Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
From cognitive to neural models of working memory
1Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California, 132 Barker Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3190, USA. despo@berkeley.edu
Summary
Working memory involves temporarily holding and manipulating information for goal-directed behavior. Neuroscientific and cognitive data reveal it
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Working memory (WM) is the temporary retention and manipulation of information not present in the environment.
- Internal representations in WM are dynamic, allowing for active maintenance and goal-directed processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the integration of cognitive models and neuroscientific data in understanding working memory.
- To explore how neural mechanisms and cognitive models mutually inform each other.
Main Methods:
- Review of empirical studies using neuronal recordings (monkeys) and functional neuroimaging (humans).
- Reconciliation of neuroscientific findings with behavioral data from cognitive psychology.
Main Results:
- Working memory is not a unitary or dedicated system but involves a network of brain regions.
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a critical role in active maintenance of internal representations.
Conclusions:
- Working memory emerges from the functional interactions between the prefrontal cortex and other brain areas.
- Understanding WM requires integrating both cognitive and neural perspectives.
More Related Videos
09:05Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
Published on: June 12, 2017
07:01Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
Related Concept Videos
01:24Working 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.
01:14Role 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...
01:30Information 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...
01:17Cognitivism
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
01:20Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to examining how people think. It attempts to explain how and why we think the way we do by studying the interactions among human thinking, emotion, creativity, language, and problem-solving, as well as other cognitive processes. Cognitive psychology studies how information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
This field emerged in the mid-20th century, following a period dominated by behaviorism, which...
01:23Storage
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...