The effectiveness of the cognitive training for children from a differential perspective: a meta-evaluation

The Cognitive Training for Children (CTC) was designed by Klauer to teach children thinking strategies that would increase their inductive reasoning. This article reviews seventeen studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CTC. In contrast to popular meta-analysis with its statistical techniques of averaging effect sizes, a qualitative meta-evaluation based on quantitative findings was undertaken from a differential perspective. This approach reveals some interesting information concerning the why and how of the CTCʹs overall effectiveness. Problems concerning the appropriateness of the criterion variables used as well as the control groups included in the various studies were considered thoroughly. A discussion of the program authorʹs claim of domain specificity of the effectiveness of the CTC and of the present authorsʹ perception hypothesis are provided. Despite the unambiguous merits of the CTC, it is concluded that primarily changes in efficiency of visual perception are responsible for the effectiveness of the program among younger children, and that it is not worse, but also not superior to available rival cognitive training programs.