Research Byte: As Time Goes By: Temporal Constraints in Working Memory

PT J
AU Barrouillet, P
Camos, V
AF Barrouillet, Pierre
Camos, Valerie
TI As Time Goes By: Temporal Constraints in Working Memory
SO CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
AB Working memory is the system devoted to the simultaneous processing and
storage of information needed to perform many cognitive tasks. We
present a theory that assumes that time constraints constitute the main
limitation of working memory. According to our theory, processing and
storage compete for attention, which constitutes a limited resource. As
soon as attention is switched away, memory traces suffer from temporal
decay, but they can be refreshed by bringing them back into the focus of
attention. Because a central bottleneck constrains controlled cognitive
activities that require attention so that they must take place one at a
time, memory traces decline when the central bottleneck is occupied by
processing activities. This results in a sequential functioning of
working memory that alternates between processing and maintenance,
leading to a trade-off between these two activities. We review empirical
evidence of this trade-off and discuss its implications for the increase
in working memory capacity over the course of development.
PD DEC
PY 2012
VL 21
IS 6
BP 413
EP 419