Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 841-847.DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20230410

• General Psychology, Experimental Psychology & Ergonomics • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Implementation of Strategy on the Transfer Effect of Working Memory Training

Yang Ting1,2, Zhao Xin1,2, He Xiangchun3, Li Kaiyue2, Cao Wenjing2   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu province, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070;
    2School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou,730070;
    3School of Educational Technical, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou,730070
  • Online:2023-07-20 Published:2023-08-14

策略的使用对工作记忆训练迁移效应的影响*

杨婷1,2, 赵鑫**1,2, 贺相春3, 李恺岳2, 曹纹靖2   

  1. 1甘肃省行为与心理健康重点实验室,兰州,730070;
    2西北师范大学心理学院, 兰州,730070;
    3西北师范大学教育技术学院,兰州,730070
  • 通讯作者: ** 赵鑫,E-mail: psyzhaoxin@nwnu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    *本研究得到国家自然科学基金(31560283,62167007)、教育部人文社会科学研究项目(21XJA190005)、甘肃省“双一流”科研重点项目(GSSYLXM-01)和西北师范大学重大科研项目培育计划(NWNU-SKZD2021-06)的资助

Abstract: Working memory is a system with limited capacity, which is responsible for the storage and processing of information when individuals perform complex and highly demanding tasks. Research has proved that working memory is not only an important structure of advanced cognitive abilities, but also a significant predictor of a wide range of cognitive abilities. Therefore, researchers try to explore the transfer effect of working memory training. However, the conclusions are not consistent. Studies have found that age, fluid intelligence, and training dose all affect the results. More importantly, a large number of recent studies have proved that strategy implementation plays an important role in working memory tasks. In the course of working memory training, individuals will always use certain strategy to reduce the cognitive load of the task. As a result, researchers have developed a new method of working memory training: Giving strategic guidance in the course of working memory training. Some studies have shown that extensive transfer has occurred, but some studies have also found that strategy instruction in working memory training produces limited transfer. This may be related to the extent of strategic familiarity. If one has developed and is familiar with the strategy before the working memory training, the use of the strategy in the working memory training process becomes a kind of automatic processing. At this time, the task's demand for cognitive resources is reduced or the task does not produce enough cognitive load, which reduces the individual's attention, and thus fails to truly improve the individual's working memory ability, thus resulting in limited transfer. This conclusion is also verified in the different training effects of verbal working memory tasks and visuospatial working memory tasks. Some researchers believe that the basic cognitive rules of the verbal short-term memory system have been established. The sequential coding of verbal stimuli and the use of rehearsal strategy are very common in our daily life, such as remembering new words and passwords, and remembering instantly sent mobile phone verification codes, etc. Since the skills required to perform these tasks have been acquired, such as rehearsal, chunking, etc., there is no need to develop new cognitive rules. Therefore, this kind of skills that have already reached to the automation stage have little impact on other tasks. However, unlike verbal stimulation, the order of recalling visual space items is rarely needed in daily life, which may indicate that the individual has not established the cognitive rule system in the past experience. In order to reduce the consumption of cognitive resources and reduce the difficulty of the task, participants must develop a new cognitive skills. To develop this cognitive skill, individuals are required to act a large number of cognitive resources. Future research should focus on the neural mechanisms that explain how the familiarity of strategy affects the transfer effect of working memory training, verify this problem in special groups, and establish a comprehensive model that affects the transfer effect of working memory training.

Key words: working memory, cognitive training, task strategy, transfer

摘要: 近期有研究发现,在工作记忆训练中给予一定策略指导会产生训练的迁移,但也有研究发现,工作记忆训练中的策略指导仅产生有限的迁移。这可能与不同策略的使用有关,如果在工作记忆训练前就已经获得并熟悉有关策略,在工作记忆训练过程中使用该策略就成为一种自动化加工,未产生足够的认知负荷,任务对认知资源的需求降低,降低个体的注意力,未能真正提高个体的工作记忆能力,仅产生了有限的迁移。今后的研究应该关注策略的使用对工作记忆训练迁移效应的神经机制,在特殊群体中验证该问题并建立影响工作记忆训练迁移效应的综合模型。

关键词: 工作记忆, 认知训练, 策略, 迁移