thus far has failed to isolate the specific combination of factors that make working memory training work best. While personality and non-cognitive factors do not appear to significantly affect training improvements, cognitive ability has been unexamined as a training predictor. Specifically, other research areas have shown that individual differences in cognitive ability influence the effectiveness of interventions (aptitude-by-treatment interactions), and might be important for working memory training efficacy, too. We combined and re-analyzed the results of multiple previous working memory training studies of healthy, young adults to assess the relationship between baseline cognitive ability (working memory, fluid intelligence) and working memory training improvement. Working memory training here focused on complex span training. In contrast to the idea that individuals with lower cognitive ability would benefit most from working memory training, the analyses of the combined datasets indicate that those already high in cognitive ability improve more during training. This result is consistent with a rich-get-richer account of training improvements, and has implications for proposals that working memory training can effectively remediate cognitive deficits.