Improving Working Memory

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Nowadays, hundreds of experts in the areas of medicine and psychology are encouraging working memory training. They’ve brought an important approach into practices and schools around the world and are helping people of all ages succeed in areas of their lives that are characterized by poor working memory (Shipstead et al., 2012). Working memory is thought central to concentration, problem solving, and impulse control, is closely correlated to fluid intelligence and is a strong indicator of academic and professional success. On the other hand, deficits in working memory is the cause of many problems related to attention and is often linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and other learning disabilities (Engel de Abreu et al., 2010). …show more content…

The aim of a recent study was to explore a method of improving working memory, using memory strategy training (St Clair‐Thompson et al., 2010). According to this survey, preschoolers and older children were tested on related subjects that are based on the multiple component model of working memory. At first, a group of children completed tasks of following instructions and mental arithmetic in the classroom, and standardized tests of reading, arithmetic and mathematics were conducted. Moreover, half of the children then used Memory Booster, a computer game that teaches children how to find memory strategies for the time of two months. Memory Booster (Leedale et al., 2004), which is an enjoyable adventure game for children, help them to improve their cognitive and communicative skills while according to several studies results in significant improvements on measures of working memory (St Clair‐Thompson et al., 2010). All the children were then retested on the memory and ability measures and the standardized tests were administered five months later. Finally, the outcomes of the research showed that working memory strategy training had significant improvements in tasks that had to do with the phonological loop and the central executive components of working memory, additionally with the activities that were related with the following instructions and mental arithmetic in the classroom. However, no improvements were observed on standardized tests of reading and mathematics, (St Clair‐Thompson et al.,