Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is also...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory01:14

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the cerebellum's...
Storage01:23

Storage

A schema is a mental framework that helps individuals organize and interpret information. Schemata, formed from previous experiences, influence how we process new information: how we encode it, the inferences we make, and how we retrieve it. For instance, a schema for what a typical classroom looks like might include desks, a teacher's desk, a whiteboard, and students in such an environment. This expectation helps us quickly understand and navigate new classrooms without needing to analyze each...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Big-tent versus small-tent views of the brain mechanisms underlying consciousness.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same author

Toward a comprehensive account of verbal memory: An embedded computational model across representational domains.

Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition·2026
Same author

Cue-driven attentional guidance nearly eliminates salience effects in working memory.

Journal of experimental psychology. Learning, memory, and cognition·2026
Same author

Long-term representational costs of overloading working memory.

Psychonomic bulletin & review·2026
Same author

No evidence yet for functional independence of verbal short-term memory and long-term verbal knowledge.

Journal of neuropsychology·2026
Same author

Colors, characters, locations, and shapes: The capacity of working memory for multiple, dissimilar sets of items.

Memory & cognition·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 16, 2026

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

Development of Working Memory for Verbal-Spatial Associations.

Nelson Cowan1, J Scott Saults, Candice C Morey

  • 1University of Missouri.

Journal of Memory and Language
|March 28, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Working memory for abstract information involves more than just associations. Adults use parallel verbal and spatial codes, a benefit lost with speech suppression, suggesting distinct memory processes.

More Related Videos

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise
06:17

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise

Published on: January 26, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2026

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
09:05

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise
06:17

Assessing Human Spatial Navigation in a Virtual Space and its Sensitivity to Exercise

Published on: January 26, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Working memory capacity is crucial for abstract information processing.
  • The nature of verbal-to-spatial associations in working memory is debated: are they unified abstract representations or parallel codes?

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether verbal-to-spatial associations in working memory represent unified abstract codes or parallel verbal and spatial codes.
  • To examine developmental differences in the processing of these associations.
  • To determine the role of verbal rehearsal in maintaining these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments tested memory for name-location associations in children (9-10 and 12-13 years) and adults.
  • Participants recalled locations of names presented in house icons.
  • Articulatory suppression was used to disrupt verbal rehearsal.

Main Results:

  • Adults showed a benefit from 1-to-1 name-location correspondence, indicating parallel processing.
  • This adult benefit was eliminated by articulatory suppression, implicating verbal codes.
  • Children's performance did not consistently benefit from 1-to-1 correspondence, suggesting reliance on more integrated or less differentiated codes.
  • Performance without rehearsal reflected working memory for abstract, cross-modal information.

Conclusions:

  • The 1-to-1 correspondence benefit in adults suggests the use of parallel verbal and spatial codes, not a single abstract representation.
  • Working memory for abstract, cross-modal information, particularly without rehearsal, is a robust measure of working memory capacity.
  • Developmental differences exist in how verbal and spatial information are integrated in working memory.