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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: Mar 9, 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

Individual differences in media multitasking and performance on the n-back.

Brandon C W Ralph¹, Daniel Smilek²

¹Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada. bcwralph@uwaterloo.ca.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

|December 23, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Heavy media multitaskers, identified by the Media Multitasking Inventory (MMI), showed decreased engagement and increased errors on working memory tasks like the n-back. This suggests a link between multitasking habits and task disengagement.

Keywords:

Individual differences Media multitasking N-back Working memory

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Media Studies

Background:

Research on media multitasking and working memory shows mixed results.
Previous studies often did not treat media multitasking as a continuous variable.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the relationship between media multitasking and n-back task performance.
To improve upon prior research by using a correlational approach and a large sample size.

Main Methods:

Assessed media multitasking using the Media Multitasking Inventory (MMI).
Administered 2-back and 3-back working memory tasks.
Analyzed data treating MMI scores as a continuous variable.

Main Results:

Higher MMI scores correlated with more omitted trials on the n-back tasks.
Heavier media multitaskers reported random responding and multitasking during the experiment.
Controlling for omissions, higher MMI scores increased false alarms, not hits.

Conclusions:

Media multitasking is associated with disengagement from ongoing tasks.
Findings refine understanding of media multitasking's impact on working memory.
Habitual media multitasking may predict task disengagement tendencies.