More Brain Horsepower? – Education & Teacher Conferences Skip to main content

More Brain Horsepower?

 

AdobeStock_111399141_Credit

This article summarizes the current debate — call it a “controversy” — about brain training. (The authors prefer the phrase “cognitive training.”)

The authors conclude that intelligence can be increased, but … so far … only in controlled lab settings. That is: NOT in schools with various training programs…

This article does get a bit technical; for instance, the authors debate whether or not a particular series of studies ought to have been included in Melby-Lervag’s & Hulme’s well-known meta-analysis. (Melby-Lervag & Hulmedid not include the studies, and these authors think they should have.)

At the same time, I think the complexity of the question is the point. If you or your school plan to devote the considerable time and money that this kind of training requires, you should know all sides of the argument.

(Caveat emptor: this article is, in effect, an advertisement for the authors’ book. I haven’t read that book, but … based on the thoughtful balance of the article … they strike me as sensible folk.)


Recent Blogs

The Neuroscience Trap: When Skeptics Stop Being Skeptical
Andrew Watson
Andrew Watson

I collaborated on this post with Dr. Cindy Nebel. Her...

I Take It All Back: Research on “Expressive Writing” Has Evolved
Andrew Watson
Andrew Watson

I spend my days giving research-informed advice to teachers and...

The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas into Action by Zorana Ivcevic Pringle
Erik Jahner, PhD
Erik Jahner, PhD

It happened just this morning! I was watching my favorite...