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What are the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory?

Nelson Cowan1

  • 1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 18 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. CowanN@missouri.edu

Progress in Brain Research
|April 9, 2008
PubMed
Summary
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This chapter clarifies distinctions between long-term, short-term, and working memory. It explores evidence for temporal decay and capacity limits in short-term memory, and defines working memory by its attention demands and cognitive correlations.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Significant confusion exists in scientific literature regarding the distinctions between long-term, short-term, and working memory.
  • Previous research has presented varying definitions and characteristics for these memory types.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To reduce confusion by providing up-to-date assessments of long-term, short-term, and working memory.
  • To evaluate the evidence for specific properties differentiating these memory systems.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and theoretical framework integration.
  • Analysis of empirical evidence concerning memory properties.
  • Comparison of different conceptualizations of working memory.

Main Results:

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  • Evidence suggests short-term memory may exhibit temporal decay and chunk capacity limits, though these are debated.
  • Working memory is characterized by its role in cognitive tasks, its multi-component nature, and its reliance on attention.
  • Measures of working memory correlate with cognitive aptitudes, unlike some routine short-term memory measures.

Conclusions:

  • The chapter provides a clearer framework for understanding the differences between long-term, short-term, and working memory.
  • Working memory's distinctiveness is linked to attentional control and its impact on higher-order cognitive functions.