working memory
nounDefinition of working memory
: memory that involves storing, focusing attention on, and manipulating information for a relatively short period of time (such as a few seconds)
A simple activity involving working memory is the carry-over operation in mental arithmetic, which requires temporarily storing a string of numbers and holding the sum of one addition in mind while calculating the next.— Patricia S. Goldman-Rakic Your short-term memory might help you to remember what someone has just said to you, for example, but your working memory would allow you to recite it to them backwards or pick out the first letter of each word.— Jonathan K. Foster
— compare long-term memory, short-term memory
Examples of working memory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Research led by Zach Hambrick, director of the Expertise Lab at Michigan State University, indicates that other factors, like working memory, can explain differences in the abilities of musicians, reports Maria Konnikova for the New Yorker. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Practice Will Make You Better, But Maybe Not the Best," 23 Aug. 2019 This stimulation promotes an increase in multitasking performance, attention, and working memory span. — Vivienne Ming, Quartz, "Why I’m turning my son into a cyborg," 15 July 2019 As a result, the feedback fails and the overloaded working memory system collapses. — Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, "When Overtaxed Working Memory Knocks Your Brain Out of Sync," 9 June 2018 In another recent experiment, similar stimulation improved working memory in seniors experiencing cognitive decline. — Vivienne Ming, Quartz, "Why I’m turning my son into a cyborg," 15 July 2019 As a result, the feedback fails and the overloaded working memory system collapses. — Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, "When Overtaxed Working Memory Knocks Your Brain Out of Sync," 9 June 2018 Since Miller’s time, neuroscientists and psychologists have continued to study working memory and its surprisingly strict limitations. — Quanta Magazine, "Overtaxed Working Memory Knocks the Brain Out of Sync," 6 June 2018 As a result, the feedback fails and the overloaded working memory system collapses. — Jordana Cepelewicz, WIRED, "When Overtaxed Working Memory Knocks Your Brain Out of Sync," 9 June 2018 As a result, the feedback fails and the overloaded working memory system collapses. — Quanta Magazine, "Overtaxed Working Memory Knocks the Brain Out of Sync," 6 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'working memory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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