No, BET does not solely aim to improve performance on specific cognitive tasks used during training. While participants may naturally become better at these tasks through repetition, the primary goal of BET is to induce mental fatigue to stimulate broader psycho-physiological adaptations.
The key objectives are:
Inducing Mental Fatigue: By challenging the brain with demanding tasks, BET triggers adaptations that enhance overall mental resilience.
Enhancing General Cognitive Functions: The adaptations extend beyond the specific tasks to improve general cognitive abilities such as attention, working memory, and executive control.
Improving Performance Under Fatigue: BET trains the brain to maintain high levels of cognitive and physical performance even when fatigued, which is applicable across various activities and situations.
Stimulating Neural Adaptations: The focus is on promoting changes in brain function and structure that support better performance in diverse tasks, not just the ones practiced during training.
Therefore, BET’s benefits are holistic and contribute to overall improvements in cognitive and physical performance rather than task-specific enhancements.