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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: Sep 27, 2025

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

Are working memory models WEIRD? Testing models of working memory in a non-WEIRD sample.

Kate Cockcroft¹

¹Department of Psychology.

Neuropsychology

|April 7, 2022

Summary

This study explored working memory (WM) structure in South African young adults. A four-component model, including verbal and visuospatial storage and processing, best fit the data, suggesting cultural variations in WM models.

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A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

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Last Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)

Published on: June 12, 2017

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

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Cross-Cultural Psychology

Background:

Existing working memory (WM) models are predominantly based on samples from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and developed (WEIRD) contexts.
The applicability of these models to diverse populations, such as those in non-WEIRD contexts, remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the structural validity of competing working memory models in young adults from a non-WEIRD context.
To determine the most appropriate model for conceptualizing working memory in multilingual South African young adults.

Main Methods:

The study involved 162 young South African adults from predominantly low socioeconomic, rural backgrounds.
Confirmatory factor analyses were used to test five proposed models of working memory structure.

Main Results:

A four-component structure, encompassing domain-specific verbal and visuospatial storage and processing, demonstrated the best fit to the collected data.
This finding suggests a specific organizational structure for working memory within this population.

Conclusions:

The results highlight the importance of considering cultural context when applying working memory models.
Ensuring the cross-cultural appropriateness of neuropsychological tests and rehabilitation strategies based on these models is crucial for equitable application.