memory note sheet storage retrieval explicit implicit

If a set of several simple items is presented across a few seconds and is immediately followed by a recall task, performance will be superior to recall after a long (e.g., 1-minute) or distraction-filled delay. According to that definition, because of the existence of WM in the mind, one can at least count on the following.

One definition of WM (the generic one below, Definition 6), says WM is the ensemble of components of the mind that hold information temporarily in a heightened state of availability for use in ongoing information processing. Consider how this function relates to the theoretical term WM. So it is with terms in science, which are often defined in a theory-laden manner.Ī theoretical term in science often describes a hypothetical mechanism that can be observed when a specifically prescribed set of procedures produces a particular type of result. If a name comes with a theory, it is not interchangeable with any other name, as Juliet hoped. Juliet’s view would not be shared by a skeptic who assumed that any person with the Montague name brought danger. What’s in a definition, anyway? Shakespeare’s Juliet asserted that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” referring to Romeo, whose Montague family name was burdened with a conflict between families. It was as if theories and definitions were merged. Not only did the definitions differ quite a bit but many of them seemed to take on a bit too much of the detail coming from the theories of the chapter authors, rather than clearly converging on a common concept that we all were studying in different ways and from different perspectives. My sensitivity to definitions was enhanced after a conference on WM in which each participating researcher was asked to define WM, with the definitions recorded within a volume of proceedings (Miyake & Shah, 1999).

The potential advantages of clarity about definitions of WM and short-term storage are illustrated with respect to several ongoing research controversies. By delineating nine previously used definitions of WM and explaining how additional ones may emerge from combinations of these nine, I hope to improve scientific discourse on WM. As I explain, the different definitions may have stemmed from the use of a wide variety of techniques to explore WM, along with differences in theoretical orientation. The definitions are sometimes made explicit and sometimes implied. Here I note that much confusion has been created by the use by various investigators of many, subtly different definitions of WM and short-term storage. Short-term storage has been defined as the passive (i.e., non-attention-based, nonstrategic) component of WM or, alternatively, as a passive store separate from an attention-based WM.

According to one definition, it is a small amount of information kept in a temporary state of heightened accessibility it is used in most types of communication and problem solving. The topic of working memory (WM) is ubiquitous in research on cognitive psychology and on individual differences.

Memory note sheet storage retrieval explicit implicit