PSY2002 SEMESTER 2 - WEEK 3

Question 1

whats brain training

Answer 1

improving WM capacity through practice

Question 2

define transfer

Answer 2

improvements in practiced tasks lead to improvements in unpracticed tasks

Question 3

what did Erriccson find (1980) for training effects and WM spans

Answer 3

230hr lab practice, increase memory span from 7-79 digit
when using appropriate mnemonic system, seemingly no limit to memory performance with practice
(no transfer when swapped from digits to letters)

Question 4

define strategy based training

Answer 4

if train only 1 specific strategy, then lacks transfer to non-trained tasks eg; mnemonic (remebering planet orders)

Question 5

summarise strategy-base training in specificity, and transferability

Answer 5

material/task specific
difficult transfer to other context

Question 6

summarise process-base training in specificity, and transferability

Answer 6

assumed to transfer to other context ie, develop WM capacity in general, not just repeating same tasks

Question 7

define process-based training

Answer 7

repeated practice of specific tasks targeting cognitive processes eg; daily practice complex span task

Question 8

define functional overlap

Answer 8

transfer is expected if practiced and non-practiced tasks share underlying processes

Question 9

whats an example of near transfer task

Answer 9

WM training task, eg; n-back

Question 10

whats an example of far transfer task

Answer 10

different, but related, cognitive ability eg; reasoning

Question 11

how can baselines be used for measuring training effect

Answer 11

performance baseline assessments compared to performance at post-test after training
change evaluated relative to control group

Question 12

when are passive control groups appropriate when testing training effect

Answer 12

when in an test-retest effects
but isn’t for other factor that affected period inbetween test/retest, or placebo effects

Question 13

when are active control groups appropriate when testing training effect

Answer 13

other factors affecting the period inbetween test and retest, eg; motivation, and for placebo effect

Question 14

what did Redick find (2013) regarding WM training not being effective

Answer 14

active control (visual search), vs passive control (no intervention)

measure change in multiple training, transfer tasks
found no significant far transfer effect

Question 15

summarise, does WM training work??

Answer 15

inconsistent evidence across large number of studies

Question 16

how did Klingberg (2002) study intensive WM training for ADHD children attention deficit with result

Answer 16

computerised training program, many WM task, test either improvement relative to active control group in trained/untrained task
intensive (5 a day) or low (1 a day)
post-test measured change in training and transfer tasks on Raven’s progressive matrix and found big improvement on intensive training, and on intensive transfer >lower

Question 17

what were issues with Klingberg (2002)

Answer 17

very small sample and some overlap

Question 18

what did Klingberg (2005) study using multiRCT, and results

Answer 18

either adaptive (change as improve) or non, then measure change in training, transfer tasks
found training show larger benefit in adaptive>non, in practiced tasks
transfer task show larger benefit in adaptive>non in unpractice inhibition, reasoning task
still consistent 3 month later
however when used uncorrected data found non-signif result concluding evidence for training/trans effect for WM training however small diff in uncorrected result

Question 19

what did Jaeggi (2008) research with WM training using dual-n-back and raven

Answer 19

WM training vs a passive control
measure change in training and transfer tasks
(training = n-back, transfer = raven)
decide if same target, 2 turn ago

Question 20

whats multiple sources of variance framework for mechanisms of transfer?

Answer 20

intervention-specific factors impacts on training which impacts on transfer, which should impact on our observed effects
individual differences can also impact our training, and transfer

Question 21

name 2 mechanisms of transfer (multiple sources of variance framework)

Answer 21

enhanced capacity, enhanced efficiency

Question 22

outline enhanced capacity for mechanisms of transfer (multiple sources of variance framework)

Answer 22

training increases number of info elements held in WM, predict training lead to broader transfer and also improve other cog ability due to neuronal overlaps

Question 23

what is near transfer/far

Answer 23

performance increase in untrained task sharing variance with trained task is near transfer
improvements in other cognitive ability task is far transfer

Question 24

outline enhanced efficiency for mechanisms of transfer (multiple sources of variance framework)

Answer 24

training supports more efficient use of existing capacity through strategies or faster processing, predicting train lead to selective transfer effects
process-specific, so only transfers to task using same class of materials

Question 25

what is selective transfer effect

Answer 25

using strategies, chunking and automisation

Question 26

for enhanced efficiency, what is strategies acquisition suited for

Answer 26

specific task paradigm (ie n-back, or complex spans) expected to only transfer to new version of same paradigm

Question 27

how did De Simoni and Von Bastian (2018) study mechanisms of transfer

Answer 27

WM binding training, vs WM updating training, vs active control (visual search). measured change in training and transfer task found binding best in binding tasks but no near transfer to updating task updating best in updating task but no near transfer to binding task no far transfer for reasoning, speed, shifting, slight improvement in inhibition in binding overall= is large improvement in trained task but no evidence for near or far transfer

Question 28

what are methodological issues as reason for inconsistencies for training research

Answer 28

lack of active control, placebo effect single tasks used for measuring cog abilities - task impurity problem small sample sizes- low statistical power and imprecise measurement

Question 29

what are theoretical issues as reason for inconsistency in training researches

Answer 29

many studies lack theoretical framework of training and transfer without theory explaining mechanisms of transfer cannot predict when we should observe effects

Question 30

name 3 hypotheses of individual differences during training progress

Answer 30

magnification, compensation, no difference

Question 31

explain magnification hypothesis of individual differences during training progress

Answer 31

people with higher ability gain more

Question 32

explain compensation hypothesis of individual differences during training progress

Answer 32

people with lower ability gain more

Question 33

what did Guye (2017) find regarding initial training perf, slope training progress relationship in YA and OA

Answer 33

YA shows magnification of initial tasks performance, little effect in OA limited evidence for individual differences predicting slope in training progress, but result may differ for samples with successful training and transfer

Question 34

name some individual differences on training effects

Answer 34

age, genetic predisposition, motivation, levels of conscientiousness

Question 35

explain age as an individual differences on training effects

Answer 35

larger training induced improvement for YA>OA Mathew effect however YA benefit more>older child, suggesting linear rel btw/ age and training gain compensatory effects suggest indiv with more room to gain shows greater improv and ADHD/brain injuries also show more transfer>healthy = compensatory effects over matthew effects

Question 36

what is matthew effect (age individual difference)

Answer 36

cumulative advantages means individual with high initial ability more likely to improve ability increasingly

Question 37

explain genetic predisposition in individual differences on training effects

Answer 37

heritability for WM capacity 50% linked to dopamine availability, brain-derived neurotrophic factor involved in hippocampal plasticity

Question 38

what are intervention-specific factors?

Answer 38

- depending on type of training task - depending on dose of intervention

Question 39

what does Melby-Lervag (2016) conclude on intervention-specific factor for "effectiveness depending on type of training task"

Answer 39

studied if effectiveness depended on type of training task = Cogmed induce relative larger verbal near transfer, but n-back larger far transfer

Question 40

what does Melby-Lervag (2016) conclude on intervention-specific factor for "effectiveness depending on type of training dose"

Answer 40

little effect, but only signif diff for far transfer and in opposite direction

Question 41

what are single paradigm regimes, ie dual n-back

Answer 41

sequences of visual and auditory stimuli are presented simultaneously, has to decide whether currently present stimulus in each modality match one n step back = shows near transfer, and no far transfers

Question 42

what are multi-paradigm regimes

Answer 42

maintains high motivation, help transfer effect. used in Cogmed with mix of WM, STM = however, is unclear whether STM training target WM capacity as could be identical system and also STM tasks reflect mainly primary memory but WM reflect longer term

Question 43

how can task difficulty be adjusted (and issues)

Answer 43

keeping tasks challenging in training phases so max WM performance is gained but evidence showing no diff in training and transfer gain

Question 44

what are low WM capacity children prone to

Answer 44

LD and ADHD - effective WM training might help ADHD as deficits in VSS memory and allocating attention onto task

Question 45

what does complex span predict?

Answer 45

cog ability and WM capacity strongly related to persons ability to reason with novel info (general fluid intelligence; Gf)

Question 46

what does n-back predict

Answer 46

individual diff in Gf

Question 47

what do WM tasks predict

Answer 47

predict reading comprehension, performance on college entrance exams

Question 48

what can WM capacity link to?

Answer 48

multitasking, regulating emotions, predict child’s verbal and math aptitude and linked to rate at which children develop syntactic knowledge, reading abilities