The Effects of Working-Memory Training on Cognitive
Performance in Young Adults
Anna Ing, UNCW Honors Student
Supervisor: Jeffrey P. Toth, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology, UNCW
ABSTRACT
Working-memory--the ability to temporarily remember and manipulate
information--has been the focus of recent research, due to the central role
it is thought to play in both intelligence and age-related cognitive decline.
At the same time, research on the effects of computer games has led to
the creation of game-based training programs that may improve cognition,
and slow, reverse, or prevent age-related cognitive decline. Research in
the UNCW Aging & Cognitive Training (ACT) Lab has been involved in this
research effort by using computer games that incorporate training
principles into game play. One game (Art Dealer) trains recollection, a
high-level form of long-term memory that shows significant age-related
decline. Initial research with Art Dealer has suggested that it can improve
recollection and related abilities in older adults. The second game (Trivia
Poker) targets working-memory and is the focus of my current research
which is directed at improving working-memory in UNCW students.
Trivia Poker
Art Dealer
 Trivia Poker is based on working-memory (WM) "span" tasks that have been
linked to frontal-lobe activity and are strongly correlated with fluid intelligence4.
 In addition to adding motivational game elements (e.g., poker hands), the game
uses multiple forms of "trivia" (math questions, foreign-language vocabulary, pop
culture) that can train general knowledge in addition to working memory skills.
Game Play
 Art Dealer is based on an Avoiding Repetitions/Incremented
Difficulty training procedure that has been shown to increase
memory in older adults2. The procedure works by requiring players
to increasingly rely on recollection, an executive form of memory, in
order to override familiarity, an automatic form of memory. The
game builds on this training procedure, adding a number of game
elements (e.g., classic art, a virtual partner, financial decisions) to
increase challenge, interest, & motivation to play.
Game Play
Background
Age-related Cognitive Decline.
Cognitive skills underlying executive
functions and fluid intelligence begin
to decline in a person's 20's or 30's.
One to five cards are dealt face up
and then turned face down.
Each of the 28 rounds
begins with a brief artist
biography...
A timed 'trivia' question is then asked. Answering
it correctly puts money in the 'Trivia Pot'.
…followed by presentation of
16 'original' paintings by the
selected artist.
The player then tries to buy
these originals at an art sale
while avoiding any forgeries.
Fluid Intelligence. The ability to
adapt thinking to a new problem or
situation.
After the sale, players get
…and can visit their art gallery
feedback from their financier…
to view their paintings…
• The are currently about 40
million seniors (65+) in the U.S.
• By 2030, the number of seniors
is expected to be about 70
million (20% of the population).
• In NC, the number of seniors is
expected to double by 2030,
with those 75+ going up 150%.
Neurogenesis. Contrary to prior assumptions, humans generate new
neurons throughout the lifetime, including in the hippocampus and possibly
in the frontal lobe.
Neuroplasticity. Neuroimaging results have shown that older adults retain
the ability to alter the structure & function their brains based on experience.
Computer Games & Cognition. Commercial computer games have been
shown to improve many cognitive abilities1. The potential of these games
may increase by weaving science-based training principles into the fabric of
game play. The games shown here were developed by Minds Refined LLC
and are based on published cognitive-training principles.
…or sell some in order to pay
off any outstanding loans.
Research
But to win the money in the Trivia Pot,
players must recall their cards in the
order they were presented.
For correctly recalled hands, players are
given the option to 'double-down', playing
their hand against the dealer's.
Research
 Two lines of research are being conducted with Trivia Poker, one focused on
assessing WM, the other on training WM.
 My research focuses on the training version in which students are given the game to play
for seven days between two assessment sessions.
Training with Commercial
Games
Commercial video games can
improve cognitive skills1. Knowing the
nature and size of these effects could
lead to affordable training options for
many populations.
Training with Theory-Based
Games
 Proven training principles have
been developed for a number of
cognitive skills including multitasking & face-name learning.
 Embedding these principles into
widely-available games could
improve health outcomes in a
variety of domains.
 An initial study (n=22) examined whether Art Dealer could increase
cognitive abilities in older adults3.
 Compared to a control group, those who played Art Dealer for ~8
hours showed increases in working memory, long-term memory, &
processing speed, and also showed generalization to verbal stimuli.
 We are replicating this study and extending it to patients with
traumatic brain injury & early dementia.
Future Directions
Combining Cognitive Training with
Aerobic Exercise
 Research has shown increased
brain volume & cognitive skill
following aerobic exercise5. An
exciting possibility is that combining
the two may produce even greater
gains in performance.
Training Efficacy &
Neurocognitive Theory
 One of most critical issues in this
area is understanding why particular
training games work. Addressing
that issue requires one to confront
some of the most complex questions
about human cognition and
its neural basis.
References
1. Green, C.S. & Bavelier, D. (2003). Action video games modify
visual attention. Nature, 423, 534-537.
2. Jennings, J.M. & Jacoby, L.L. (2003). Improving memory in older
adults: Training recollection. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation,
13, 417-440.
3. Toth, J.P., Daniels, K., & Jacoby, L. L. Art Dealer: A computer
game for enhancing cognition in older adults. Unpublished
manuscript.
4. Kane, M. J., & Engle, R. W. (2002). The role of prefrontal cortex in
working-memory capacity, executive attention, and general fluid
intelligence: An individual-differences perspective. Psychonomic
Bulletin & Review, 9, 637-671.
5. Colcombe, S.J. et al. (2006). Aerobic exercise training increases
brain volume in aging humans. Journal of Gerontology: Medical
Sciences, 61A, 1166-1170.