A crossword a day improves verbal fluency: A report of an intervention study

Soft skills, including communication skills, are of relevance to university students both academically and in terms of employability. A particularly prized soft skill is communication, to which semantic verbal fluency (SVF) is an important contributor. Both the hardware and software models of cognitive reserve suggest that experience can lead to improved performance in cognitive tasks. This experiment sought to improve SVF through a short, crossword-based intervention. Thirty-four third-level students attempted a simple crossword daily for 4 weeks, while 40 served as a control group. Analysis indicated that the crossword group experienced greater improvement in SVF than did the control group. Simple crosswords may prove a straightforward means of improving SVF in this population.