BrainTrainingScience

Can we train the brain and become more intelligent? This page aims to summarise what we know about brain training, based on references at BrainTrainingGames, WorkingMemoryTraining, ImprovingIntelligence, and other pages.

• Training works. If you practice something, you get good at it. Key points how best to practice are summarised at MasteringSkills.
• Training doesn't transfer well to other tasks. In general, training is very specific. If you train on a task, it will make you better at that task, but the effect on performance on other, similar tasks, is generally not very strong.
• Training on "dual tasks" transfers particularly well. There are a number of studies suggesting that training on "dual tasks" has relatively strong transfer effects to other tasks. "Dual tasks" are tasks where you have to pay attention to two tasks at the same time.
• Working memory can be trained. There is increasing evidence that it is possible to train working memory (the short term memory used to hold items in mind when thinking about them, for example when doing mental arithmetic.)
• Training working memory improves general intelligence. There are exciting recent studies suggesting that training working memory (for example, the training on the dual task "dual n back" summarised at BrainTrainingGames), can improve general intelligence and problem solving ability.

See also

• BrainTrainingGames
• ImprovingIntelligence
• WorkingMemoryTraining