Successful Learning: Relationship Between Fluid Intelligence and Working Memory

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Abstract

The article provides an overview of modern works devoted to the study of the relationship between fluid intelligence and working memory. Recently, the world of psychological science has been actively discussing the topic of fluid intelligence and its impact on the academic achievements in childhood. One of the main cognitive characteristics most clearly associated with fluid intelligence is working memory. Working memory is a complex integrative function, in the implementation of which short-term and long-term memory, as well as executive control of attention, are involved. Until now, the debatable question remains, which of the components of working memory is most closely related to fluid intelligence. A number of studies conclude that the role of short-term memory is predominant, while in others executive control is called the most important component. A special place in the study of the relationship between working memory and fluid intelligence is occupied by scientific works which raise the question of the possibilities of improvement of fluid intelligence using working memory training series. In a number of training experiments, it was possible to obtain an improvement in the participants' fluid intelligence indicators after a series of working memory trainings.

General Information

Keywords: fluid intelligence, working memory, short-term memory, training on cognitive functions

Journal rubric: Developmental Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/pse.2020250106

Funding. This work was supported by grant RFBR № 18-013-01179.

For citation: Rzhanova I.E., Alekseeva O.S., Burdukova Y.A. Successful Learning: Relationship Between Fluid Intelligence and Working Memory. Psikhologicheskaya nauka i obrazovanie = Psychological Science and Education, 2020. Vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 63–74. DOI: 10.17759/pse.2020250106. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Irina E. Rzhanova, Research Fellow, Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8100-8917, e-mail: irinarzhanova@mail.ru

Olga S. Alekseeva, Research Fellow, Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0794-2327, e-mail: olga__alexeeva@mail.ru

Yulia A. Burdukova, PhD in Psychology, Assistant Professor? chair of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4827-2040, e-mail: julia_burd@inbox.ru

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