Implementation of Strategy on the Transfer Effect of Working Memory Training

Yang Ting; Zhao Xin; He Xiangchun; Li Kaiyue; Cao Wenjing

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20230410

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Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4) : 841-847. DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20230410

General Psychology, Experimental Psychology & Ergonomics

Implementation of Strategy on the Transfer Effect of Working Memory Training

Yang Ting^1,2, Zhao Xin^1,2, He Xiangchun³, Li Kaiyue², Cao Wenjing²

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Abstract

Working memory is a system with limited capacity, which is responsible for the storage and processing of information when individuals perform complex and highly demanding tasks. Research has proved that working memory is not only an important structure of advanced cognitive abilities, but also a significant predictor of a wide range of cognitive abilities. Therefore, researchers try to explore the transfer effect of working memory training. However, the conclusions are not consistent. Studies have found that age, fluid intelligence, and training dose all affect the results. More importantly, a large number of recent studies have proved that strategy implementation plays an important role in working memory tasks. In the course of working memory training, individuals will always use certain strategy to reduce the cognitive load of the task. As a result, researchers have developed a new method of working memory training: Giving strategic guidance in the course of working memory training. Some studies have shown that extensive transfer has occurred, but some studies have also found that strategy instruction in working memory training produces limited transfer. This may be related to the extent of strategic familiarity. If one has developed and is familiar with the strategy before the working memory training, the use of the strategy in the working memory training process becomes a kind of automatic processing. At this time, the task's demand for cognitive resources is reduced or the task does not produce enough cognitive load, which reduces the individual's attention, and thus fails to truly improve the individual's working memory ability, thus resulting in limited transfer. This conclusion is also verified in the different training effects of verbal working memory tasks and visuospatial working memory tasks. Some researchers believe that the basic cognitive rules of the verbal short-term memory system have been established. The sequential coding of verbal stimuli and the use of rehearsal strategy are very common in our daily life, such as remembering new words and passwords, and remembering instantly sent mobile phone verification codes, etc. Since the skills required to perform these tasks have been acquired, such as rehearsal, chunking, etc., there is no need to develop new cognitive rules. Therefore, this kind of skills that have already reached to the automation stage have little impact on other tasks. However, unlike verbal stimulation, the order of recalling visual space items is rarely needed in daily life, which may indicate that the individual has not established the cognitive rule system in the past experience. In order to reduce the consumption of cognitive resources and reduce the difficulty of the task, participants must develop a new cognitive skills. To develop this cognitive skill, individuals are required to act a large number of cognitive resources. Future research should focus on the neural mechanisms that explain how the familiarity of strategy affects the transfer effect of working memory training, verify this problem in special groups, and establish a comprehensive model that affects the transfer effect of working memory training.

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working memory / cognitive training / task strategy / transfer

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Yang Ting, Zhao Xin, He Xiangchun, Li Kaiyue, Cao Wenjing. Implementation of Strategy on the Transfer Effect of Working Memory Training[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2023, 46(4): 841-847 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20230410

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