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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
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Memory skills mediating superior memory in a world-class memorist.
K Anders Ericsson1, Xiaojun Cheng2, Yafeng Pan2
1b Department of Psychology , Florida State University , Tallahassee , FL , USA.
Memory (Hove, England)
|March 10, 2017
Summary
World Memory Championship winner Feng Wang (FW) demonstrated exceptional digit recall by using mnemonic techniques and rapid memorization training. His performance suggests working memory capacity can be enhanced through long-term memory strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Memory
Background:
- Laboratory studies show normal memory spans are limited by encoding time.
- Individuals with extensive practice achieve digit spans over 80.
- Encoding time increases with digit sequence length.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the memory skills of a world-class memorist, Feng Wang (FW).
- To understand how FW achieved a 300-digit recall at 1 digit/s, seemingly violating encoding time constraints.
- To explore the feasibility of acquiring enhanced working memory skills.
Main Methods:
- FW reproduced a 200-digit memory span under laboratory conditions.
- Retrospective reports from FW detailed his encoding and retrieval processes.
- Self-paced memorization experiments analyzed 4-digit cluster encoding.
- Memory encoding was tested at speeds faster than 1 digit/s.
Main Results:
- FW's superior memory span was confirmed in laboratory settings.
- His performance was attributed to acquired mnemonic techniques and rapid memorization training.
- Encoding and retrieval processes were analyzed under various conditions.
- FW's methods suggest working memory can be enhanced via long-term memory storage.
Conclusions:
- Exceptional memory spans are achievable through specific training and mnemonic strategies.
- World-class memorists utilize techniques that optimize encoding speed and efficiency.
- Memory performance can be improved by leveraging long-term memory storage principles.
- The study supports the potential for skill acquisition in enhancing working memory capacity.
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