Is Cognitive Training Effective for Improving Executive Functions in Preschoolers? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Scionti N, Cavallero M, Zogmaister C, Marzocchi GM · 2020
grade Cmeta-analysisindependentmixed
Sample
32 studies from 27 papers, 123 effect sizes, children aged 3-6
Population
Preschool children aged 3-6, international.
Design
Included as the disagreement case. Its moderator result on at-risk children contradicts Takacs and Kassai's, which is a live dispute the archive should record rather than resolve.
Key findings
Overall g = 0.352 (p < .001) with no significant difference between near and far transfer WITHIN executive domains - that is, training one executive function moved the others about as much as it moved the trained one, which is not what the transfer-distance literature usually finds. No significant effects on behavioural or learning-related outcomes. More effective for at-risk children (ADHD, low socioeconomic status) than for typically developing ones, which directly contradicts Takacs and Kassai's finding that explicit training worked better for typically developing children.
Genetic confound
Low - randomised training contrasts.
Replication notes
Mixed. Agrees with the broader literature that behavioural and learning outcomes do not move, and disagrees with Takacs and Kassai on who benefits.
DOI / URL
10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02812
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive-function outcomes overall | Hedges g | 0.352, p < .001 | standardized | post-training | unclear | end-of-treatment | near-transfer |
| Behavioural and learning-related outcomes | significance | no significant effects | standardized | post-training | unclear | end-of-treatment | domain-skill |
| At-risk versus typically developing children | moderator | larger for at-risk children — contradicting Takacs and Kassai 2019 | standardized | post-training | unclear | end-of-treatment | near-transfer |
Cited by
- Can executive function be trained, and does it transfer to learning?no effectconf: highgc: low