Groundbreaking Research Released This Week - Improving Your Intellectual Abilities
Monday, May 5th, 2008Earlier this week (Monday, April 27), the National Academy of Sciences released some pretty amazing research that was picked up by the New York Times and other major media.
For the first time ever, scientists have identified a cognitive training process that actually increases a person’s intelligence (aside from teaching the test items on an intelligence test!)
The training process, a structured process of improving one’s working memory, addresses the same skill set that has previously been shown to reduce the severity of symptoms for ADHD individuals.
“Working memory” is the ability to hold information mentally “online” while doing something with the information (or doing some other mental task). It is used in reading comprehension (remembering what you just read while reading the next section), math computation (especially in multiple step problems), or remembering a series of tasks to do while working on them. For IT people, it is very similar to RAM.
The research released by the National Academy of Science asserts the following. (The article is written in terms of “fluid reasoning” which is viewed as the core set of skills on which intelligence is built.)
1. Fluid reasoning is generally the ability to reason and to solve new problems independently of previously acquired knowledge.
2. Fluid reasoning is considered one of the most important factors in learning.
3. Fluid reasoning is closely related to professional and educational success, especially in complex and demanding environments.
4. Previously, no training has been shown to improve fluid reasoning, aside from directly “teaching the test” (and this training does not transfer to real life functioning).
5. Research now indicates that training on a demanding working memory task is shown to improve individuals’ fluid reasoning (both for low level and high level individuals).
So, to say it plainly, this indicates that there is an identifiable way to increase your complex problem-solving ability. A second related research finding was released a week ago. At the annual Cognitive Neuroscience Society convention, Cogmed working memory training presented research that demonstrates normal adults (that is, adults who do not have significant medical or learning problems) can significantly improve their working memory through the Cogmed working memory training program. This was true both for a group of 20 to 30 year old adults and older adults from 60 to 70 years old.To me, if the research proves hold true, the implications seem significant.
6. The training is dosage-dependent. The extent of gain in intelligence depends on the amount of training — the more training, the more improvement in fluid reasoning.
*Individuals who struggle with more complex reasoning and learning have a proven method that can help improve those skills.
*Businessmen and executives can sharpen their mental abilities through a computer-based training program.
*Students who want to improve their performance on standardized admission tests (ACT, SAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT) will probably be able to do so through working hard to improve their working memory. [Already research has shown working memory training to improve students’ reading comprehension and math calculation abilities.]
*Older adults who are slowly losing cognitive abilities as part of the normal aging process may be able to, at least, “stem the tide”. [Working memory has been shown to decline 10% each decade after the age of thirty.]
So, we will see what happens. If the research shows itself to be true and valid, a revolution of cognitive training may point to this past week as a watershed moment. If not, then social scientists may again be accused of overstating their case. From what I have seen in the body of research, I think we may be in the midst of something very significant.
NOTE: For those of you in the Wichita area, I will be presenting on the Cogmed working memory training program and its impact on ADHD individuals, as well as sharing this latest research on improving intelligence. Wednesday evening, May 7 at 7 p.m., Wichita Collegiate School. The presentation is open to the public. Call my office, 316-681-4428 for more information.
An Attitude of Learning - A character quality of successful individuals
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008When I meet with business owners and managers, I often ask them what characteristics they look for in younger managers they are interviewing for positions. Frequently, one quality mentioned is the desire and willingness to learn.
Recently, I have had some amazing discussions with gentlemen (I use the word with its specific meaning in mind) who are older than I am (late 50’s, early 60’s to mid 70’s) who have been successful in many areas of their lives – in business or their profession, in managing their money wisely, having healthy family relationships, and a depth of spirituality.
My interactions with these individuals had a very distinct quality to them. Although highly successful themselves, they seemed keenly interested in learning from others. In the discussions I observed, they asked questions, listened, and delved deeper with follow-up questions. They appeared to have a true interest in the lives of those with whom they were conversing. And they were equally excited to share about what they were learning currently in their lives — not what they knew nor the successes they had previously experienced. Rather, they were discussing their current challenges, the mistakes they had recently made and what they were trying to learn from them.
Maybe it is obvious to others (I am often a slow learner), but the individuals from whom I want to learn , whom I want to be like, and desire to model my life after – are learners, life-long learners. They read a fair amount (not all learn via reading, though). They ask insightful questions. Their interactions with others are more focused on learning from those around them (whether they are interacting with “successful” people, young adults, teens, or children) rather than trying to impress others with their own knowledge.
But, unfortunately, in my daily life I meet and interact with a number of individuals who come across — to put it bluntly — proud and self-absorbed. They relate to others in a condescending manner and in a way that communicates they clearly view themselves as a primary source of wisdom for those around them.
I am personally challenged to reflect on my life, attitude, and interactions with others. Am I a learner? Do I approach interactions with the attitude - what can I learn from this person, regardless of their age or stage in life?
And I am reminded of a few sayings and proverbs I have heard, like:
“A person of understanding draws out the deep thoughts of others.”
“Even an idiot appears smart if he (or she) keeps quiet.”
“A person who learns from others who are wise will become wise himself, but if you hang out with idiots – watch out!! – trouble is on its way.”
From whom would you like to learn? Take the initiative and give them a call; set up a lunch or breakfast meeting (and think about some questions ahead of time you would like to ask them.)
Character Development, Emotional intelligence, Executive performance, Family Business Issues, Leadership, Learning, Management, personal developmentWow! Learning new stuff is great. Remembering it is even better!
Sunday, February 24th, 2008Ok, so last week I went to Chicago for two days of training in a new way of increasing your working memory. Wow.
I don’t get too excited about new stuff that comes on the market — anything, cars, weight loss programs, financial products, and especially in the realm of psychology and self-help. Given that I am now 50, I have been around the block a few times, I’ve been burnt more than once, and, as a result, am a fairly intense skeptic (especially about psych stuff.)
So let me tell you what’s up, and how it may apply to you or someone you know.
“Working memory” is this somewhat unusual term that most of us aren’t familiar with. Essentially, working memory is the ability to keep information “online” in our mind for a short period of time and to be able to use this information in our thinking.
Memory is remembering information. I say “2,5,8″ and you say “2,5,8″. I tell you my name is “Paul White” and you try to remember it. I put my car keys down and I (hopefully) remember where they are.
Working memory is doing something with the information we are remembering. You are “working” with the information. So if I say “3 - 2 + 1 = ___”, you are not just going to remember the number sentence, but while holding onto it, you attempt to solve it. If you are going somewhere for an appointment you have been once before, you get the address, and then try to “pull up” previous information to help you make decisions on the best route to get there. Working memory is very closely associated with concentration.
Let me tell you instances where working memory problems are frequently experienced:
*Reading information, and not being able to remember what you just read (at the end of the page, when you finish a chapter, later that day).
*During a meeting, class or lecture, you are not able to listen, stay focused, and process the information while continuing to listen (you “space off”, get distracted, or get overwhelmed with too much information at once.)
*Having a number of tasks to do, making a “mental note” about them, and then not being able to remember what you needed to do.
*In the midst of an important conversation, you think of some point you want to make, but need to hold onto the thought while the other person finishes theirs. When they are finished, you cannot remember what you were going to say.
There are lots of examples (remembering phone numbers, people’s names, where you parked your car), but this will suffice. As you might deduce, working memory is a significant deficit for individuals with ADHD (don’t think “hyperactive”, think “problems with attention, concentration, focus”).
So here’s the deal. A relatively recent breakthrough (that is, the past 5 years) in research has shown that working memory can be significantly increased through the appropriate training process. The research originated in Sweden and a training program was developed, and further researched. In the last 18 months, this training program came to the U.S. and currently being used in research at Harvard, Stanford, Notre Dame, New York University, and other institutions.
The research was originally focused on ADHD students, then adolescents and adults, and then research was done with adult stroke victims. The findings show for all of these groups that they were able to improve both their verbal and visual-spatial working memory through the training, and that there were secondary effects in better attention, concentration, impulse control and complex problem-solving, etc. (See this whitepaper for a good summary of the early research.)
Ok. So what is this training program? It is called the Cogmed Working Memory training. Essentially, it is a computer-based training program accompanied by professional coaching to assist in getting the most from the program. The computer-based part can be done from your home, office or wherever. The training is designed to be done 5 days a week for 5 weeks, requiring about 45-60 minutes a day. The Cogmed coach assists the trainee in understanding the training, setting up a schedule and structure to consistently do the training, and then provides weekly feedback on the training. The coach has online access to the daily training sessions, how the trainee is doing on the various activities (there are 13 training activities), and provides feedback and encouragement on how to improve. (Interesting to me, the program was developed in Sweden so it can be done and coached over a distance, given its use of the Internet and telephone-based coaching.)
The training is not easy. It is not just a bunch of computer games. The program is designed to “push” the trainee, by keeping the activities at a demanding (but not too difficult) level. Early research with the training demonstrated that trainees would not consistent do the training, or complete the program without the assistance of a coach. With a coach, the program has demonstrated a 94% successful completion rate in North America.
So what is so exciting about all of this?
First, this is the first non-medication intervention for ADHD individuals that peer-reviewed research demonstrates significant and lasting positive effects on ADHD symptoms. So for ADHD individuals (or parents of ADHD students) that don’t want to take meds, want to get off their meds or that have negative side effects from medication, this is a viable alternative. (Additional new research is showing that the training provides additional help to those who are on medication.)
Second, physiological tests show that after completing the training program the brain functions differently in the areas of the brain (prefrontal cortex and parietal lobe) that are associated with attention, concentration, and executive functioning. And individuals with brain damage were helped through the training.
Finally, I think there are a number of potential fascinating applications of the training (that either are in the process of being researched, or have not yet been) including:
*Aiding older adults and “baby boomers” in sharpening their mental skills and memory
*Improving reading comprehension
*Helping dyslexics in reading decoding (sounding out words)
*Maximizing performance on the SAT and ACT college entrance exams
*Assisting executives in improving their concentration, focus and problem-solving.
If you are interested in more information, go to www.aboutworkingmemory.org and/or www.cogmed.com . Also, I took two professionals with me to Chicago who were trained to work as coaches under my supervision (the training is only available through certified psychologists or physicians) and we are providing training to individuals all over (including overseas). There are currently 70 practices certified in the U.S. and you can find one close to you on the Cogmed website, or we would be happy to serve you (or recommend someone close by). You can visit our website at www.workingmemorysolutions.com for more information.
Keep learning, and remembering!
ADD / ADHD, Executive performance, Learning, Memory loss, personal development, SAT / ACT training, Working memory