Data_Sheet_1_Why Does Cognitive Training Yield Inconsistent Benefits? A Meta-Analysis of Individual Differences in Baseline Cognitive Abilities and Training Outcomes.PDF

Despite growing interest in improving cognitive abilities across the lifespan through training, the benefits of cognitive training are inconsistent. One powerful contributor may be that individuals arrive at interventions with different baseline levels of the cognitive skill being trained. Some evidence suggests poor performers benefit the most from cognitive training, showing compensation for their weak abilities, while other evidence suggests that high performers benefit most, experiencing a magnification of their abilities. Whether training leads to compensation or magnification effects may depend upon the specific cognitive domain being trained (such as executive function or episodic memory) and the training approach implemented (strategy or process). To clarify the association between individual differences in baseline cognitive ability and training gains as well as potential moderators, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of the correlation between these two variables. We found evidence of a significant meta-correlation demonstrating a compensatory effect, a negative association between initial ability on a trained cognitive process and training gains. Too few papers met our search criteria across the levels of proposed moderators of cognitive domain and training approach to conduct a reliable investigation of their influence over the meta-analytic effect size. We discuss the implications of a compensatory meta-correlation, potential reasons for the paucity of qualifying papers, and important future directions for better understanding how cognitive trainings work and for whom.

尽管学界对通过训练提升全生命周期认知能力的关注度与日俱增，但认知训练的干预效果却并不一致。其中一个关键潜在影响因素可能在于，个体在接受训练干预时，所具备的待训练认知技能基线水平存在显著差异。部分研究证据显示，基线表现较差的个体从认知训练中获益最多，可通过训练弥补自身的薄弱认知能力；而另有研究则表明，基线表现优异者获益更显著，其原有优势能力会得到进一步放大。训练究竟会带来补偿效应还是放大效应，可能取决于待训练的具体认知领域（如执行功能（executive function）或情景记忆（episodic memory））以及所采用的训练范式（策略导向训练或过程导向训练）。为厘清基线认知能力个体差异与训练收益间的关联，以及潜在的调节变量，我们针对这两个变量间的相关性开展了系统性元分析（meta-analysis）。研究结果显示存在显著的元相关效应，证实了补偿效应的存在：即待训练认知任务的初始基线能力与训练收益间呈负相关关系。不过，符合我们检索标准的、针对认知领域与训练范式这两类调节变量的研究数量过少，无法对二者在元分析效应量中的影响开展可靠的检验分析。本文讨论了补偿型元相关的研究意义、符合纳入标准的文献数量偏少的潜在原因，以及为进一步阐明认知训练的作用机制与适用人群的重要未来研究方向。