The Many Facets of Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity

Abstract

Abstract This chapter reviews prior research and our current thinking on individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC), the nature of WMC limitations, and the relation between WMC and higher-order cognition (in particular fluid intelligence). Evidence is reviewed suggesting that individual differences in WMC arise from multiple different facets. These facets include differences in the capacity of primary memory, attention control abilities, and secondary memory abilities. We review evidence suggesting that each facet is related to overall individual differences in WMC and part of the reason for the predictive power of WMC. Furthermore, we outline the role of each facet in various measures of WMC including complex span tasks, simple span tasks, and visual arrays change detection tasks. We argue that to understand WMC and individual differences in WMC, we must delineate and understand the various facets that make up WMC.