Outcomes of Varied Activities in Working Memory Training for Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Cognitive training is often assumed to be more effective with varied activities.
• This assumption has not been systematically evaluated in children.
• Working memory training is a common intervention for cognitive enhancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if increasing the number of varied activities in working memory training enhances cognitive benefits in primary school children.
• To compare the effectiveness of working memory training with two, four, or six varied activities against an active control group.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 197 Australian primary school children (Grades 2-5).
• Interventions delivered daily for 2 weeks within Minecraft Education Edition.
• Working memory training (backward span, following instructions) with varying activities vs. creative worldbuilding (active control).
• Outcome measures assessed working memory, reasoning, and inattention at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found between any of the working memory training conditions (two, four, or six activities) and the active control group.
• These results held true for measures of near, intermediate, and far transfer, both immediately and at the 3-month follow-up.
• The number of varied activities did not influence the effectiveness of the cognitive training.

Conclusions:

• The study provides no evidence that increasing the variety of activities in cognitive training maximizes benefits for children.
• Findings suggest that the assumption of varied activities being superior for cognitive training in children may be unfounded.
• Further research is needed to explore optimal cognitive training designs for pediatric populations.