摘要
Working memory is one of the essential higher cognitive functions that actively holds behaviorally-relevant information essential for guiding subsequent actions. It includes subsystems that store and manipulate singlemode or multi-modal sensory information, e.g., spatial information, visual images, auditory scenes, olfactory objects, or any combination of these. In addition to merely holding a certain amount of information for a short period of time, as is generally believed, the cognitive processes involved are far more complex, including the executive and attentional control of short-term memory, permitting interim integration, and the processing, disposal, and retrieval of information. Evolution-wise, working memory is essential for the behavioral flexibility that allows humans and animals to quickly adapt to rapidly changing environments.
Working memory is one of the essential higher cognitive functions that actively holds behaviorally-relevant information essential for guiding subsequent actions. It includes subsystems that store and manipulate singlemode or multi-modal sensory information, e.g., spatial information, visual images, auditory scenes, olfactory objects, or any combination of these. In addition to merely holding a certain amount of information for a short period of time, as is generally believed, the cognitive processes involved are far more complex, including the executive and attentional control of short-term memory, permitting interim integration, and the processing, disposal, and retrieval of information. Evolution-wise, working memory is essential for the behavioral flexibility that allows humans and animals to quickly adapt to rapidly changing environments.
