Effectiveness of cognitive training with the \u27Misleca\u27 exercise book in middle childhood

Študije na področju učinkovitosti kognitivnega treninga ne kažejo enotnih rezultatov. Medtem ko so se v nekaterih pokazali pozitivni učinki treninga na fluidno inteligentnost ter druge kognitivne sposobnosti, se v drugih niso. Študij, ki bi preverjale učinkovitost kognitivnega treninga pri normativnih otrocih, je malo. Prav tako so redke študije, ki vključujejo večpodročni kognitivni trening. Namen naše raziskave je bil ugotoviti, kakšen je vpliv kognitivnega treninga v obliki rednega reševanja miselnih nalog iz zbirke Misleca na kognitivne sposobnosti v obdobju srednjega otroštva. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 38 otrok povprečne starosti 8 let in 5 mesecev (SD = 3 mesece), ki so bili po naključju razdeljeni na polovici, v eksperimentalno in kontrolno skupino. Po začetnih testiranjih fluidne inteligentnosti, verbalne fluentnosti, delovnega spomina, sposobnosti preklapljanja, inhibicije in vidno-prostorskega načrtovanja so se za eksperimentalno skupino pričeli treningi, ki so potekali v obdobju šestih tednov po trikrat na teden. Otroci so po vsakem posameznem treningu poročali o motivaciji za trening. Kontrolna skupina je bila pasivna. Po šestih tednih so sledila ponovna testiranja s kognitivnimi testi. Rezultati so pokazali pozitiven vpliv treninga na dosežke na Ravenovih Barvnih progresivnih matrikah kot meri fluidne inteligentnosti, medtem ko se učinek treninga na ostale kognitivne sposobnosti ni pokazal. Rezultati so prav tako pokazali, da se je zdel otrokom trening zanimiv in so bili večinoma motivirani pri reševanju nalog.Studies on the effectiveness of cognitive training do not show consistent results. While some have shown positive effects of the training on fluid intelligence and other cognitive abilities, others have not. Studies of the effectiveness of cognitive training in normative middle childhood children and studies on multicomponent cognitive training are rare. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of cognitive training in the form of regular solving of mental tasks from the \u27Misleca\u27 manual on cognitive abilities in middle childhood. Thirty-eight children with a mean age of 8 years 5 months (SD = 3 months) were randomly divided into two halves, forming an experimental and a control group. After the pre-tests to measure fluid intelligence, verbal fluency, working memory, switching ability, inhibition and visuo-spatial planning, the experimental group participated in the training, which was conducted three times a week over a period of six weeks. After each session the children reported on their motivation for the training. The control group was passive. After six weeks, cognitive tests were carried out again. The results showed a positive eff ect of the training on the Raven\u27s Coloured Progressive Matrices score as a measure of fluid intelligence, while no effect on other cognitive abilities was observed. The results also showed that the children found the training interesting and that the majority were motivated to solve the tasks