Working memory

What is working memory?

A system that combines information storage and processing for ongoing mental activities.

How does short-term memory relate to working memory?

Short-term memory is the temporary storage component of working memory.

What factors improve reliability in WM measurement?

• Multiple tasks

• Different domains (verbal vs visuospatial)

• Complexity (simple vs complex tasks)

What is the typical WM capacity?

About 4 chunks of information.

How does WM change across the lifespan?

Improves through childhood, declines in later adulthood.

Is WM intact in hippocampal amnesia and which disorders show WM deficits

Yes, mostly intact - ADHD and other cognitive impairments.

How is WM related to intelligence?

• Central to intelligent behavior

• Correlates with fluid intelligence, complex cognition, academic attainment

• Kane et al. (2007): Higher WM → more on-task thoughts during challenging tasks.

What limits WM capacity?

• Time and capacity constraints (do we have enough space for multiple WM activities)

• Interference (similar items or environmental distractions)

• Attention

• Stress and other state factors

How can WM performance be optimized?

• Focus attention

• Active maintenance (rehearsal, refreshing)

• Use strategies

• Link to LTM knowledge

What determines what we remember?

What we pay attention to.

• Visual cueing (arrows pointing to important information)

• Value-directed prioritization (focus on high-value items and they are more likely to be recalled)

How does LTM support WM?

• Better recall for meaningful sequences (e.g. you can recall words better in a sentence that makes sense then if the word were random → representations of LT

• Words easier than nonwords (same letter in different order)

• Structured patterns aid visual WM

How does WM support LTM?

• Phonological WM aids language learning

• Nonword repetition predicts vocabulary growth

• Visual WM predicts visual LTM

What did Patient PV’s case show?

• Stroke damaged left temporal-parietal region

• Poor phonological STM (poor digit recall) → impaired new word learning. When learning new words in a language they were unfamiliar with they couldn’t

• Written words easier due to existing LTM representations.

What is Baddeley’s multi-component model?

• Phonological loop: Verbal info

• Visuospatial sketchpad: Visual/spatial info

• Episodic buffer: Integrates info from different sources for conscious awareness

What is verbal-visuospatial fractionation?

Independent impairments possible in verbal vs visuospatial STM.

What did Logie (1995) propose?

• Visual cache: Passive store for form/color

• Inner scribe: Active spatial rehearsal.

What is TBRS (Time-Based Resource Sharing)?

WM combines storage and processing; limited capacity shared between both; decay occurs over time without rehearsal.

• the cognitive load of a task is switching between storage and processing

What is the embedded-processes model?

WM = activated LTM + focus of attention (~3–4 chunks); attention resources limit capacity (LTM is not separate like in other models)

Why is attentional control important?

Maintains focus on task-relevant info while resisting distractions; strongly linked to general intelligence (Engle, 2018).

What five principles do WM models agree on?

• Limited capacity

• Combines processing and storage

• Attention is crucial

• Unattended info is quickly forgotten

• LTM can facilitate or interfere with WM.