Far-transfer effects of working memory training on a novel problem solving task

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dc.contributor.authorChan, Sharon
dc.contributor.supervisorMüller, Ulrich
dc.date.accessioned2014-08-06T19:52:31Z
dc.date.available2014-08-06T19:52:31Z
dc.date.copyright2014en_US
dc.date.issued2014-08-06
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Psychology
dc.degree.levelMaster of Science M.Sc.en_US
dc.description.abstractThe goal of this study is to assess the far-transfer effects of strategy-based working memory (WM) training to a novel problem solving task. Far-transfer refers to the application of trained skills to an untrained situation and is especially important because it deals with the generalization of learning to novel contexts. However, previous working memory training studies have produced little evidence for far-transfer. In the current study, children were trained in two strategies, phonological rehearsal and semantic categorization. These strategies have been suggested to increase the efficiency in processing and encoding of information and are invoked to explain developmental increases in WM capacity. Sixteen 6-to 9-year-olds were randomly assigned to each of four training conditions: semantic and rehearsal training, semantic training only, rehearsal training only, and treated control group. The treated control group performed significantly worse on the problem solving task compared to the three training groups. Surprisingly, the treatment groups did not differ significantly from each other. There was no statistically significant difference in receiving combined training of both strategies compared to only one strategy and furthermore, neither strategy resulted in better performance compared to the other strategy. Future directions for WM training and the implications for cognitive interventions are discussed.en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0620en_US
dc.description.proquestcode0633en_US
dc.description.proquestemailsharonc@uvic.caen_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/5508
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rights.tempAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ca/*
dc.subjectchild cognitive developmenten_US
dc.subjectpsychologyen_US
dc.subjectproblem solvingen_US
dc.subjectmemoryen_US
dc.subjectcognitive trainingen_US
dc.titleFar-transfer effects of working memory training on a novel problem solving tasken_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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