Make 'brain fitness' more customizable and more fun

One easy customization Posit Science could make is to email instructions for Windows users on how to modify the task1_duration xml file.

The results of the first High or Low test are used to set 5 durations in this file. Once I realized this, a quick internet search revealed that Microsoft has a free downloadable XML Notepad program. This makes changing the durations easy.

By having the durations spaced right at my threshold and one apart rather than five, I I was able to make progress that I could not have made otherwise.

As opposed to the other XML files, I think this change is relatively safe and should not result in unnecessary calls to customer service.

Along this line I'm having trouble with Jewel Diver. I can do two hidden objects but I have trouble with three. When I miss three objects it goes back to two objects for about 5-10 times that I have no trouble with. It would be nice if I could just practice with three objects until I get it right. Then move on.

I was interested in another brain improvement program by an Israeli firm called Cognifit, having read a review of a British user who owned both the Posit software and the Cognifit. He thought the results were about the same but liked the Cognifit product more because had more variety in its training sessions. However, the Cognifit product would not run on a Mac. I am a complete novice at all this because I have not even received my copy of the Posit but I was interested in this discussion group. Thanks for the opportunity.

Paul Rosen

I like this idea

I think this is a great idea. For those of us who are competitive, it would provide additional motivation to work harder

I'd also like to be able to change reward themes during a session. Sometimes when I try a new one I don't like it and would prefer not to be stuck with it for the rest of that day.

I could not agree more. I think the brain fitness program needs to borrow more of the ideas from the insight program. I think I spent about 15 minutes yesterday on an exercise I found easy and made not one mistake in that time. That does not keep me motivated. At other times i have spent 10 minutes clicking and getting it wrong every time. Usually i shut down the program after 5 minutes of wrong answers.
Karyl Pope

I agree. I'm "at threshhold" for following directions. After getting several sets correct, after one mistake, the program puts me back at a level that's too easy, wasting 5 minutes or so. I'd rather get more practice at the level that's difficult. Also, I'd like more than two attempts before the program gives me the correct answer.

I would be more motivated in Insight if I could save and access performance data on my computer. The reports provided seem to lag behind the times and dates of assessments. I called about this and was told the delay was part of the process and related to sometthing about the server. It would be useful to be able to print and save information from the program wtthout going through the cumbersome print screen process. I also agree completely providing opportunities for users to modify times, exercises, and levels of difficulty.

I'm responding to Grace Howard's response. I also am competitive and I'd love to know how I stack up against others my age. As it is, I understand as I work the program that I'm probably improving but I'm in the dark about my present position and where I should be getting to. If after I'd finished, I knew I was still responding below my age-level in certain areas, I'm pretty sure I'd go back and get to work.

Responding to Patricia Coyne, it is so good to read these comments and know you are not alone in your frustration.
As difficult as it may be and certainly discouraging to "feel stupid" at times, I know I am doing better than I had been in the past, but I would like to know "where", beside the diagrams of what is happening in my brain.

I find some of the exercises so slow & tedious that I fall asleep.

I got a way to change the session number and sound processing level early in the program. I can essentially make myself reach sound processing level 5, even at session 8( the session where all exercises have been introduced).

Story Teller will not be affected by my method.Caution!!!!:Using my method may corrupt your program and prevent it from working. I am not liable for damages, and Posit Science is not liable for any damages. I and Posit Science may not be able to help you if you corrupt your program by using my method.

My method tries to tweak the inner workings of the program. I would essentially change the .xml files associated with the program, and this will change my session number and adjust my sound processing level.

Some of the following are instruction from the "Coaches Manual"

Before using my method, I would download Syntext's Serna Free - Open Source XML Editor. You can find it at: http://www.syntext.com/products/serna.... Google it, you can find and download it for free.

To change the sound processing level:
"1. The Brain Fitness Program must be closed to properly change a
session number.
2. Click on the “Start” Bar.
3. Click on “My Computer”
4. Click on the “Local Disk (C:)” drive. Click on "program files"
5. Open the “Neuroscience” folder.
6. Open the “User” folder.
7. Once inside the User folder, you see at least one folder with a
GUID ID number (a long string of numbers and letters.) There is a
GUID ID folder for each participant; therefore, if more than one participant
uses the computer, there will be more than one guid folder.
The way to make sure that you look into the right folder is to first
open the document entitled User_Profile.XML. Inside this document,
you will see the name of the participants matched with their
GUID ID number. Jot down the number of the participant for whom
you’re looking.
8. Once you have identified the appropriate guid number, close the
User_Profile.XML document. Now open the folder with the
matching GUID ID. Click on the XML icon inside that
folder called "user_".

If an notice a pop up that concerns templates, click "use default"

9. Once you are inside the correct XML file, you should see a green arrow that states inside it "processing level". To have a process level at 5, simply change the number you see next to the green arrow. Change to number to 5.

Also, you should see the participant’s session number next to a green arrow with the word "session" in it. This number indicates the participant’s next session number. For example, if the session number reads “4”, then the participant will start their next
day of the Brain Fitness Program at Session 4. It does not represent
the number of the session that the participant just completed."

You can simply change this session number to anything between 0-40. Changing the number to 7 is recommended. Session 7 is the point whereby after that point, all exercises will have been introduced. You want to practice at level 5 processing speed, early in the program.

Good changes to a new version of BFP would be to allow the user to set the speech level (levels before 5 were boring!!), and to set how many errors can be made before dropping back a level. I just finished the 40th session, and in Tell Us Apart I often got to where I could tell the difference every time at one level, then at the next not tell at all. So it was very frustrating (not in the good threshold way) to get 3 wrong, then drop down to a level where I didn't miss a single one, but it took a few minutes to get back to where it was hard. So in 15 minutes I would spend 3/4 of the time on a level with no difficulty. Or if not that, then at least set it so that if you do a certain level 2 or 3 times with no errors, then you just stay at the next harder level no matter how many errors you make. I also would have liked to be able to choose which exercises to work on, as Sound Replay and Listen and Do were hard for me (short term memory sequencing problems) but all the rest were pretty easy, so I felt I wasted a lot of time - for example I always finished Match It with at least 75 clicks left and made no mistakes ever on Story Teller). I would would also really like it if there were a way to pause the program, minimize it, and access the rest of my computer. Sometimes I would be working on the program and get a phone call, and need to look up something on the computer before I could continue. This required exiting the program, and then changing my screen resolution back (why can't it always change the resolution back when exiting - or pausing?), and then re-starting the program. This could get very frustrating because then I would have to do the whole 15 minutes over again of whatever exercise I had to leave in the middle. I plan to do Insight next and then re-do BFP. I really hope you can address some of these issues which I could get in a new revision download before I start the program again.

well put lynn - your points express my experience too.

I den't know what I was doing, but it was fun