title: Visual Working Memory Capacity Can Be Increased by Training on Distractor Filtering Efficiency.
abstract: It is generally considered that working memory (WM) capacity is limited and that WM capacity affects cognitive processes. Distractor filtering efficiency has been suggested to be an important factor in determining the visual working memory (VWM) capacity of individuals. In the present study, we investigated whether training in visual filtering efficiency (FE) could improve VWM capacity, as measured by performance on the change detection task (CDT) and changes of contralateral delay activity (CDA) (contralateral delay activity) of different conditions, and evaluated the transfer effect of visual FE training on verbal WM and fluid intelligence, as indexed by performance on the verbal WM span task and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) test, respectively. Participants were divided into high- and low-capacity groups based on their performance in a CDT designed to test VWM capacity, and then the low-capacity individuals received 20 days of FE training. The training significantly improved the group's performance in the CDT, and their CDA models of different conditions became more similar with high capacity group, and the effect generalized to improve verbal WM span. These gains were maintained at a 3-month follow-up test. Participants' RSPM scores were not changed by the training. These findings support the notion that WM capacity is determined, at least in part, by distractor FE and can be enhanced through training.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Cui-Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal University Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Teacher Education, Hefei Normal University Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Capital Normal UniversityBeijing, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology, Capital Normal UniversityBeijing, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Guo
keywords: CDA; capacity; filtering efficiency; training; visual working memory