Poly Rules!

Name: Poly Rules!
Author: Northeastern University

Northeastern University

CLINICAL GRADE

Studied in clinical trials · Mixed evidence

For:Researchers & AcademicsGeneral Public & Enthusiasts

Free

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App Summary

Poly Rules! is a cognitive training game for the general public that challenges working memory and cognitive flexibility through a sorting task with dynamically changing rules. The app's design is based on associated research that analyzed three randomized controlled trials (N=460) and found that improvements on working memory tasks similar to the training activity were linked to gains in broader reasoning abilities. The authors conclude that this "near transfer" of skills to related tasks is a key step for achieving broader cognitive benefits from training.

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Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Poly Rules! is a cognitive training game designed to target executive functions, particularly working memory and cognitive flexibility. The system presents a series of sorting tasks where the governing rules dynamically shift as a session progresses, requiring continuous rule-updating. Sessions involve engagement with increasingly complex scenarios to modulate cognitive load. The platform is configured to support research applications, incorporating server-side data logging and analytics capabilities to facilitate controlled studies of cognitive training effects.

Evidence & Research Context

The app's design is grounded in research on working memory training and the mechanisms of cognitive transfer. The associated research provides a model for how such training may produce benefits.

An analysis of three randomized controlled trials (N=460 total) investigated the relationship between near and far transfer in N-back working memory training.
The authors propose a mediation model where gains on untrained working memory tasks (near transfer) are a critical gatekeeper for improvements in dissimilar cognitive tasks like matrix reasoning (far transfer).
This finding was observed even in trials where the overall intervention did not produce a significant group-level effect, highlighting the importance of individual differences in training response.
This model offers a potential explanation for inconsistent outcomes in the broader cognitive training literature.

Intended Use & Scope

This application is intended for researchers investigating cognitive training mechanisms and for individuals interested in engaging with executive function challenges. Its primary utility is as an experimental platform and a tool for cognitive exercise. The system is not a diagnostic instrument and does not constitute a validated clinical intervention for cognitive impairment.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

RCT

Near transfer to an unrelated N-back task mediates the effect of N-back working memory training on matrix reasoning

Pahor et al. (2022) · Nature Human Behaviour

Training improved performance on similar tasks but did not improve reasoning ability in two of three trials.

The extent to which working memory training improves performance on untrained tasks is highly controversial. Here we address this controversy by testing the hypothesis that far transfer may depend on near transfer using mediation models in three separate randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In all three RCTs, totalling 460 individuals, performance on untrained N-back tasks (near transfer) mediated transfer to Matrix Reasoning (representing far transfer) despite the lack of an intervention effect in RCTs 2 and 3. Untrained N-back performance also mediated transfer to a working memory composite, which showed a significant intervention effect (RCT 3). These findings support a model of N-back training in which transfer to untrained N-back tasks gates further transfer (at least in the case of working memory at the construct level) and Matrix Reasoning. This model can help adjudicate between the many studies and meta-analyses of working memory training that have provided mixed results but have not examined the relationship between near and far transfer on an individual-differences level. Pahor et al. find evidence across three experiments that the extent to which people improve in matrix reasoning as a result of N-back training is associated with their degree of improvement on working memory tasks similar to the training task.

In the Media

Who benefits from brain training and why?

UC Riverside and UC Irvine researchers conducted three randomized control trials with nearly 500 participants to study brain training effectiveness using cognitive games, finding that "near transfer" predicts "far transfer" in working memory training. "Some people do very well in training, such as playing a video game, but they don't show near transfer perhaps because they are using highly specific strategies," said first author Anja Pahor, noting that for these individuals, far transfer is unlikely. The study published in Nature Human Behavior aims to develop more tailored working memory training approaches.

UcrRead article

Speaking of Psychology: Can "brain training" games sharpen your mental skills? With Aaron Seitz, PhD

Dr. Aaron Seitz at the University of California, Riverside developed science-based brain training games through the university's Brain Game Center to improve people's perception and cognitive abilities, addressing the controversy around commercially marketed products that aren't necessarily backed by science. Seitz and his colleagues research, test and develop games that aim to help populations including older adults who want to keep their memory sharp and athletes who want to improve their performance.

ApaRead article

Ready for a cognitive workout?

University of California researchers Aaron Seitz, Susanne Jaeggi, and Anja Pahor launched Poly Rules! as part of a nationwide project to engage 30,000 people in memory training through apps developed by the Brain Game Center. "We want to understand which training approaches lead to what types of benefits in different individuals," said Seitz, explaining their goal to explore personalized cognitive training similar to personalized medicine. The National Institute of Mental Health-funded project aims to resolve scientific controversies about brain training effectiveness by collecting extensive data on cognitive skill training.

University of CaliforniaRead article

Nationwide project seeks to understand how brain exercises produce cognitive benefits

UC Riverside's Brain Game Center developed Poly Rules! to understand how memory training produces cognitive benefits, launching a nationwide project to engage 30,000 people in different variants of memory training. "We want to understand which training approaches lead to what types of benefits in different individuals," said Aaron Seitz, director of the Brain Game Center and psychology professor. The National Institute of Mental Health-funded project aims to resolve scientific controversies about brain training effectiveness and explore personalized cognitive training approaches.

UcrRead article