Abstract
Working memory refers to the cognitive capacity to temporarily store and manipulate information from multiple sensory domains. Recent studies have shown that cognitive training can improve performance in both visual working memory and tactile working memory tasks. However, it is still unclear whether the effects of training can be transferred from one sensory modality to another. The current study assessed whether the training effect of the tactile orientation sequence task could transfer to visual orientation sequence and visuospatial working memory tasks. The results showed that participants’ accuracy in the tactile orientation sequence task was significantly increased after 9 days of training compared with that before training. Remarkably, participants’ accuracy in both the visual orientation sequence task and the visuospatial task was significantly improved after 9 days of training. These results suggest that it is possible to improve visual working memory through a transfer effect from tactile task training without practice in the visual domain, which opens a wide range of applications for tactile orientation sequence tasks.
Highlights
Working memory refers to the cognitive capacity to temporarily store and manipulate information from multiple sensory domains, including but not limited to visual and tactile domains (A. Baddeley, 2012; Constantinidis, 2016; Fassihi et al, 2014)
The purpose of the current study is to investigate whether the storage and retrieval ability of working memory can be improved with training, which can be reflected by accuracy
Consistent with our hypothesis, these results revealed a far-transfer effect from the tactile sequential task to the visuospatial task, which indicated the generality of training effects for working memory
Summary
Working memory refers to the cognitive capacity to temporarily store and manipulate information from multiple sensory domains, including but not limited to visual and tactile domains (A. Baddeley, 2012; Constantinidis, 2016; Fassihi et al, 2014). Working memory refers to the cognitive capacity to temporarily store and manipulate information from multiple sensory domains, including but not limited to visual and tactile domains Baddeley, 2012; Constantinidis, 2016; Fassihi et al, 2014). D. Baddeley et al, 2019). Working memory deficits have been identified as a potential cause of multiple cognitive impairments in children and adults (Li et al, 2016; Melby-Lervag & Hulme, 2013; Swanson et al, 2009). Increasing evidence has shown that adults are capable of strong cognitive and brain plasticity that, with a short period of intensive practice via behavioral tasks, can improve working memory ability (Au et al, 2015; Jaeggi et al, 2008; Likova, 2012)
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