Reevaluating the effectiveness of n-back training on transfer through the Bayesian lens: Support for the null

• Published in: Psychonomic bulletin & review 2016-02, Vol.23 (1), p.306-316
• Main Authors: Dougherty, Michael R., Hamovitz, Toby, Tidwell, Joe W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bayes Theorem; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Brief Report; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Psychology; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Humans; Hypotheses; Intelligence - physiology; Memory; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Meta-analysis; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Psychology; Studies; Systematic review; Transfer (Psychology)
• ISSN: 1069-9384; 1531-5320
• DOI: 10.3758/s13423-015-0865-9

A recent meta-analysis by Au et al. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 22, 366–377, (2015) reviewed the n-back training paradigm for working memory (WM) and evaluated whether (when aggregating across existing studies) there was evidence that gains obtained for training tasks transferred to gains in fluid intelligence (Gf). Their results revealed an overall effect size of g = 0.24 for the effect of n-back training on Gf. We reexamine the data through a Bayesian lens, to evaluate the relative strength of the evidence for the alternative versus null hypotheses, contingent on the type of control condition used. We find that studies using a noncontact (passive) control group strongly favor the alternative hypothesis that training leads to transfer but that studies using active-control groups show modest evidence in favor of the null. We discuss these findings in the context of placebo effects.