Comparing the Effectiveness of two Implementation Method of Working Memory Training on Attentional Control and Working Memory Capacity of Young Employees

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of two implementation methods of working memory (WM) training (the more complex task and the less complex task) on attentional control and WM capacity. The present study is one of the intervention studies with the active control group aiming to compare effectiveness. The study population consists of 25 to 35-year-old young employees working in Information Technology (IT) field in Kerman city in 2019. The sample of the study formed of 48 individuals who were selected by multistage sampling, randomly divided into two experimental groups (adaptive dual n-back task as the more complex task and non-adaptive dual 1-back task as the less complex task) and one active control group (non-adaptive single 1-back task). Data collection tools include simple Stroop task and Daneman-Carpenter Working Memory Task (DCWMT). The results showed that there was a significant difference between the effectiveness of WM training with adaptive dual task, non-adaptive dual task, and control group task in subscale of interference score related to attentional control and WM capacity. In other words, the complexity of the task made a significant difference in the effectiveness of the training program on interference score and WM capacity. However, this difference was not observed for subscale of time of interference related to attentional control.