Cognitive Consequences of Working Memory Training on a Typically Developed Population

Recent studies have demonstrated that cognitive enhancement training methods directed at working memory can improve the symptoms of disorders characterized by deficits in executive functioning such as Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder. Although additional studies have explored the effects of training on other populations such as the older adults and those who have experienced a stroke, they have not extensively examined whether or not training can improve working memory for typically developed populations. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms impacted by the training have not been elaborated on. Two studies seek to address whether or not working memory can be trained in a population of college students, by examining how three constructs of working memory: interference control, the focus and scope of attention, and cue dependent retrieval, are impacted by working memory training.