The State of the Science of Working Memory
Robert H. Logie, Valérie Camos, Nelson Cowan
Abstract
The last five decades have seen a dramatic expansion of empirical and theoretical diversity in research on the concept of working memory. That diversity is reflected across the other 13 chapters in this book, written by prominent international scientists at the leading edge of that research. Authors were asked to respond to set of common questions regarding their research methods, theoretical assumptions, and how they address evidence that is not consistent with those assumptions. Each chapter starts with a summary of those responses. Chapters 2–6 describe contrasting theoretical perspectives and the evidence associated with each, including empirical, behavioural studies and computational modelling. Chapters 7–9 cover individual differences in working memory, including effects of brain damage and of expertise. Chapters 10–13 explore neural correlates and neurobiological models. Finally, Chapter 14 offers a possible means to integrate the seemingly diverse views in the other chapters by considering different levels of explanation and different participant strategies for performing working memory tasks.