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Reply to ‘Efficiency and capacity mechanisms can coexist in cognitive training’

Nature Reviews Psychology volume 2, page 128 (2023)Cite this article

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In our Review (von Bastian, C. et al. Mechanisms underlying training-induced cognitive change. Nat. Rev. Psychol. 1, 30–41; 2022)1, we discussed the capacity–efficiency model of cognitive training and transfer to explain effects of cognitive training. We are excited that other authors are starting to use our framework to systematize and interpret findings. Our article focused on human behavioural and brain imaging studies, but we appreciate that evidence from all sources, including animal and genetic studies, should be considered to build a comprehensive science of cognitive change. We thank Zhang and Sauce for bringing evidence from these domains to our attention (Zhang, D.-W. & Sauce, B. Efficiency and capacity mechanisms can coexist in cognitive training. Nat. Rev. Psychol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00146-9; 2023)2.

Zhang and Sauce emphasize that changes in capacity and efficiency are not necessarily mutually exclusive but can coexist. Indeed, this statement is in line with our assumptions and was stated in the original article. Specifically, Zhang and Sauce claim that some training-related changes, specifically in working memory, can be attributed to the capacity mechanism. However, the current human brain imaging literature does not provide convincing evidence for changes in capacity. Working memory training studies with brain imaging data have shown both increases and decreases in brain activation after working memory training3. Still, meta-analytic evidence suggests that these changes in activation patterns are likely to reflect mere redistributions of activation patterns within the same core working memory networks rather than a recruitment of additional resources4. Critically, increases and decreases in blood-oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal do not map directly onto specific underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Research is still needed to lay the groundwork to identify how changes in brain activation patterns relate to changes in cognitive capacity and efficiency3.

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References

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of the Economic and Social Research Council (UK) to C.C.v.B. (ES/V013610/1), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Canada) to S.B. (2004-2020-0009) and the German Research Foundation to T.S. (STR 1223/10-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Claudia C. von Bastian

  2. Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

    Sylvie Belleville

  3. Research Center, Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada

    Sylvie Belleville

  4. Department of Psychology, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Alice Reinhartz & Tilo Strobach

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  1. Claudia C. von Bastian
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  2. Sylvie Belleville
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Correspondence to Claudia C. von Bastian.

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von Bastian, C.C., Belleville, S., Reinhartz, A. et al. Reply to ‘Efficiency and capacity mechanisms can coexist in cognitive training’. Nat Rev Psychol 2, 128 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00147-8

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