Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Computerized Cognitive Training in the General Population

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Computerized cognitive training (CCT) programs are widely available, but their effectiveness in healthy adults remains debated.
• Mixed findings necessitate research into how user beliefs and attitudes influence CCT outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate public beliefs and attitudes toward computerized cognitive training (CCT).
• To explore user motivations, perceived effectiveness, and opinion changes regarding CCT.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 497 North American participants via Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk).
• Novel questions assessed beliefs on CCT effectiveness for cognition, mood, daily life, research support, and opinion trends.
• Exploratory descriptive analyses and parametric tests for a priori hypotheses were employed.

Main Results:

• Nearly half of participants had used CCT; individuals with psychological/neurological disorders were more likely users.
• Motivations included curiosity, cognitive enhancement/maintenance, decline prevention, and enjoyment.
• Participants perceived CCT as somewhat effective for cognition and mood; older age and less education correlated with higher perceived effectiveness.
• Opinions of CCT platforms remained largely unchanged over time.

Conclusions:

• The general population holds diverse beliefs and attitudes toward CCT.
• Further research is needed on public perceptions and effective knowledge translation for CCT stakeholders.