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Cognitive Training Does Not Enhance General Cognition.

Giovanni Sala¹, Fernand Gobet²

¹Osaka University, 1-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka Prefecture 565-0871, Japan; JSPS International Research Fellow.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

|November 26, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cognitive training, or practicing cognitive tasks, shows minimal benefits for general cognitive skills. Study quality and statistical issues explain inconsistent findings, suggesting alternative methods for cognitive enhancement are needed.

Keywords:

cognitive ability cognitive training intelligence meta-analysis music neural plasticity video game working memory

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Cognitive Science

Background:

Cognitive training is a popular research area due to its theoretical and societal implications.
The core assumption is that practicing cognitive tasks enhances general cognitive ability.
Existing research and reviews present mixed findings on cognitive training effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

To resolve discrepancies in cognitive training research.
To conduct meta-analytic reviews to assess the true effects of cognitive training.
To determine if cognitive training offers appreciable benefits for cognitive skills.

Main Methods:

Conducted several meta-analytic reviews of cognitive training studies.
Analyzed data to assess effects on domain-general cognitive skills.
Investigated sources of variability between study results.

Main Results:

Meta-analyses consistently showed minimal effects on domain-general cognitive skills.
Study design quality and statistical artifacts accounted for between-study variability.
No appreciable benefits were found from the cognitive training research program.

Conclusions:

Cognitive training does not significantly enhance general cognitive abilities.
The effectiveness of cognitive training is largely explained by methodological factors.
Alternative, more plausible practices should be pursued for cognitive enhancement.