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{
    "pk": 29828,
    "title": "Malleability of Working Memory Through Chess in Schoolchildren—\nA Two-Year Intervention Study",
    "subtitle": null,
    "abstract": "Working memory is the ability to actively maintain\ninformation in conscious awareness, carry out cognitive\noperations on it, and produce an outcome. Working\nmemory holds a small amount of information in the mind\nand is used in the execution of cognitive tasks, in contrast\nto long-term memory, which is extensive. Many\nimportant cognitive behaviors, such as reading,\nreasoning, and problem-solving, require working\nmemory because for each of these activities, some\ninformation must be maintained in an accessible state\nwhile new information is processed and potentially\ndistracting information is ignored. While the effect of\nchess training on intelligence and academic performance\nhas been examined, its impact on working memory needs\nto be studied. This study, funded by the Cognitive Science\nResearch Initiative, Department of Science and\nTechnology, Government of India, analyzed the effect of\n2-year chess training on the working memory of children.\nA pretest–posttest with control group design was used.\nThe randomly selected sample consisted of 88 children in\nthe experimental group and 90 children in the control\ngroup for the baseline and first-year assessments.\nChildren of both genders studying in school (grades 3 to\n9) comprised the sample. At the second-year assessment,\nthere were 80 children in the experimental group and 77\nin the control group. The experimental group underwent\nweekly chess training for 2 years, while the control group\nwas actively involved in sports and extracurricular\nactivities offered by the school. Working memory was\nmeasured by two subtests of Wechsler Intelligence Scale\nfor Children—Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) INDIA. The\nchildren were trained using Winning Moves curriculum,\naudiovisual learning method, hands-on chess training and\nrecording the games using score sheets, and analyzing\ntheir mistakes. They were also trained in Opening theory,\nCheckmating techniques, End-game theory, and Tactical\nprinciples. Analysis of covariance revealed that the\nexperimental group had significant gains in working\nmemory compared to the control group. The present study\nsupports a link between chess training and working\nmemory. The transfer of skills acquired in chess training\nto the improvement of working memory could be\nattributed to the fact that while playing chess, children\nevaluate positions, visualize new positions in their mind,\nevaluate the pros and cons of each move, and choose\nmoves based on the information stored in their mind. If\nworking memory’s capacity could be expanded or made\nto function more efficiently, it could result in the\nimprovement of executive functions as well as the\nscholastic performance of the child.",
    "language": "eng",
    "license": {
        "name": "",
        "short_name": "",
        "text": null,
        "url": ""
    },
    "keywords": [
        {
            "word": "Chess training; cognitive development;\nexecutive functions; schoolchildren; working memory"
        }
    ],
    "section": "Poster Session 2",
    "is_remote": true,
    "remote_url": "https://escholarship.org/uc/item/55g8446v",
    "frozenauthors": [
        {
            "first_name": "Ebenezer",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Joseph",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "P&T Audit Office (India)",
            "department": ""
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Veena",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Easvaradoss",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "Women’s Christian College (India)",
            "department": ""
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Suneera",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Abraham",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "Emmanuel Chess Centre- DST Project (India)",
            "department": ""
        },
        {
            "first_name": "Sweta",
            "middle_name": "",
            "last_name": "Vaddadi",
            "name_suffix": "",
            "institution": "Emmanuel Chess Centre- DST Project (India)",
            "department": ""
        }
    ],
    "date_submitted": null,
    "date_accepted": null,
    "date_published": "2020-01-01T18:00:00Z",
    "render_galley": null,
    "galleys": [
        {
            "label": "PDF",
            "type": "pdf",
            "path": "https://journalpub.escholarship.org/cognitivesciencesociety/article/29828/galley/19682/download/"
        }
    ]
}