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Working Memory

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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 10, 2026

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Published on: September 20, 2020

Complex span and n-back measures of working memory: a meta-analysis.

Thomas S Redick¹, Dakota R B Lindsey

¹Purdue University, Psychological Sciences, 703 Third Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA, tredick@purdue.edu.

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

|June 5, 2013

Summary

Complex span and n-back tasks, commonly used to measure working memory, show only a weak correlation. These distinct working memory measures cannot be used interchangeably in research applications.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

Working memory is crucial in psychology, measured by complex span and n-back tasks.
Complex span tasks are prevalent in behavioral studies, while n-back tasks are common in cognitive neuroscience.
Previous research shows mixed results on the overlap between these two working memory measures.

Purpose of the Study:

To meta-analytically investigate the correlation between complex span and n-back tasks.
To examine the influence of sample composition on the relationship between these tasks.
To compare the correlation of simple span tasks with n-back tasks.

Main Methods:

A meta-analysis was conducted on studies using complex span and n-back tasks.
Unpublished data were analyzed to explore the effect of sample composition.
A separate meta-analysis compared simple span and n-back tasks.

Main Results:

Complex span and n-back tasks exhibited a weak correlation, with significant heterogeneity.
Sample composition influenced the task relationship, following the law of diminishing returns.
Simple span tasks showed a similar weak correlation with n-back tasks.

Conclusions:

Complex span and n-back tasks measure distinct working memory processes.
These tasks should not be used interchangeably in psychological and neuroscience research.
Understanding task-specific contributions is vital for accurate working memory assessment.