Working Memory – Importance

As working memory (WM) is the “sketchpad of conscious thought,”^​1​ and is where we activate our attention, hold, manipulate, process, and integrate the information at hand,^​2​ as well as where we make conscious decisions^​3​ WM is of vital importance to nearly every aspect of our lives.

Attention

Attention control is a feature of the central executive system of working memory. (LINK) Working memory (WM) capacity has thus been linked to the ability to ignore distractor information (both external and internal), and keep ones attention where intended.^​4​ That it is the location of attentional control is why so many other EFs load so heavily on WM, though some aspects of attention appear to work outside of WM as well.^​5​

Education

Working memory is more predictive of academic success than any other executive function.^​3,6​ Examples of WM tasks in the classroom include “remembering step-by-step directions while completing a task, comprehending instruction and retaining the information while taking notes, and remembering subproducts while mentally completing a multistep arithmetic problem.”^​3​

“Working memory is required during all aspects of engaged learning because learning requires manipulation of incoming information, integration of new information with existing long-term memory representations, and continuous, simultaneous processing and storage of information.”^​3​

Thus students “with a greater working memory capacity learn more rapidly and are more able to manipulate information, remember directions, and concentrate,”^​6​ and are better able to complete tasks and assignments.^​3​ In particular WM capacity is integral to the “development and performance of reading decoding skills, reading comprehension, mathematics calculation, mathematics reasoning, and written expression.”^​3​ 

Students with poor WM are often seen by teachers as having an “attention, behavior, or motivation problem,” when it may just be that the teachers, materials, &/or learning environment may just be taxing their working memory beyond their limits, causing the brain to essentially give up, leaving the mind to wander and tasks to be forgotten.^​1​ However, even students with poor WM can learn effectively when their educators minimize the cognitive load and WM requirements of their lessons and learning environments.^​3​ (For more information:  [whatever section will have info for the teachers, etc])

Work

As “working memory is involved in keeping rules in mind, manipulating information to achieve a goal, learning, and reasoning,” WM is important for successful job performance, thus occupational achievement and status.^​1​

In one study of adults with ADHD (which includes significant WM impairment), “a measure of working memory (Digit Span) significantly predicted employment status over and above either IQ or diagnostic group status.”​^​3​​ In another study of ADHD adults, WM was shown to contribute to “several occupational measures, specifically from the employer rating scale: Employer rated workplace impairment and work performance quality.”​^​7​ Lower spatial WM scores in particular have also been associated with lower vocational participation.^​8​

Furthermore, impaired WM capacity can “indirectly contribute to and interact with decreased motivation and self-worth,”​^​1​ as well as interfering with the ability to hide emotions (such as suppressing anger if you are being castized by your boss)– often an important part of succeeding in office and team or hierarchical environments–, all which can “potentially result in failure to complete work, quitting a job, or being fired.”​^​1​​

Social Life & Relationships

Working memory can affect relationships, especially close ones, in a number of ways. Emotional control, which relies heavily on WM capacity, can be a significant factor, with emotional outbursts, and/or the inability to hide emotions from one’s face at the appropriate times, causing relationship problems. Also importantly, a reduced working memory capacity almost always causes people to forget chores, important dates (or deadlines), and so forth, often leading to spouses who aren’t well educated on WM to attribute such actions to a “lack of caring and selfishness,” causing further relationship problems, and sometimes leading to the ending of romantic relationships all together.^​9​

Health

Poor working memory can lead to health problems via not remembering to: take medicines, adhere to special diets, or do recommended exercises. Easily distracted attention can lead to increased accidents and injuries as well. And as we’ve seen, someone with impaired WM and no supports or training for it, may end up with lesser educational attainment and job stability. If this leads to being low-income or impoverished, then there is a whole host of additional health risks that can come into play.

Mental Health

As mentioned previously, the difficulties in school, work, socialization, and other life domains often cause lower self-worth and self-esteem,^​1​ which may lead to depression.

Furthermore, working memory capacity heavily impacts emotional control, which is “an essential element of psychological well-being,” and thus poor EC is found in several forms of psychopathology, such as mood and anxiety disorders. Though its not clear how much of EC and other WM impairments are caused by psychopathy and how much was pre-existing, or separate, it has been found that poor WM is also a possible risk factor for those conditions, including excessive worry and generalized anxiety disorder.^​4​, ^​10​ (See more: LINK TO EMOTIONAL CONTROL SECTION ON INHIBITION)

The visuospatial WM process is vital to autobiographical recall, which is .

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