Computer-based training reliably improves children's working memory and reasoning, but computerized training has not succeeded in improving 4- to 6-year-olds' inhibitory control¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2 · i0 negligible
Currency · newest study 2012 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Cogmed computerized working-memory training improves working memory even on untrained tasks, with gains persisting 6 months and delayed math gains appearing 6 months after training. → Diamond Adele 2012 q2 i0 Attempts to improve 4- to 6-year-olds' inhibitory control with computerized inhibitory-control games or training have not been successful, whereas 9-year-olds improved in task switching and inhibition after computer-based task-switching training. → Diamond Adele 2012 (2)

Evidence¶

Diamond Adele 2012¶

Diamond Adele. (2012). Activities and Programs That Improve Children's Executive Functions. Current Directions in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412453722

q2 · i? · review · r2

Narrative review of computerized-training studies; the review reports Cogmed as the most researched approach, repeatedly successful, with two studies (Holmes et al., 2009, 2010) finding working-memory gains remained 6 months after training and math gains evident 6 months later despite no immediate gains.

"When Cogmed training is on working memory, working memory improves even on untrained tasks (e.g., Klingberg et al., 2005; Thorell et al., 2009)."

Diamond Adele 2012 (2)¶

Diamond Adele. (2012). Activities and Programs That Improve Children's Executive Functions. Current Directions in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412453722

q2 · i0 · review · r2

Narrative review reporting failed computerized inhibitory-control training in 4- to 6-year-olds (Rueda et al., 2005 found no EF improvements), while 9-year-olds receiving task-switching training improved in both task switching and inhibition (Karbach & Kray, 2009).

"attempts thus far to improve 4- to 6-year-olds' inhibitory control using computerized inhibitory-control games or training have not been successful (Rueda, Rothbart, McCandliss, Saccomanno, & Posner, 2005; Thorell et al., 2009)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Executive Function — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• CogMed computerized working-memory training improves practiced working-memory skills with narrow transfer, and controls playing the same games without increasing difficulty show no gains — reports the opposite
• Computerized training of inhibition in young children shows limited success, and a randomized trial found narrow, skill-specific transfer of working-memory and reasoning training in 4-year-olds — reports the opposite
• Transfer from computer-based working-memory and reasoning training in children is narrow: gains stay within the trained domain — a broader claim this one bears on
• Six months after training, the experimental group showed a slight improvement over the control group in transferring argumentation to teaching practice, especially in mentioning argumentation in practice portfolios — related
• A combined inhibition and social cognition classroom training improves selective visual attention in 5- and 6-year-olds — related
• EF training demands must keep increasing as children improve, or few gains will be seen — a broader claim this one bears on
• Task-switching training improves untrained switching and other executive functions in school-aged children, though transfer findings are heterogeneous — related
• Inhibitory control is the EDF subdomain most repeatedly linked to ADHD — related
• Isolated EF interventions show robust near-term EF gains but poor transfer, including to early mathematics — related
• Interventions targeting SRL or EF show little evidence of far transfer to the other construct — related
• Digitalised task training shows highly inconsistent evidence, appearing particularly suited to improving working memory — reports the opposite