John
09-07-2009, 07:07 AM
Spending time on the Facebook networking site and solving Sudoku may have the same effect, according to psychologist Dr Tracy Alloway.
But text messaging, micro-blogging on "Twitter" and watching YouTube were all likely to weaken "working memory".
Working memory involves the ability both to remember information and to use it.
At a job interview, a candidate will employ working memory to match answers to questions in the most impressive way.
Dr Alloway, from the University of Stirling in Scotland, has extensively studied working memory and believes it to be far more important to success and happiness than IQ.
Her team has developed a working memory training programme that greatly increased the performance of slow-learning children aged 11 to 14 at a school in Durham.
After eight weeks of "Jungle Memory" training, the children saw 10 point improvements in IQ, literacy and numeracy tests.
A number who started off close to the bottom of the class ended up near the top.
"It was a massive effect," said Dr Alloway, who gave a talk on working memory at the start of the British Science Festival at the University of Surrey in Guildford.
But text messaging, micro-blogging on "Twitter" and watching YouTube were all likely to weaken "working memory".
Working memory involves the ability both to remember information and to use it.
At a job interview, a candidate will employ working memory to match answers to questions in the most impressive way.
Dr Alloway, from the University of Stirling in Scotland, has extensively studied working memory and believes it to be far more important to success and happiness than IQ.
Her team has developed a working memory training programme that greatly increased the performance of slow-learning children aged 11 to 14 at a school in Durham.
After eight weeks of "Jungle Memory" training, the children saw 10 point improvements in IQ, literacy and numeracy tests.
A number who started off close to the bottom of the class ended up near the top.
"It was a massive effect," said Dr Alloway, who gave a talk on working memory at the start of the British Science Festival at the University of Surrey in Guildford.