Brain-training to improve memory boosts fluid intelligence

Brain-training efforts designed to improve working memory can also
boost scores
in general problem-solving ability and improve fluid intelligence,
according to
new University of Michigan research.

"Considering the fundamental importance of fluid intelligence in
everyday life
and its predictive power for a large variety of intellectual tasks and
professional success, we believe that our findings may be highly
relevant to
applications in education," U-M psychology researchers Susanne Jaeggi
and Martin
Buschkuehl concluded.

The research is detailed in this week's Proceedings of the National
Academy of
Sciences (PNAS).

Many psychologists believe general intelligence can be separated into
"fluid"
and "crystalline" components. Fluid intelligence-considered one of the
most
important factors in learning-applies to all problems while
crystallized
intelligence consists of skills useful for specific tasks.

"Working memory and fluid intelligence both seem to rely on similar
neural
networks,'' Jaeggi said. "Our study does not permit us to know how
long the
training-gain persists. Longitudinal studies will be required to
address that
issue."

Previously, many psychologists believed the only way to increase fluid
intelligence was through direct practice of the tests themselves,
rather than by
training. But the new findings show that multiple efforts designed to
improve
memory skills similarly improve fluid intelligence.

After initially giving subjects a standard test for fluid
intelligence, the
researchers gave subjects a series of training exercises designed to
improve
their working memory.

The training was given to four groups, who repeated the exercises for
eight, 12,
17, or 19 days. After the training, the researchers re-tested the
subjects'
fluid intelligence.

Although the performance of untrained controls improved slightly, the
trained
subjects showed a significant performance improvement, which increased
with time
spent training.

"The more training, the more improvement in fluid intelligence,"
Jaeggi said.

The researchers suggest that the training exercises strengthened
multiple
"executive processes" in the brain that function in problem-solving,
noting that
fluid intelligence is usually seen as "robust against influences of
education
and socialization, and it is commonly seen as having a strong
hereditary
component."

Source: University of Michigan
http://www.physorg.com/news128699895.html