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Working Memory
Working memory – the conscious processing of information – is increasingly recognized as one of the most important aspects of intelligence. This fundamental cognitive skill is deeply connected to a great variety of human experience – from our childhood, to our old age, from our evolutionary past, to our digital future. In this volume, leading psychologists review the latest research on working memory and consider what role it plays in development and over the lifespan. It is revealed how a strong working memory is connected with success (academically and acquiring expertise) and a poor working memory is connected with failure (addictive behavior and poor decision-making). The contributions also show how working memory played a role in our cognitive evolution and how the everyday things we do, such as what we eat and how much we sleep, can have an impact on how well it functions. Finally, the evidence on whether or not working memory training is beneficial is explored. This volume is essential reading for students, researchers, and professionals with an interest in human memory and its improvement, including those working in cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, gerontology, education, health, and clinical psychology.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2012
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July 8, 2025
The book explores working memory, the cognitive skill that enables the conscious processing and temporary storage of information. It is considered central to intelligence and connected to a broad range of human experiences and behaviors.
Key Themes and Ideas:
1. Understanding Working Memory
Working memory acts like the brain's "conductor," integrating various cognitive functions and areas of the brain, such as language, mathematics, and emotional regulation.
Damage to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) significantly impairs working memory, altering personality and decision-making (illustrated by the historical case of Phineas Gage).
2. Historical and Theoretical Foundations
Philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, and Descartes indirectly explored concepts related to working memory.
David Ferrier identified the PFC as the center of working memory through experiments on monkeys.
Modern understanding was notably advanced by Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch, who proposed the concept of working memory as distinct from short-term memory, emphasizing its role in processing and executive functions.
3. Relationship Between Working Memory and Intelligence
Working memory capacity correlates highly with intelligence (IQ scores), academic success, and various cognitive abilities such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Different intelligence theories (Spearman’s g, Cattell-Horn's fluid/crystallized intelligence) correlate strongly with measures of working memory.
4. Evolutionary Perspective
Human evolution was significantly influenced by the development of working memory, facilitating complex planning, problem-solving, and tool-making abilities.
5. Working Memory Across the Lifespan
Working memory capacity changes throughout life: developing significantly during childhood, peaking in young adulthood, and declining gradually with age.
Individual differences in childhood working memory capacity are strongly predictive of educational success and difficulties.
6. Working Memory and Expertise
Experts display qualitatively different working memory usage, relying heavily on well-organized long-term memory and specialized skills.
Deliberate practice and domain-specific strategies heavily influence expertise; working memory is crucial for high-level skill execution in areas such as chess, music, and sports.
7. Working Memory and Physical Well-being
Diet: High-fat, high-sugar diets negatively impact working memory capacity, reducing cognitive control and influencing poor dietary choices.
Sleep: Sleep deprivation impairs working memory, significantly reducing cognitive performance.
Addiction: Working memory deficits are linked to addictive behaviors (substance abuse, gambling), highlighting its role in decision-making and impulse control.
8. Working Memory and Emotional Regulation
Anxiety, stress, and emotion regulation interact closely with working memory.
Anxiety can impair working memory function, disrupting attention, and performance in tasks requiring cognitive control.
Mindfulness and meditation can enhance working memory capacity, helping manage anxiety and stress through structural and functional brain changes.
9. Working Memory Training
Studies indicate that working memory can be trained and improved, showing significant potential for interventions, particularly in education and cognitive rehabilitation.
Near transfer effects (improvements on tasks similar to training) are widely demonstrated, but far transfer (improvements on unrelated tasks or general intelligence) remains limited.
Key Themes and Ideas:
1. Understanding Working Memory
Working memory acts like the brain's "conductor," integrating various cognitive functions and areas of the brain, such as language, mathematics, and emotional regulation.
Damage to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) significantly impairs working memory, altering personality and decision-making (illustrated by the historical case of Phineas Gage).
2. Historical and Theoretical Foundations
Philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, and Descartes indirectly explored concepts related to working memory.
David Ferrier identified the PFC as the center of working memory through experiments on monkeys.
Modern understanding was notably advanced by Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch, who proposed the concept of working memory as distinct from short-term memory, emphasizing its role in processing and executive functions.
3. Relationship Between Working Memory and Intelligence
Working memory capacity correlates highly with intelligence (IQ scores), academic success, and various cognitive abilities such as learning, reasoning, and problem-solving.
Different intelligence theories (Spearman’s g, Cattell-Horn's fluid/crystallized intelligence) correlate strongly with measures of working memory.
4. Evolutionary Perspective
Human evolution was significantly influenced by the development of working memory, facilitating complex planning, problem-solving, and tool-making abilities.
5. Working Memory Across the Lifespan
Working memory capacity changes throughout life: developing significantly during childhood, peaking in young adulthood, and declining gradually with age.
Individual differences in childhood working memory capacity are strongly predictive of educational success and difficulties.
6. Working Memory and Expertise
Experts display qualitatively different working memory usage, relying heavily on well-organized long-term memory and specialized skills.
Deliberate practice and domain-specific strategies heavily influence expertise; working memory is crucial for high-level skill execution in areas such as chess, music, and sports.
7. Working Memory and Physical Well-being
Diet: High-fat, high-sugar diets negatively impact working memory capacity, reducing cognitive control and influencing poor dietary choices.
Sleep: Sleep deprivation impairs working memory, significantly reducing cognitive performance.
Addiction: Working memory deficits are linked to addictive behaviors (substance abuse, gambling), highlighting its role in decision-making and impulse control.
8. Working Memory and Emotional Regulation
Anxiety, stress, and emotion regulation interact closely with working memory.
Anxiety can impair working memory function, disrupting attention, and performance in tasks requiring cognitive control.
Mindfulness and meditation can enhance working memory capacity, helping manage anxiety and stress through structural and functional brain changes.
9. Working Memory Training
Studies indicate that working memory can be trained and improved, showing significant potential for interventions, particularly in education and cognitive rehabilitation.
Near transfer effects (improvements on tasks similar to training) are widely demonstrated, but far transfer (improvements on unrelated tasks or general intelligence) remains limited.
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