Has anyone increased their Digit Span through use of N-back?

[Agrith]

I've just started N-back training a few days ago, and my goal is to increase my digit span score (on the Cambridge Science website). I have an average digit span of 7. About every 1/3 tries I can get a score of 8 (I've also hit 9 about 3 times in the past). I also have ADHD, and from what I understand, my digit span is actually above average for someone with ADHD. As I've previously stated, I'd like to increase my digit span, hopefully to 9 or 10 digits if possible. I'm also hoping that this will increase my reading comprehension and concentration in general.

So, has anyone here tested their digit span before and after N-back training? Have you increased it, and if so, by how much and over what amount of time?

Thank you in advance.

[whoisbambam]

i have never tried it, but digit span can be artificially increased by using the techniques of those memory guys wherein 0-100 each have a visual image.

then u can either link them together thru absurd ways or use a memory palace

if u make flash cards and practice alot, u should be able to remember a 20digit number instantly

in the old days when we had to remember phone numbers it came in handy

there was also a visual system for the alphabet......by combining them, it was easy to remember license plate numbers

but i couldnt find any real-world application for school, so i didnt continue

altho it could be used for recital--like if u wanted to recite the periodic table or all the bones in the body over and over, u could link them to numbers etc

it kind of can increase ur working memory for things that have to be memorized cause u dont need cards.....u could be walking to class, remember 1, and then everything linked to 1; then 2, etc......reciting

[Agrith]

Well the thing is, I don't want to use chunking/mnemonics. I'm looking at whether or not it's possible to increase your digit span through improvements of WMC (working memory capacity).

[whoisbambam]

i would think that practicing digit span would increase digit span

seems boring

i do not think traditional dnb would be as effective as practicing digit span itself

[whoisbambam]

this Doman guy helped alot of kids

http://nacd.org/index.php

http://www.simplysmarter.org/index.html

let us know if it works for adults and if u were able to obtain the software

[Agrith]

I've actually heard about Bob Doman, but I'm not so sure that I want to invest in his program as of yet.

I know that there's a lot of controversy about N-back increasing fluid intelligence, but is it well established that it improves working memory? If it is, digit span is supposed a good measure of working memory, and I don't see why N-backing wouldn't help to improve it.

So yeah, is it proven that N-back increases working memory or no?

[whoisbambam]

it is my understanding that dnb can increase working memory but not iq

near transfer but not far transfer

On Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 7:24:55 AM UTC-6, Agrith wrote:

I've actually heard about Bob Doman, but I'm not so sure that I want to invest in his program as of yet.

I know that there's a lot of controversy about N-back increasing fluid intelligence, but is it well established that it improves working memory? If it is, digit span is supposed a good measure of working memory, and I don't see why N-backing wouldn't help to improve it.

So yeah, is it proven that N-back increases working memory or no?

On Monday, February 9, 2015 at 4:45:39 PM UTC-5, Agrith wrote:

[Shoh]

whoisbambam, are you trying to say keeping digits of letter and image positions and  retaining, manipulating, organizing your verbal and visual thoughts are different tasks and hence dual n back may not fluently transfer into quality of your overall thinking? If it is the case you are trying to make, then how dual n back is supposed to improve working memory, since increase in working memory capacity must lead to greater ability to manipulate more information in your thoughts? Please, do not think that I am here commenting on purpose which is to correct your argument (for which I am too inexperienced and not smart enough), but I am just simply curious about relationship between working memory and quality of thoughts (or for lack of better words, intelligence).