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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Published on: September 20, 2020

Memory and language improvements following cognitive control training.

Erika K Hussey¹, J Isaiah Harbison¹, Susan E Teubner-Rhodes¹

¹Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition

|July 15, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cognitive control training, specifically focusing on conflict resolution, improved performance on untrained language and memory tasks. This suggests cognitive control mechanisms are adaptable and play a causal role in diverse cognitive functions.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Cognitive Control Research

Background:

Cognitive control involves adjusting thoughts and actions during information processing conflicts.
Understanding the causal link between cognitive control and other cognitive functions like language and memory is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if cognitive control training causally influences performance in language and memory tasks.
To determine the domain-generalizability of cognitive control plasticity.

Main Methods:

Participants underwent training on variations of the n-back task: High-Conflict (with lures), Low-Conflict (without lures), or 3-Back.
A battery of recognition memory and language processing tasks, with high- and low-conflict conditions, was administered pre- and post-training.

Main Results:

High-Conflict training led to improvements on untrained tasks, specifically those requiring cognitive control.
Low-Conflict training did not yield significant benefits on untrained tasks.
3-Back training showed some improvements, but not selectively for conflict resolution tasks.

Conclusions:

Domain-general cognitive control mechanisms are temporarily plastic and can be enhanced through targeted training.
Cognitive control plays a causal role in both linguistic and nonlinguistic performance, demonstrating its fundamental nature.