---
type: permanent
status: mature
created: "2026-01-13"
description: "Limited-capacity system holding 3-5 items temporarily — the primary bottleneck for learning"
tags:
  - cognitive-psychology
  - memory
  - attention
---

# Working Memory

Working memory is the cognitive system responsible for holding and manipulating information temporarily. It is severely capacity-limited -- typically 3-5 items in adults (Cowan, 2001) -- and is the primary bottleneck for learning.

## Baddeley's Model

The most influential model (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974) proposes:

- **Central executive**: Attentional control system
- **Phonological loop**: Holds verbal/acoustic information
- **Visuospatial sketchpad**: Holds visual and spatial information
- **Episodic buffer**: Integrates information from multiple sources

## Relationship to Learning

- [[Cognitive Load Theory]] is built on the assumption that working memory is limited
- [[Chunking]] increases effective capacity by grouping items into meaningful units
- [[Dual Coding Theory]] exploits the separate verbal and visual subsystems
- Expertise frees working memory by automating lower-level processes (see [[Schema Theory]])

## Individual Differences

Working memory capacity varies between individuals and predicts academic achievement, reading comprehension, and fluid intelligence. Training working memory (e.g., N-back tasks) shows limited transfer -- the gains are task-specific, challenging hopes for general [[Transfer of Learning]].

## Connections

- Central to [[Cognitive Load Theory]] -- the resource being managed
- [[Chunking]] is the main strategy for overcoming capacity limits
- [[Dual Coding Theory]] distributes load across subsystems
- Sleep deprivation severely impairs working memory (see [[Memory Consolidation]])

#cognitive-psychology #memory #attention
