Variation in Working Memory Capacity as Variation in Executive Attention and Control
DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195168648.003.0002
archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified
Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)
Summary
This paper addresses the functional role of working memory (WM) by proposing that individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) are primarily driven by variations in executive attention and control. The authors argue that while WM was historically viewed as a distinct system from long-term memory, its function is best understood through the lens of how individuals manage interference and maintain task-relevant information. Motivated by the need to link WM to higher-order cognition, the authors contend that WMC measures predict complex cognitive abilities because they tap into domain-general executive processes, rather than simple storage mechanisms. The authors employ a theoretical framework combining "macroanalytic" and "microanalytic" approaches. Macroanalytic studies utilize large-scale structural equation modeling to examine latent variables derived from multiple tasks, including complex WM span tasks (e.g., reading span, operation span) and simple short-term memory (STM) tasks. These studies assess the relationships between WMC, STM, processing speed, and general fluid intelligence (Gf). Microanalytic studies involve quasi-experimental designs comparing high- and low-WMC individuals on elementary cognitive tasks to isolate specific mechanisms. The experimental design emphasizes the dual-task nature of WM span tasks, which require simultaneous storage and processing, thereby engaging executive attention to maintain information against interference. Key findings indicate that WMC and STM are dissociable but correlated constructs. Structural equation models reveal that the variance in WMC unique to STM—attributed to executive attention demands—predicts Gf more strongly than the shared storage variance. Processing speed was found to correlate more strongly with STM than with WMC and did not account for the WMC-Gf relationship in young adults. Furthermore, the authors demonstrate that WMC is domain-general; verbal and spatial WM span tasks share substantial variance (70–85%), whereas verbal and spatial STM tasks share significantly less (40%). This domain generality is most evident in samples with a wide range of general ability, suggesting that previous findings of domain specificity were artifacts of restricted ability ranges in university samples. The significance of this work lies in redefining WMC as a measure of executive attention rather than mere storage capacity. The authors conclude that the predictive utility of WM span tasks for complex cognition stems from their ability to measure the executive processes required to maintain and retrieve information under conditions of interference. This perspective aligns WM theory with individual differences research, suggesting that executive attention is a critical mechanism underlying general intellectual ability and cognitive control.
Key finding
Variation in working memory capacity is primarily driven by individual differences in domain-general executive attention processes, which account for the predictive relationship between working memory and fluid intelligence.
Methodology
review
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via openalex_abstract on 2026-05-08 (2 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-07 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 9 | 2026-06-06 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 3 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-04 |
| enrich | success | openalex | — | — | 2 | 2026-05-08 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-07 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 15 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
Topics
Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.