Overview
This study examined the ability for cognitive training aimed at improving critical thinking and reasoning to improve inhibitory control, a basic, but essential executive function. The cognitive training program, Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™), was administered during regular school hours and consisted of ten sessions over a one-month period. Evidence was gathered from EEG scans to measure students’ performance before and after training. Findings suggest training higher-order executive functions can strengthen the basic executive function of inhibitory control. Strengthening inhibition has the potential to facilitate learning and problem-solving across a range of domains.
Figure 8 displays the differences in pre-and post-test results from both the controls and those who completed the SMART training. The suggested mechanism for increased inhibitory control in the SMART condition is a generalized engagement in deeper semantic processing.
