Far transfer effects of executive working memory training on cognitive flexibility

The near and far transfer effects of Working Memory (WM) training have yielded discrepant findings while there is no literature on the effects of Executive Working Memory (EWM) training. The present study aimed to investigate the far transfer effects of EWM on cognitive flexibility. Community participants (n = 144) were allocated into a fully-, a partially-trained or a control group. At a baseline assessment, all groups were administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting test and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS). Following this and for six consecutive days, the fully-trained group were administered the complete LNS, the partially-trained group were administered the LNS up to the three-digit strings while the control group had no involvement in the study. Upon completion of training, all groups were administered the Intra/Extra-Dimensional Shift task (ID/ED). The control group (a) made more errors and completed fewer stages compared with the fully-trained group and (b) had increased response latency and required more trials to complete the ID/ED compared to both the partially- and fully-trained groups. In the total sample, (a) the lack of EWM training was associated with more total errors, trials required to complete the ID/ED, extradimensional-shift errors and prolonged response latency and (b) extended short-term EWM training was associated with more completed stages in the ID/ED. The findings support the far transfer effects of EWM training on cognitive flexibility and are in agreement with studies on WM training. Although preliminary, they hold promise for the enhancement of early intervention programs in populations with cognitive impairments.