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Forget For Now, but Remember Later: Can People Selectively Remove Information From Working Memory While Keeping it in
Hannah Dames1, Vencislav Popov1, Klaus Oberauer1
1University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Journal of Cognition
|April 13, 2026
Summary
People cannot selectively remove items from working memory while preserving them for long-term memory. Attempts to do so result in compromised working memory removal and impaired long-term memory recall.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Research
Background:
- Working memory allows temporary information manipulation.
- Episodic long-term memory stores personal experiences.
- The relationship between working memory control and long-term memory is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of removing items from working memory on episodic long-term memory.
- To determine if information can be selectively retained or forgotten for different memory systems.
Main Methods:
- Participants encoded word lists into working memory.
- Cues instructed participants to either remember or forget specific words.
- Long-term memory tests assessed recall for cued words.
- Experiments manipulated selective memory updating for working memory versus long-term memory.
Main Results:
- Words intended for working memory maintenance were recalled better in long-term memory than those cued for removal.
- Participants could not selectively update information for one memory system while excluding it from another.
- Selective memory updating attempts led to less effective working memory clearing and no long-term memory benefit.
Conclusions:
- It is not possible to simultaneously remove information from working memory and retain it in long-term memory.
- Conversely, information cannot be maintained in working memory while selectively forgetting it for long-term memory.
- Memory updating processes are not fully dissociable between working memory and long-term memory systems.
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