Lingering effect after performing PASAT?
I have not noticed the specific benefits that you describe. But they seem plausible, since I find PASAT to be much more demanding than dual (or multimodal) n-back.
LaGrange123 | 3 years ago
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As odd as it may sound,after performing the PASAT test I feel as though my brain's functionality is temporarily boosted.My thoughts and words seem to flow with great ease after PASAT sessions.I can't explain it,it's way too real to be placebo.Does anyone else feel this as well?Its far too strange.My greatest deficient was the PASAT,when I first began...hell it was bad for me,my speed of calculation was pretty terrible.Now it's improved so much...it's remarkable.I would venture to say that performing the PASAT has been allot more beneficial to me then the Dual N back test itself.
knickerbocker309 | 3 years ago
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Some or all of your feeling of boost could just be an "attendant" (in the best sense of that word!) release of ... stress hormone, stimulatory neurotransmitters, etc. following this high-speed, cognitively demanding challenging task. I certainly would believe that such occurs as you do it. And as for boosting functioning, that could happen a bit then, or just later, as neurotrophic factors take their course, if it happens.
gorelando | 3 years ago
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Cogfun, have any outrageous scores been posted on the PASAT recently? I gave the link to a three times Mental Calculation World Champion.
cevapcici | 3 years ago
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Are you talking about JohnnyT812? He cracked PASAT-6 in his first attempt! http://cognitivefun.net/stat/15/pasat/6
sygenator | 3 years ago
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cevapcici | 3 years ago
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Nothing on a cursory look. PASAT is more about working memory than calculation though (because the calculations are very simple). As for outrageous scores, I think sygenator still holds the crown for that, but maybe this will change soon?
cognitivefun | 3 years ago
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Ah yes, that's true - tho' some calculators' disciplines are similar: for instance, finding the sum of 100 single digits (the record is about 20 seconds).
On a related note, I've been practising my mental multiplication and can now do 3 digit x 3 digit in my noddle. At one stage in the procedure, I have to remember a 4 digit running total while summing the results of three multiplications.
Would be interesting to know whether the improvements that I feel (when I started practising, I found 2 digit x 2 digit almost impossible) are because of enlarged/more efficient short term memory or because my mind is beginning to use the virtual RAM that it seems some calculators have been found to use. I'm not using any mnemonics or visual aids to help my memory.
On a related note, I've been practising my mental multiplication and can now do 3 digit x 3 digit in my noddle. At one stage in the procedure, I have to remember a 4 digit running total while summing the results of three multiplications.
Would be interesting to know whether the improvements that I feel (when I started practising, I found 2 digit x 2 digit almost impossible) are because of enlarged/more efficient short term memory or because my mind is beginning to use the virtual RAM that it seems some calculators have been found to use. I'm not using any mnemonics or visual aids to help my memory.
cevapcici | 3 years ago
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"Would be interesting to know whether the improvements that I feel (when I started practising, I found 2 digit x 2 digit almost impossible) are because of enlarged/more efficient short term memory or because my mind is beginning to use the virtual RAM that it seems some calculators have been found to use."
I'd say more efficient, as in increased chunking ability. A little over a year ago I decided to play with 2 digit multiplication as well. I started by memorizing the 20x20 multiplication table. Then all the squares up to 99.
After that's done, 2 digit multiplication became pretty easy -- in no small part from drawing the intermediate sums from long term memory.
Also interesting is how the approach of problem solving changes due to new tools: directly doing long multiplication (essentially recalling a series of single digit products) or by recalling the closest product from memory, then computing the difference. The latter method involves less intermediate sums.
After that's done, 2 digit multiplication became pretty easy -- in no small part from drawing the intermediate sums from long term memory.
Also interesting is how the approach of problem solving changes due to new tools: directly doing long multiplication (essentially recalling a series of single digit products) or by recalling the closest product from memory, then computing the difference. The latter method involves less intermediate sums.
cognitivefun | 3 years ago
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Whoopska | 3 years ago
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I'm afraid that I scuppered my experiment - because I had declared everything but dual n-back off limits to myself, the site became less of a draw and I stopped playing here every day.
I'll have to do my battery of diagnostic tests again and give it another go!
On a related note, I had three pupils of mine do the children memory training off J-B's Braintwister program during summer and will soon be able to retest them on non-verbal and verbal reasoning.
I'll have to do my battery of diagnostic tests again and give it another go!
On a related note, I had three pupils of mine do the children memory training off J-B's Braintwister program during summer and will soon be able to retest them on non-verbal and verbal reasoning.
cevapcici | 3 years ago
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