Recent research showed that cognitive training using the Captain’s Log Cognitive Training system significantly improves speed and accuracy on bookkeeping tasks. The study was conducted by Amit Lampit and Michael Valenzuela from the Regenerative Neuroscience Group, Brain and Mind Institute, University of Sydney, and Claus Ebster from the University of Vienna. In the study, 48 business students with a background in accounting were assigned to either an Active Control group using computerized arithmetic training or to an intervention group using the Captain’s Log system. Subjects were evaluated for speed and accuracy on a bookkeeping task at baseline, after 10 hours and again at 20 hours of training.
The study authors found significant interaction at both 10 hours (Cohen’s effect size = 0.38, p=0.014) and 20 hours (Cohen’s effect size = 0.40, p=0.003) of training with the greatest change in the cognitive training intervention group. The results of this study showed that highly skilled individuals benefited the most from the cognitive training in comparison with students less skilled in bookkeeping skills. Thus, work performance was found to be even more enhanced for individuals who were already top performers.
This is one of the first well-controlled studies to clearly show generalization of cognitive training to real-life work performance. The results support that using the Captain’s Log system is a valid training approach to improve real-life job performance in mid-level office jobs.
This study is being reviewed for publication. View the poster presentation pdf here.