Working Memory

WHAT IS WORKING MEMORY?

Working memory is the ability that allows us to store and work with information from our environment. Psychologists study working memory because they have found it to be important for completing regular daily tasks as well as academic performance. For example, if your mom or dad asked you to do a list of chores in a specific order, you're using your working memory to remember what chores you have to do first, second, and so on.

There are also different types of working memory. You can be asked to remember verbal instructions like the chores example! Or if you're reading a book, you have to remember which words and sentences you've already read in order to move through the story!

There are many ways psychologists test your working memory. One example is called the digit span test! See how many numbers you can remember in the video below!

Questions to consider

• How can we improve the number of items we can remember?

• Are younger or older people better at remembering more things?

• Does the content (verbal or visual) of what you have to remember matter?

if you choose this topic, you will...

• Learn about things that might affect people's ability to remember

• Compare and contrast different types of working memory (verbal, visual)

• Come up with different strategies to improve your memory!