Psychology Colloquium Series – Brain Plasticity from Perception to Cognition: The Role of Video Games in Altering Brain Function

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Brain Plasticity from Perception to Cognition: The Role of Video Games in Altering Brain Function

NeuroEducation is an emerging field in cognitive science, in which neuroscientific methods are used to study skill transfer and learning. Previous studies examining such training programs have reported mixed results (Detterman & Sternberg, 1982). Some studies found small, but significant, improvements in performance on untrained transfer tasks (e.g., problem-solving tasks; Lovett & Anderson, 1994), whereas other studies have found no transfer to untrained tasks (Olesen, Westerberg, & Klingberg, 2004). Yet, in spite of these mixed results, successful skill transfer to non-music related task has been demonstrated for musical training (Schellenberg, 2004, for a review, see Moreno, 2009b).
This presentation will outline findings related to transfer of skills from a computer-based music training program to untrained auditory and cognitive processing skills. The presentation will focus on four main questions: (1) Is transfer of skills between trained and untrained cognitive activities possible?; (2) If so, how can we define the nature of this transfer?; (3) What can the neural correlates of these transfer mechanisms tell us about transfer and learning?; and (4) Do transfer effects endure over time?