Caitlin Hitchcock1,2, Martin S Westwell1. 1. Australian Research Council, Science of Learning Research Centre, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia. 2. Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We explored whether school-based Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) may optimise both academic and psychological outcomes at school. Training of executive control skills may form a novel approach to enhancing processes that predict academic achievement, such as task-related attention, and thereby academic performance, but also has the potential to improve the regulation of emotion, social problems and behavioural difficulties. METHODS:Primary school children (Mean age = 12 years, N = 148) were cluster-randomised tocomplete active CWMT, a nonadaptive/placebo version of CWMT, or no training. RESULTS: No evidence was found for training effects on task-related attention when performing academic tasks, or performance on reading comprehension and mathematics tasks, or teacher-reported social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. CONCLUSIONS:CWMT did not improve control of attention in the classroom, or regulation of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: We explored whether school-based Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) may optimise both academic and psychological outcomes at school. Training of executive control skills may form a novel approach to enhancing processes that predict academic achievement, such as task-related attention, and thereby academic performance, but also has the potential to improve the regulation of emotion, social problems and behavioural difficulties. METHODS: Primary school children (Mean age = 12 years, N = 148) were cluster-randomised to complete active CWMT, a nonadaptive/placebo version of CWMT, or no training. RESULTS: No evidence was found for training effects on task-related attention when performing academic tasks, or performance on reading comprehension and mathematics tasks, or teacher-reported social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: CWMT did not improve control of attention in the classroom, or regulation of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Authors: Kristine M Ulrichsen; Knut K Kolskår; Geneviève Richard; Mads Lund Pedersen; Dag Alnaes; Erlend S Dørum; Anne-Marthe Sanders; Sveinung Tornås; Luigi A Maglanoc; Andreas Engvig; Hege Ihle-Hansen; Jan E Nordvik; Lars T Westlye Journal: Brain Behav Date: 2022-06-06 Impact factor: 3.405