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Working Memory

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

Published on: March 25, 2011

Evidence for two attentional components in visual working memory.

Richard J Allen¹, Alan D Baddeley², Graham J Hitch²

¹University of Leeds.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition

|February 26, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Executive attentional control aids working memory for early visual sequences but not the final item. This highlights executive processes in maintaining active representations of earlier stimuli.

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Last Updated: May 2, 2026

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

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Published on: March 25, 2011

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Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Human Memory

Background:

Working memory is crucial for cognitive tasks.
Executive functions play a key role in managing information within working memory.
Understanding the interplay between attention and memory storage is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of executive attentional control in visual sequence memory.
To determine how concurrent executive load affects memory for different positions within a sequence.
To elucidate the mechanisms of storage and processing in working memory.

Main Methods:

Three experiments were conducted using visual object sequences.
A concurrent executive load task (backward counting) was employed.
Memory was assessed using single-probe recognition and cued verbal recall.

Main Results:

Concurrent executive load significantly disrupted memory for the first two items in a sequence.
Memory for the final item in the sequence remained unaffected by the executive load.
Disruption effects were consistent across memory for shapes, colors, and shape-color conjunctions.

Conclusions:

Executive attentional control is critical for maintaining representations of early-sequence visual stimuli.
The most recent stimulus benefits from privileged storage, independent of executive load.
Working memory processing involves distinct mechanisms for early and late-presented information.