The relationship between intelligence and training gains is moderated by training strategy.

Hyunkyu Lee,Walter R Boot,Ruchika Shaurya Prakash,Pauline L Baniqued,Arthur F Kramer,Chandramallika Basak,Michelle W Voss,Howard Nusbaum

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123259

Abstract

We examined the relationship between training regimen and fluid intelligence in the learning of a complex video game. Fifty non-game-playing young adults were trained on a game called Space Fortress for 30 hours with one of two training regimens: 1) Hybrid Variable-Priority Training (HVT), with part-task training and a focus on improving specific skills and managing task priorities, and 2) Full Emphasis Training (FET) in which participants practiced the whole game to obtain the highest overall score. Fluid intelligence was measured with the Raven’s Progressive Matrix task before training. With FET, fluid intelligence was positively associated with learning, suggesting that intellectual ability played a substantial role in determining individual differences in training success. In contrast, with HVT, fluid intelligence was not associated with learning, suggesting that individual differences in fluid intelligence do not factor into training success in a regimen that emphasizes component tasks and flexible task coordination. By analyzing training effects in terms of individual differences and training regimens, the current study offers a training approach that minimizes the potentially limiting effect of individual differences.

Highlights

With the increasing complexity of skills required in modern society, it has become an important issue to provide efficient training regimens to expedite learning and increase the level of mastery of complex tasks
Fluid intelligence, baseline performance and gender were included as predictors, and these variables accounted for a significant amount of variance in Space Fortress training gain, R2 = .533, F(4, 45) = 12.841, p
Post-hoc examination of the correlation between training gain and fluid intelligence showed that the direction of the effect differed for the two training groups (r = .408, p

Summary

Introduction

With the increasing complexity of skills required in modern society, it has become an important issue to provide efficient training regimens to expedite learning and increase the level of mastery of complex tasks. In examining the effectiveness of training regimens, individual differences in cognitive abilities should be considered [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. Training Strategy and the Relationship between IQ and Training Gains fact, several video game training studies have observed that the effect of training was modulated by pre-existing individual differences such that individuals with the lowest initial scores gained the most from the training [2, 6, 8]. Individual differences in initial task performance interact with training regimens. Video game training with younger adults has shown that participants trained to flexibly manage task priorities (Hybrid Variable Priority Training, HVT) showed better game performance than participants trained to treat all task components equivalently (Full Emphasis Training, FET). The benefit from HVT was largest for those participants who started training with lower game proficiency, and the specific training regimen mattered less for participants who started with high game proficiency [6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion