Working Memory Theories and History

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Questions and Answers

What is the main function of working memory?

To replace short-term memory

To hold information temporarily and guide decision-making (correct)

To maintain information without manipulation

To store information for long periods of time

What does the central executive do in working memory?

Holds phonological information

Directs attention, suppresses irrelevant information, and coordinates cognitive processes (correct)

Holds spatial information

Holds visual information

What is the primary function of the central executive in working memory?

Controlling attention and thinking (correct)

Integrating information into an episodic representation

Storing verbal and acoustic information

Manipulating visual information

What does the phonological loop primarily store?

Verbal and acoustic information Signup and view all the answers

What is tested with the digit-span task to determine capacity of articulatory rehearsal loop?

Subject repeats back series of numbers Signup and view all the answers

What is the word-length effect related to in working memory?

Working memory capacity for words or other phonological stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Which component of working memory supports mental set shifting, information updating, and inhibition?

Central executive Signup and view all the answers

What does the visuospatial sketchpad primarily store and manipulate?

Visual information Signup and view all the answers

What is the capacity of the visuospatial sketchpad?

Four features or objects Signup and view all the answers

What is the acoustic similarity effect in working memory?

Reduced capacity for confusing items similar in sound Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of the phonological loop?

Repeating and manipulating verbal information Signup and view all the answers

Which brain areas are associated with spatial working memory?

Dorsolateral brain areas Signup and view all the answers

What does articulatory suppression cause in working memory?

Disruption of working memory Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the central executive in working memory?

Coordinating the visuospatial sketchpad and phonological loop Signup and view all the answers

What predicts the ability to learn a second language in children?

High phonological loop capacity Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact of irrelevant spoken material on working memory?

Impairment of working memory Signup and view all the answers

Match the following components of working memory with their functions:

Central executive = Command center for working memory Phonological loop = Stores and rehearses verbal and acoustic information Visuospatial sketchpad = Stores and manipulates visual information Episodic buffer = Integrates information from multiple internal sources into an episodic representation Signup and view all the answers

Match the following features of the phonological loop with their descriptions:

Phonological store = Holds sound- or speech-based information for 1 to 2 seconds Digit-span task = Subject repeats back series of numbers to determine capacity of articulatory rehearsal loop Verbal recall = Phonological Word-length effect = Working memory capacity for words or other phonological stimuli depends on the spoken duration or syllable length of the words Signup and view all the answers

Match the following functions with components of the central executive:

Cognitive control = Inhibition, response selection, and task switching Decision making and planning = Supported by the central executive Mental set shifting, information updating, and inhibition = Components of the central executive Working memory correlation with intelligence = Predicted by high working memory Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms related to working memory with their descriptions:

Storage = Maintains information when it’s no longer available in perception Manipulation = Allows the mind to do operations and transformations of information High working memory = Predicts success in school and correlates with situational awareness Internal attention = A form of storage in working memory Signup and view all the answers

Match the following components of working memory with their functions:

Articulatory rehearsal loop = Repeats words or nonwords in the phonological loop Visuospatial sketchpad = Retains visual information over time and stitches together information from one fixation to another Central executive = Selects and activates relevant information according to task Long-term memory = Stores knowledge and memories Signup and view all the answers

Match the following effects in working memory with their descriptions:

Acoustic similarity effect = Reduction in capacity for confusing items similar in sound Irrelevant speech effect = Impairment of working memory by irrelevant spoken material Word-length effect = Increase in activity in prefrontal cortex as the number of verbal letters to remember increases Slot model of visual short-term memory = A slot corresponds to an object, regardless of complexity Signup and view all the answers

Match the following statements about working memory with their correct explanations:

High phonological loop capacity predicts ability to learn a second language = Ability to repeat words or nonwords in the phonological loop is highly correlated with general vocabulary at the time of testing and even 1 year later Better verbal working memory correlates with better reading comprehension skills = The prefrontal cortex is active during phonological tasks and as the number of verbal letters to remember increases Spatial working memory is associated with activity in dorsolateral brain areas = Position helps to identify and distinguish objects, tracking them as separate entities based on location Long-term and working memory are independent systems = Long-term memory has significantly greater capacity and durability than working memory, while attention selects and activates the relevant information according to task Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Neural Basis and Theories of Working Memory

Hitzig and Ferrier conducted ablation experiments on the prefrontal cortex over 100 years ago, concluding its importance for cognitive processes.
Carlyle Jacobsen and colleagues in 1935 showed the deleterious effect of prefrontal ablation on delayed response.
The multicomponent model of working memory introduced in 1974 by Baddeley and Hitch contains the central executive, phonological loop, and visuospatial sketchpad.
The central executive directs attention, suppresses irrelevant information, and coordinates cognitive processes.
The phonological loop stores phonological information and prevents its decay, while the visuospatial sketchpad stores visual and spatial information.
Baddeley extended the model in 2000 by adding the episodic buffer, integrating various types of information and linking working memory and long-term memory.
Anders Ericsson and Walter Kintsch introduced the notion of "long-term working memory", where parts of long-term memory effectively function as working memory.
Cowan does not regard working memory as separate from long-term memory, with representations in working memory being a subset of long-term memory representations.
Cowan's model consists of long-term memory representations that are activated and a focus of attention with a limited capacity, holding up to four activated representations.
Oberauer extended Cowan's model by adding a more narrow focus of attention that holds only one chunk at a time.
Working memory is widely acknowledged to have limited capacity, with early quantification of the capacity limit associated with short-term memory being the "magical number seven" suggested by Miller in 1956.
Cowan proposed that working memory has a capacity of about four chunks in young adults, and fewer in children and old adults.

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Test your knowledge of the neural basis and historical development of working memory theories, from Hitzig and Ferrier's experiments to Baddeley's multicomponent model.