Cognitive Training: Improving Deficits in Working Memory for College Students

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of cognitive training among college students who exhibit deficits in working memory (WM). Namely, the effects of two iPad-based games (Recall and Ultimeyes) were evaluated using a pre- and post-testing paradigm. Because working memory is associated with academic performance, improving deficits in this capability is crucial in a scholastic setting. Students from California State University, San Bernardino will be asked to participate. Based upon a working memory screening, those who obtain a scaled score of 7 or lower on a normreferenced measure of working memory will be eligible for the training program. Ten hours of training will be administered in 30-minute sessions, over the course of 4 weeks. The pre-test tasks include the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning 2 (WRAML2), the Operation-Span (O-SPAN), and the Symmetry-Span (S-SPAN). Pre- and post-test scores will be compared after all training sessions have been completed. We expect to find a main effect on working memory for the dual n-back training (Recall) game, but no main effect for the visual acuity task (Ultimeyes). Three one-way Analyses of Variances (ANOVA) will be used to test for significant differences between pre- and post-test scores (p \u3c .05). The ANOVAs will test for pre- and post-test differences as indicated by the WRAML2, O-Span, and S-Span