Gaining control: training executive function and far transfer of the ability to resolve interference

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroplasticity
• Executive Functions

Background:

• Functional brain imaging reveals overlapping prefrontal cortex activation across memory tasks.
• This suggests shared executive components underlying different memory functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trainability of interference resolution, a key executive-control process.
• To examine if training this process leads to transfer effects on other cognitive tasks.

Main Methods:

• Developed a training regimen using high-interference working memory tasks.
• Assessed improvements in interference resolution efficiency post-training.
• Tested for transfer effects on diverse working memory, semantic, and episodic memory tasks.

Main Results:

• Eight days of training enhanced interference resolution on trained tasks.
• Significant far-transfer effects were observed on untrained memory tasks.
• Participants trained on non-interference tasks showed no such transfer.

Conclusions:

• Executive control processes, specifically interference resolution, are trainable and plastic.
• Process-specific training can induce adaptive, far-transfer effects in cognitive abilities.
• This highlights the potential for targeted cognitive training to enhance executive functions.