Hey guys:
I read an article in scientific american about all the companies that are creating brain training software. There are many companies out there with millions of users and venture capital funding. One company, lumosity, has their own labs and have published tons of "research" (in collaboration with stanford/berkeley and other prestigious universities around the world) on how their programs increase "cognitive performance," improve symptoms of ADHD, can help stroke victims, military veterans etc. They have articles in peer reviewed journals and are currently running 36 new research projects. They created the human cognition project.
What is striking is that I have not seen one neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist as part of any of these companies. They are run by people with BA degrees or MBA's. Some have neuroscience researchers. It seems crazy to me that neuropsychologists are not involved at all in these ventures, even as consultants. I would expect that they would be in a much better position to create valid measures of intelligence.
Check out: http://www.lumosity.com/
I tried the brain training software (you can register for free) and despite all the "research" backing it up, I believe it is complete fraud. They intentionally select cognitive tests that are prone to practice effects so you bound to increase your score with minimal practice. Yet, they are using these tests on veterans, people with anxiety/depression through universities, etc.
Lumosity now has the world's largest and fastest growing database on human cognition—which currently includes over 35,000,000 research subjects and over 600,000,000 cognitive gameplays. Our scientists mine this data to uncover insights that help them improve the efficacy of the Lumosity cognitive training program.
I read an article in scientific american about all the companies that are creating brain training software. There are many companies out there with millions of users and venture capital funding. One company, lumosity, has their own labs and have published tons of "research" (in collaboration with stanford/berkeley and other prestigious universities around the world) on how their programs increase "cognitive performance," improve symptoms of ADHD, can help stroke victims, military veterans etc. They have articles in peer reviewed journals and are currently running 36 new research projects. They created the human cognition project.
What is striking is that I have not seen one neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist as part of any of these companies. They are run by people with BA degrees or MBA's. Some have neuroscience researchers. It seems crazy to me that neuropsychologists are not involved at all in these ventures, even as consultants. I would expect that they would be in a much better position to create valid measures of intelligence.
Check out: http://www.lumosity.com/
I tried the brain training software (you can register for free) and despite all the "research" backing it up, I believe it is complete fraud. They intentionally select cognitive tests that are prone to practice effects so you bound to increase your score with minimal practice. Yet, they are using these tests on veterans, people with anxiety/depression through universities, etc.
Lumosity now has the world's largest and fastest growing database on human cognition—which currently includes over 35,000,000 research subjects and over 600,000,000 cognitive gameplays. Our scientists mine this data to uncover insights that help them improve the efficacy of the Lumosity cognitive training program.
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