Set shifting training with categorization tasks

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 4;8(12):e81693. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081693. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

The very few cognitive training studies targeting an important executive function, set shifting, have reported performance improvements that also generalized to untrained tasks. The present randomized controlled trial extends set shifting training research by comparing previously used cued training with uncued training. A computerized adaptation of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was utilized as the training task in a pretest-posttest experimental design involving three groups of university students. One group received uncued training (n = 14), another received cued training (n = 14) and the control group (n = 14) only participated in pre- and posttests. The uncued training group showed posttraining performance increases on their training task, but neither training group showed statistically significant transfer effects. Nevertheless, comparison of effect sizes for transfer effects indicated that our results did not differ significantly from the previous studies. Our results suggest that the cognitive effects of computerized set shifting training are mostly task-specific, and would preclude any robust generalization effects with this training.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Demography
  • Executive Function*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Reaction Time
  • Task Performance and Analysis*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

Anna Soveri was funded by the Finnish National Doctoral Programme of Psychology (http://www.dopsy.fi). Otto Waris was funded by the Graduate School at Abo Akademi University (http://www.abo.fi/forskning/en/forskarskola). Matti Laine was funded by the Academy of Finland (grant #135688; http://www.aka.fi/en-GB/A/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.