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| Type | Journal Article |
| Scope | Discipline-based scholarship |
| Title | Intra‐individual variability in task performance after cognitive training is associated with long‐term outcomes in children |
| Organization Unit | |
| Authors |
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| Item Subtype | Original Work |
| Refereed | Yes |
| Status | Published in final form |
| Language |
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| Journal Title | Developmental Science |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc. |
| Geographical Reach | international |
| ISSN | 1363-755X |
| Volume | 26 |
| Number | 1 |
| Page Range | e13252 |
| Date | 2023 |
| Abstract Text | The potential benefits and mechanistic effects of working memory training (WMT) in children are the subject of much research and debate. We show that after five weeks of school-based, adaptive WMT 6–9 year-old primary school children had greater activity in prefrontal and striatal brain regions, higher task accuracy, and reduced intra-individual variability in response times compared to controls. Using a sequential sampling decision model, we demonstrate that this reduction in intra-individual variability can be explained by changes to the evidence accumulation rates and thresholds. Critically, intra-individual variability is useful in quantifying the immediate impact of cognitive training interventions, being a better predictor of academic skills and well-being 6–12 months after the end of training than task accuracy. Taken together, our results suggest that attention control is the initial mechanism that leads to the long-run benefits from adaptive WMT. Selective and sustained attention abilities may serve as a scaffold for subsequent changes in higher cognitive processes, academic skills, and general well-being. Furthermore, these results highlight that the selection of outcome measures and the timing of the assessments play a crucial role in detecting training efficacy. Thus, evaluating intra-individual variability, during or directly after training could allow for the early tailoring of training interventions in terms of duration or content to maximise their impact. |
| Free access at | DOI |
| Digital Object Identifier | 10.1111/desc.13252 |
| Other Identification Number | merlin-id:22335 |
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| Keywords | Cognitive neuroscience, developmental and educational psychology, attention control, children, cognitive training, fMRI, intra-individual variability, working memory |