How to use the most scientifically credible brain training app to gain up to 20 IQ points in 20 days (yes, really.)
So of course the important question everyone has is...
Does Dual N-Back training actually increase your real-world intelligence, or do you just get better at the game? How do IQ increases actually translate into being more productive or happier in real life?
There have been two landmark studies conducted on the software version of Dual N-Back...
Does excessive memory load attenuate activation in the prefrontal cortex? Load-dependent processing in single and dual tasks: functional magnetic resonance imaging study, done at the University of Bern, Switzerland. From the abstract:
Our results show that during both single and dual tasks, prefrontal activation increases continuously as a function of memory load.
The relationship between n-back performance and matrix reasoning — implications for training and transfer, done at the University of Michigan. Let's read the abstract from the University of Michigan study:
We investigated transfer effects on working memory capacity and fluid intelligence comparing the two training groups' performance to controls who received no training of any kind. Our results showed that both training groups improved more on fluid intelligence than controls, thereby replicating and extending our prior results.