Does Far Transfer Exist? Negative Evidence From Chess, Music, and Working Memory Training.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Meta-analyses evaluating experimental intervention studies (graded by design analogy for cognitive psychology).
PubMed 29276344 · doi:10.1177/0963721417712760
What was done
The authors synthesized evidence from three meta-analyses evaluating the effects of chess instruction, music instruction, and working memory training on children's cognitive abilities and academic skills. They analyzed the relationship between reported effect sizes and methodological rigor, specifically looking at the presence of active control groups.
What was found
The abstract reports small to moderate overall effect sizes for chess, music, and working memory training on cognitive and academic outcomes. However, effect sizes were inversely related to the quality of the experimental design, with effects diminishing in studies with active controls. No specific numerical effect sizes, sample counts, or confidence intervals are reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This synthesis challenges widespread claims that specialized training like chess or music produces generalized cognitive enhancement (far transfer), indicating that observed gains are largely artifacts of inadequate experimental controls.
Limits
The abstract does not disclose the total number of included studies, sample sizes, or quantitative effect sizes. The conclusions depend on the underlying quality of the primary literature, which the authors explicitly note is frequently limited by weak control conditions.
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