1. The Effects of Working Memory Training versus Spatial Visualization Training on General Intelligence Measures, Spatial Intelligence Measures and Eye Movements Shannon Fitzhugh, Alexandra Morrison, Thomas F. Shipley, Jason Chein, Nora Newcombe Temple University 1

2. Training Both Working Memory and Spatial Visualization Improves Spatial Skills Shannon Fitzhugh, Alexandra Morrison, Thomas F. Shipley, Jason Chein, Nora Newcombe Temple University 2

3. Why Does Spatial Performance Improve with Practice? Any improvement could be task specific or general Increase some spatial skill or Increase some central general purpose cognitive function (perhaps Working Memory?)‏ or This is psychology, when has such a dichotomy ever been one or the other?

4. Working Memory Definition Working memory is the ability to retain and manipulate task relevant information Working memory capacity is the amount of information one is able to maintain and manipulate A simple demo: Remember this sequence of letters, in between each letter will be a math problem please say the answer out loud….

5. Operation Span Task- A complex span working memory task. Directions: 1.Remember the Letters in the order presented 2.Answer all math problems 3.Serially select the letters you were presented from the matrix of letters provided

6. B

7. (15/5) + 2 = ?

8. G

9. (3*5) + 7 = ?

10. X

11. 7 + (6/3) = ?

12. M

13. (2*8) – 4 = ?

14. Please Recall the Letters in order ZXFN CDGL X BPM JQST

15. Answer: B G X M

16. Working Memory Definition Working memory is the ability to retain and manipulate task relevant information Working memory capacity is the amount of information one is able to maintain and manipulate According to Varhaegen (2004) this span is malleable

17. Working Memory and Other Cognitive Domains Working memory is strongly related to performance in other complex cognitive tasks such as (Engle et al., 1999)‏ 1.Reading comprehension 2.Problem solving 3.Measures of IQ 4.Selective attention

18. Working Memory Can Change Within An Individual Both Verbal and Spatial Working Memory are impaired by anxiety (Markham & Darke, 1991; Miller & Bichsel, 2003). Moderate sleep loss impacts working memory performance (Smith, McEvoy, & Gevins, 2002). Other effects: Time of day and menstrual cycle

19. What changes in WM Three conceptions (one wrong)‏ Structure change: Increasing WM increases slots available for operations (like a CPU buffer) Or Process change: Precision of control - excluding irrelevant information and focusing on useful information (like attention) Or Strategy change: Improved use of task specific strategies (predicts no transfer of training)‏

20. 20 http://www.spatialintelligence.org How is this spatial training study different from all other spatial training studies? Builds on real-world success of spatial visualization workbook (Sorby, 2008)‏ non-random sample, no active control group Investigates the role of working memory in foundational spatial skills e.g. mental rotation prior WM training study Considers individual strategy differences Goal: We examine relative efficacy and transfer profile for each form of training

21. 21 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Treatment Groups Spatial visualization workbook (Sorby, 2008)‏ Verbal WM training (adaptive complex span)‏ Influence on executive WM Verbal STM training (adaptive simple span)‏ Influence on domain-specific storage capacity

22. Spatial Visualization Training 1.Isomorphic Drawings Multiple choice Coded Plans Drawing 2. Orthographic Drawings Multiple choice Coded Plans Drawing 3. Surface Development Multiple choice 4. Rotation about 1 Axis Multiple choice Coded Plans Drawing

23. Working Memory Training C Glib X Foot T Prust P Mile Letters are presented (1s)‏ Between Letter Presentation (4s) self paced lexicality decisions are made At the end of the trial subjects serially select the letters from a matrix of alternatives Difficulty is adaptive

24. Short Term Memory Training Letters Presented (1s each)‏ There is a 4 s delay between letter presentation At the end of trial letters are chosen serially from a matrix of choices After two successful trials another letter is added to each trial C X T P

25. 25 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Assessment battery 1.Spatial ability: Paper-and-pencil MRT-A, “Real” mental rotation (3D block objects), Eye-tracking in 3D mental rotation, Paper folding (ETS), Surface development (ETS)‏ 1.WM capacity: Operation span, Symmetry span 1.STM capacity: Letter span, Location span Cognitive control: Stroop task, Anti-saccade task, STM with irrelevant background speech Reading Comprehension (Nelson Denny)‏ Crystallized intelligence (ETS Advanced Vocab. Test)‏

26. Mental Rotation Test and Eye-tracking

27. Individual differences in Spatial skills High - good at rotation Low - try to rotate are not good at it Non-rotators - attempt to use non-rotation strategy (eg matching pieces)‏

28. 28 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Assessment battery Spatial ability: Paper-and-pencil MRT-A, “Real” mental rotation (3D block objects), Eye-tracking in 3D mental rotation, Paper folding (ETS), Surface development (ETS)‏ WM capacity: Operation span, Symmetry span STM capacity: Letter span, Location span Cognitive control: Stroop task, Anti-saccade task, STM with irrelevant background speech Reading Comprehension (Nelson Denny)‏ Crystallized intelligence (ETS Advanced Vocab. Test)‏

29. CongruentBlueGreenRedYellow IncongruentBlueGreenRedYellow Stroop Effect = Incongruent – Congruent The Stroop Effect: A Test of Selective Attention

30. Nelson Denny Reading Test In the sixteenth century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king's favor. After he was dismissed from service to the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain. The sixteenth century was an age of great ___exploration. A. cosmic B. land C. mental D. common man E. none of the above

31. ETS Vocabulary Test Which of the following is a synonym of Jovial? 1. Refreshing 2.Scare 3.Thickset 4.Wise 5.Jolly

32. 32 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Training study session overview Pre-training assessment battery (3hr session)‏ Mental rotation screener (High, Low, Non- rotators)‏ Training (Spatial, WM, or STM treatments)‏ 4 weeks 20 sessions, 5 days per week, 30 min. each Post-training assessment battery (3hr session)‏

33. 33 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Results Very preliminary and selective Still collecting and analyzing data Trends – no test of significance, no SE given Likely be influenced by individual differences A few Transfer Tasks: Verbal WM Spatial WM Mental rotation –MRTa –Eye-tracking with real objects Stroop Vocabulary

34. 34 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Results – post-test working memory Greatest improvement for verbal WM treatment group Change in score

35. 35 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Transfer effects – Spatial WM Improvement only seen in verbal WM treatment group Change in score

36. 36 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Transfer effects – Spatial ability Vandenberg mental rotation test (MRT-A)‏ WM training > STM > Spatial Visualization training MRTA demands memory so that maybe why STM up Paper folding could help distinguish memory from spatial skills Proportion Correct

37. 37 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Transfer effects – Mental rotation Mental rotation with real objects – Eye tracking patterns Gaze patterns show increase in efficiency only in Spatial Visualization group

38. Suggest increase in efficiency in encoding Gaze patterns show increase in efficiency only in Spatial Visualization group Transfer effects – Mental rotation

39. Collapsed across training type Training helps individuals who are attempting to transform the objects Training does not help image based strategies (they are doing as well as the strategy allows) suggests interventions must be tailored to individuals Who benefits most from training? Proportion Correct

40. 40 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Transfer effects – Cognitive Control Stroop color-word interference Congruency Eff. (ms)‏ WM > STM > SPATIAL WM training results in an overall improvement in executive functioning Change in average difference between incongruent and congruent items (up is better)‏

41. 41 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Transfer effects – Vocabulary ETS Advanced Vocabulary Test Working memory may increase comprehension or less specifically improve any test taking Change in score

42. 42 http://www.spatialintelligence.org Conclusions WM training seems to improve participants’ ability to perform mental rotations, but also influences cognitive control Spatial visualization workbook training influences at least one measure of spatial ability (MRTA) in a random sample Training effects are generalizable to other tasks (transfer)‏ Different treatment conditions yield different patterns of transfer to measures of spatial ability, cognitive control, and memory. Suggests potential for additive effects in combined training