We have decided to deal with a TED conference which talks about working memory. This one was conducted by Torkel Klingberg. Some cognitive concepts about this special kind of memory are mentionned by him to understand the topic and Klingberg learns us who we can improve our working memory capacity.
What is working memory ?
Working memory is a very useful kind of memory not only used to remember plans and instructions in mind, but also used to keep in mind relevant informations to solve problems, like in mathematics for instance. This memory is also related to attention ; indeed, it helps us to remember what to focus on.
To explain the concept, Torkel Klingberg used a pointing test named « Corsi block task ». The Corsi block-tapping task is a psychological test that involves mimicking a researcher as he taps a sequence of up to nine identical spatially separated blocks. The process of the Corsi block tapping task requires the subject to observe the sequence of blocks “tapped”, and then repeat the sequence back in order. The sequence starts out simple, usually using two blocks, but becomes more complex until the subject’s performance suffers.
Working memory : limited capacities ?
The key problem is about the limits of this memory. The capacity to store informations is limited. We remember roughly seven items what it has been termed « the magic number seven ». It thought to be a very important limit on information processing ability of the human brain . Some people might remember height or nine items and others only six what is normal, but when people get an unusually low working memory they run into problems like problems of rememebering instructions in attention. Childrens with those problems fail in mathematics at school or they struggle with reading comprehension.
Torkel Klingberg studied the neuroscience of working memory, trying to find a solution. He tried to understand what the neuronal basis for working memory and its limited capacities. A first finding was explained by Torkel Klingberg and didn’t concern all over the brain but restricted to set of bottleneck areas and the connections between them. The processing ability of these regions was also constituting the limitations of working memory. Thus, Klingberg decided to use the brain plastity, that is the brain can change with training and experience, to change these regions as well.
With game programmers, they made a computer program where children, could train their working memory on a Corsi poiting tasks for at least 45 minutes, that about how long they can manage, and do that five times a week for five weeks also as they can manage to this. Using computer games like design made it slightly more motivating. They also could use the computer program to adapt the difficulty level, so it closes to the limited capacity.
At first, Torkel Klingberg and his collaboraters wanted to test the effect of this training. They took two groups : the first one is the working memory training, the second one is a control group, which was a computer program where difficulty level was not adapted to the limits of subjects.
They also used psychological tests measuring working memory as a muscle rather than some magical black box. The test results showed that children doing the training have actually improved their working memory capacity by rougly 15 to 20%, comparatly to the control group.
Torkel Klingberg said that finally « the magic number seven isn’t so magic after all », so he looked at what is happening in the brain of these subjects and sees that there are changes in these network regions or bottleneck areas . Other researches mentioned by Klingberg have also shown that we can measure strengthening of connectivity between these regions as a result of working memory training and we can show that indeed, the brain plastity is real.
Conclusion about Klingberg’s study
Finally, Klingberg asks if all that does matter and how does it matter for subjects in every day life. For him, what it does matter is remembering plans and instructions, but children going throught working memory training can remember longer instructions. Another way to look at usefulness was to ask parents and teachers about symptoms in everyday life, the behavior of children in everyday life about distraction and if they can follow instructions. Klingberg quotes thirteen studies that showed childrens have a pretty good reduction of inattention in the training condition.
To sum up, more than fifty thousand children benefited from working memory training in more than twenty different contries. But, this training doesn’t solve all the problems that children might have. Nevertheless, it helps them to keep focus on and to keep a plan in mind. As Klingberg says : « that’s a good start ».
What is the interest in TED conference ?
For us, a TED conference is very rewarding with all illustrations and object lessons that Klingberg enunciates. It’s easier to understand what the researcher talks about.
Here, the TED conference deals with a particular topic : morking memory. This concept comes from cognitive psychology and people don’t know especially this kind of memory whereas they use it everyday. A TED conference allows to reunite everybody, psychologists or not. Indeed, TED researchers deal with a theoric subject highlighted by everyday events or activities.
Merlet Emmanuelle, Hasnaoui Soukaïna, Fragey Laura
Master 2 PPCECC
Bibliography :
