Effectiveness of Klauer's Cognitive Training with Immigrant Students, Special-Needs Students and Elderly People

The effects of the cognitive training programs of Klauer were checked in three Austrian field studies. In the first study (N-1 = 33, control group design), the inductive reasoning program I was administered in a group of immigrant elementary school pupils (M = 7;6 years). The positive effect on CFT 1 after four weeks of training was d(s(p)) = 0.33. In the second field study (N-2 = 34, control group design, four weeks of program I), with special-needs pupils (M = 8;9 years), no positive effect on intelligence (CFT 1) was found (d(s(p)) = -0.21). In the third study with elderly persons (N-3 = 68; M = 73;7 years), positive effects of the cognitive training were found on intelligence (IST-2000-R, d(s(p)) = 1.15), and positive effects of a mnemonic training on memory (NAI; d(s(p)) = 0.63). The total effect of Klauer's reasoning training across three samples was d(s(p)) = 0.42 which equates to six IQ points. Comparing effect sizes (d-variants vs. beta vs. sample-IQ), larger effects were found for d-variants.