Working Memory Capacity: Limits on the Bandwidth of Cognition
Name
Miller-2015-Working Memory Capac.pdf
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218.38 KB
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Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
22f0dbe34f0daed7797d7fa8a5f77626
Author(s)
Miller, Earl K.
Buschman, Tim
Date Issued
January 2015
Journal
Daedalus
Publisher
MIT Press
Citation
Miller, Earl K., and Timothy J. Buschman. “Working Memory Capacity: Limits on the Bandwidth of Cognition.” Daedalus 144, no. 1 (January 2015): 112–122. © 2015 American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Why can your brain store a lifetime of experiences but process only a few thoughts at once? In this article we discuss “cognitive capacity” (the number of items that can be held “in mind” simultaneously) and suggest that the limit is inherent to processing based on oscillatory brain rhythms, or “brain waves,” which may regulate neural communication. Neurons that “hum” together temporarily “wire” together, allowing the brain to form and re-form networks on the fly, which may explain a hallmark of intelligence and cognition: mental flexibility. But this comes at a cost; only a small number of thoughts can fit into each wave. This explains why you should never talk on a mobile phone when driving.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00320
