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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
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Metacognitive training at home: does it improve older adults' learning?
Heather Bailey1, John Dunlosky, Christopher Hertzog
1Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242-0001, USA. hroth@kent.edu
Gerontology
|December 18, 2009
Summary
Older adults can improve their learning and memory skills by using a self-testing training method at home. This metacognitive strategy helps in efficient study time allocation, benefiting even those who already self-test.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Adult learning
- Gerontology
Background:
- Previous interventions successfully improved older adults' learning regulation.
- A metacognitive approach teaches efficient study time allocation through self-testing and targeted restudying.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt a laboratory-based self-testing training method for at-home use by older adults.
- To reduce the time-intensive nature of in-person laboratory training.
Main Methods:
- A standard intervention design with pretraining, training, and posttraining sessions was employed.
- Participants were randomly assigned to a training group (n=29) or a waiting list control group (n=27).
- Screening identified participants who already used self-testing strategies before training.
Main Results:
- The training group showed significant learning gains compared to the control group.
- This demonstrates the effectiveness of at-home self-testing training for older adults.
- The metacognitive approach improved learning, including for individuals who spontaneously self-tested prior to the intervention.
Conclusions:
- Training metacognitive skills like self-testing enhances new information acquisition in healthy older adults.
- An at-home training manual can be provided to older adults, reducing practitioner burden.
- This approach supports lifelong learning and cognitive health in aging populations.
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