Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
07:01
Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
No evidence of intelligence improvement after working memory training: a randomized, placebo-controlled study
Thomas S Redick1, Zach Shipstead, Tyler L Harrison
1School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. tsredick@iupuc.edu
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|June 20, 2012
Summary
Working memory training did not improve cognitive abilities like fluid intelligence or multitasking. This study found no evidence of general intellectual benefits from practicing the dual n-back task.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Recent studies suggest intellectual benefits from working memory training.
- Previous reviews highlight limitations in working memory training research, including design flaws and inconsistent results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the general intellectual benefits of working memory training.
- To investigate transfer effects of working memory training to other cognitive abilities.
Main Methods:
- Compared young adults in a dual n-back training group, an active placebo (visual search) group, and a no-contact control group.
- Administered multiple cognitive tests (fluid intelligence, multitasking, working memory capacity, crystallized intelligence, perceptual speed) at pretest, midtest, and posttest.
Main Results:
- Participants improved on trained tasks (dual n-back and visual search).
- No significant transfer of training gains was observed to any cognitive ability measures, despite high statistical power.
Conclusions:
- The study found no evidence for general intellectual benefits of working memory training.
- Results question the efficacy of current working memory training paradigms and highlight the need for improved research designs and theoretical grounding.
