Učinkovitost kognitivnog treninga ažuriranja radnog pamćenja kod osoba starije životne dobi

master's thesis

• Title (english): Effectivness of working memory update training in elderly people
• Author: Luna Marjan
• Mentor: Andrea Vranić (mentor)
• Committee member: Vesna Vlahović Štetić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Gordana Kuterovac Jagodić (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of Psychology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-06-26, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: SOCIAL SCIENCES; Psychology; Other Applied Psychologies

Abstract

Starenjem dolazi do slabljenja kognitivnih sposobnosti. Jedna od tih sposobnosti je i ažuriranje. Ažuriranje se odnosi na praćenje i kodiranje informacija u radnom pamćenju te njihovo prikladno revidiranje tako da se nepotrebne informacije zamijene novim i relevantnim informacijama. Kako bi usporili pad kognitivnih funkcija koriste se kognitivni treninzi. Oni obuhvaćaju vođeno vježbanje skupa zadataka osmišljenih za poboljšanje određene kognitivne sposobnosti, poput npr. ažuriranja. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je provjera učinkovitosti treninga ažuriranja. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 60 sudionika (48 sudionica) starijih od 60 godina koji su po slučaju raspoređeni u dvije skupine. Eksperimentalna skupina (n = 30) sudjelovala je u treningu ažuriranja, obavljajući n-unatrag zadatak, dok je kontrolna skupina (n = 30) sudjelovala u treningu komunikacijskih vještina. Oba kognitivna treninga trajala su sedam tjedana, održavajući se tempom od tri treninga tjedno, kroz ukupno 20 sesija. U dvije točke mjerenja, prije i poslije treninga, sudionici su rješavali n-unatrag zadatak (trenirani zadatak), zadatak ažuriranja pamćenja (mjera bliskog transfera), složeni zadatak raspona operacija i Standardne progresivne matrice (oba mjere dalekog transfera). Rezultati složene analize varijance po završetku treninga pokazali su bolji rezultat eksperimentalne od kontrolne skupine u treniranom n-unatrag zadatku. Međutim, interakcija točke mjerenja i skupine za rezultate na ostalim zadacima nije utvrđena čime nije potvrđen transfer učinka treninga, ni bliskog, niti dalekog. U istraživanju se raspravljaju potencijalna objašnjenja nedostatka transfera, s naglaskom na ograničenu generalizaciju strategije korištene pri n-unatrag zadatku kao ključni uzrok izostanka transfera.

Abstract (english)

Aging leads to a decline in cognitive abilities. One of the abilities that weakens is updating. Updating involves monitoring and encoding of information in working memory, while revising its content so that unnecessary information is replaced with new and relevant one. Cognitive training procedures is used to mitigate the decline in cognitive functions. Training involves guided practice in tasks designed to improve specific cognitive abilities, such as updating. The aim of this research is to test the efficacy of updating training. Sixty participants (48 women) over the age of 60 were randomly assigned into two groups. The experimental group (n = 30) participated in updating training by performing the n-back task, while the control group (n = 30) participated in communication skills training. Both cognitive trainings lasted for 7 weeks, with a pace of 3 sessions per week, totaling 20 sessions. At two measurement points, before and after training, participants completed the n-back task (trained task), a memory updating task (measure of near transfer), a complex span task, and standard progressive matrices (both measures of far transfer). Results of the multivariate analysis of variance after the training showed better performance of the experimental group than the control group in the trained nback task. However, there was no interaction between measurement points and group in results on the other tasks, confirming no transfer effects, neither near nor far. We discuss potential explanations for the lack of transfer, with an emphasis on the limited generalization of the strategy used in the n-back task as the key reason for the absence of transfer.

• Keywords: kognitivni trening; ažuriranje; transfer; n-unatrag zadatak; starije osobe
• Keywords (english): cognitive training; updating; transfer; n-back task; older adults
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:530251
• Study programme: Title: Psychology; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra psihologije (magistar/magistra psihologije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-06-27 09:00:20