CCT yields small significant gains in nonverbal memory, working memory, and visuospatial skills, but only weak evidence for verbal memory¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesisr3·q4·i1small
Currency · newest study 2014 · checked against its sources 2026-10-16 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q4 i1 Nonverbal memory (g = 0.24), working memory (g = 0.22), and visuospatial skills (g = 0.22) showed small significant effects; verbal memory was very small (g = 0.08) under a conservative fixed-effects model. → Lampit A 2014
Evidence¶
Lampit A 2014¶
Lampit A, Hallock H, Valenzuela M (2014) Computerized Cognitive Training in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Effect Modifiers. PLoS Med 11(11): e1001756. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001756
q4 · i1 · quant-synthesis · r3
Domain-specific meta-analyses: nonverbal memory g = 0.24 (13 studies), WM g = 0.22 (28 studies), visuospatial g = 0.22 (8 studies), all significant. For verbal memory, potential publication bias prompted a fixed-effects analysis showing "a very small effect size" of g = 0.08.
"A fixed-effects analysis was therefore conducted and revealed a very small effect size ( g = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.15, p = 0.03; Figure 4)."
Studies bearing on this claim¶
Can training or practice raise working memory itself, and by how much? This table gathers the studies behind this claim and the 2 narrower claims that bear on it: 2 distinct studies (1 quant-synthesis, 1 causal), q1–q4, 1 of 2 with an effect size coded. One row per study, codes as each entry records them; no effect is averaged and no verdict is drawn. Built by scripts/synthesize_claim.py from eval/synthesis/; a row that looks wrong is fixed on the claim it comes from.
| Study | Design | Effect as recorded | Bears on this claim through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lampit A 2014 | q4 · quant-synthesis · r3 | i1; i? | this claim; Working-memory-only training shows no positive evidence of efficacy in healthy older adult (qualifies) |
| Do 2024 | q1 · causal · r1 | i? | Deliberate practice can expand short-term memory capacity beyond the conventional seven-it (supports) |
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Working Memory — outcome: instruction changes it
- Executive Function — outcome: instruction changes it
- Spatial Ability — outcome: instruction changes it
- Visual Processing — outcome: instruction changes it
Related Claims¶
- Computerized cognitive training produces a small but statistically significant improvement in cognitive performance in healthy older adults — a broader claim this one bears on
- CCT shows no significant effects on executive functions or attention in healthy older adults — related
- Training more than three sessions per week neutralizes CCT efficacy, while one or 2–3 sessions per week are effective — related
- Group-based CCT is effective while home-based CCT is not — related
- CCT improves processing speed with a moderate effect, the largest domain effect, though with large heterogeneity — related
- Working-memory-only training shows no positive evidence of efficacy in healthy older adults — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
cct-domain-gains-nonverbal-wm-visuospatial-verbal-weak |
title |
CCT yields small significant gains in nonverbal memory, working memory, and visuospatial skills, but only weak evidence for verbal memory |
description |
CCT yields small significant gains in nonverbal memory, working memory, and visuospatial skills, but only weak evidence for verbal memory |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2014 |
source_checked |
2026-10-16 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-15 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — lampit-a-2014 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.