Investigating Efficacy of “Working Memory Training Software” on Students Working Memory

Mehrnoosh Fahimi¹, Ali Akbar Arjmandnia², Jalil Fathabadi³

¹Tehran University, Kish International Campus, Kish Island, Iran.
²Department of Psychology, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
³Department of Psychology, Shahid Behesti University, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2014.616259                

Abstract

The aim of the present study is developing “Working Memory Training Software”, and investigating its content validity and the efficacy of this computerized cognitive training on students working memory. This study is in R & D research category, and it is performed in a semi-experimental design. Its data were collected from students of the third grade (30), fourth grade (30), and fifth grade (12) of primary school. After specifying the software content validity by asking expertise opinions, and investigating these opinions through Spearman Test (r_s = 1), these children attended in intervention program for 10 sessions. The subtests of working memory in “Tehran-Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale” and “Wechsler intelligence scale for children” were conducted in all three groups on the pre-test and post-test. After elimination of the pre-test effect, Paired-Samples T-Test on total scores of subtests of working memory in “Tehran-Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale” (t = 10.869, df = 71, r = 0.967 & P < 0.05) and in “Wechsler intelligence scale for children” (t = 16.809, df = 71, r = 0.983 & P < 0.05) reveals a significant difference in post-test scores. Based on this study the Working Memory Training Software has proper psychometric properties and causes significant improvement in students working memory performance.

Keywords

Computerized Cognitive Training, Content Validity, Working Memory, Working Memory Training Software

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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