Abstract

Online brain training has seen an exponential recent increase due to technology and claims of widespread and transferable benefits through training. At the frontline of these brain trainers is Lumosity.com, a for-profit organization with 50 million subscribers. Lumosity makes the bold claim that, “any brain can get better,” and treats the brain as a muscle that can be trained. Our study will compare the effectiveness of Lumosity to other cognitively challenging tasks in building transferable cognitive skills across the crystallized versus fluid intelligence barrier. We will approach this analysis from a memory perspective because of the necessity of working memory in everyday functionality, its proven potential to improve through training, and its multi-dimensional uses in both fluid and crystallized systems. We recruited approximately 100 student participants aged 18-24, sorted into 1 of 4 groups: No Contact Control, Alternate Task Control (Sudoku puzzles), Crystallized Intelligence Control (Trivia), and Experimental: Memory-Focused Lumosity. Participants completed “workouts” 3-5 times per week for 20 minutes, as directed by Lumosity experts for cognitive improvement. Participants completed a Pre and Post test for analysis. Our statistical analyses determined if Lumosity’s program is cognitively advantageous by comparing pre versus post tests, interaction, and skill transfer across crystallized versus fluid intelligence performance. No significant interactions were observed for any training groups across pre to post-test conditions, consistent with a lack of transfer of intelligence with online games. Our results provide insight into the mechanisms that underlie memory, how it is integrated into fluid intelligence, and overall human cognition.

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