The Consensus Is In On Brain Training, But The Jury Is Not

The mess that has been created by the over-eager marketing of the brain training industry has resulted in a general skepticism regarding any efforts to develop tools to increase general cognitive functioning, an effort that makes perfect theoretical and practical sense from a psychological science point of view. In other words, all efforts may now be painted with the same brush. The brain training industry has made a proverbial rod for their own back.

But there is one important point on which I and people in my field would strongly disagree with the
consensus group. The point of disagreement speaks loudly to the hope of developing powerful brain training methods that fulfill all of the criteria suggested by the consensus group. Specifically, the signatories appeal in their article to the long standing assumption that improvement in a single training task type cannot lead to increases in a broad skill. For example, training in a particular type of memory task cannot improve all of memory. Training in one type of motor movement
cannot improve all forms of motor movement. This has indeed been generally observed.
Read the full article on


The Consensus Is In On Brain Training, But The Jury Is Not | Psychology Today