How were the WM tasks in the training described?

• A. Constant difficulty tasks
• B. Progressively challenging tasks
• C. Decreasing difficulty tasks
• D. Randomly varying difficulty with no progression

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that the WM tasks were described as progressively increasing in difficulty. This approach keeps the tasks within the learner’s zone of effort, starting easy enough to learn strategies and then adding more items to hold, more complex manipulations, or more rules as you improve. That gradual ramp pushes the central executive and storage components to work harder over time, which is how training can build working memory capacity. If tasks stayed the same, there’d be little indication of growth; if they decreased or varied randomly, it would be hard to measure progression. Describing the tasks as progressively challenging captures the intended design to strengthen WM through sustained, scalable demands.