Targeting the Three Stages of Retrieval from Secondary Memory in a Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Working Memory Training Study

Working memory (WM) ability includes active maintenance in primary memory (PM) and cue-dependent search and retrieval from secondary memory (SM). Previously, researchers have found that WM training fails to enhance SM, a component that mediates the relationship between WM and fluid reasoning (gF). A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted to elucidate whether SM could be targeted by a two-component training regimen versus two active control trainings. Participants were 168 adolescents whose SM and gF was measured using delayed free recall tasks and matrix reasoning and verbal inference tests respectively. Solely two-component training was predicted to improve SM and gF. ANCOVAs indicated that two-component trainees improved over the controls on some SM retrieval parameters (total recall and total correct), but not on gF scores. By aligning WM training with contemporary theory it is thus possible to enhance some SM retrieval parameters.