Working Memory

What is Working Memory?

Working memory is often called the “mental sketchpad” or the “RAM” of the human brain. It is the ability to hold a piece of information in your mind and work with it for a short period. Unlike long-term memory, which is like a library of books, working memory is like the table where you have the books open, actively cross-referencing information to solve a problem.

Every time you calculate a tip in your head, follow multi-step instructions, or participate in a complex conversation, you are utilizing your working memory.

The Link Between Working Memory and IQ

In the field of psychometrics, working memory is one of the strongest predictors of Fluid Intelligence (Gf). Research consistently shows that individuals with a high IQ also tend to have a larger working memory capacity.

Why is this? Intelligence is often the ability to manage complexity. A larger working memory allows you to keep more “moving parts” of a logic problem in your head simultaneously. If your working memory can hold 7 variables while another person’s can only hold 4, you will be able to solve much more complex patterns and reach deeper conclusions.

The Baddely-Hitch Model

The most famous scientific model of working memory, proposed by Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch, consists of four parts:

1. Central Executive: The “manager” that decides which information to focus on.
2. Phonological Loop: Deals with spoken and written material (the “inner ear”).
3. Visuospatial Sketchpad: Deals with visual and spatial information (the “inner eye”).
4. Episodic Buffer: Combines information from various sources into a single “episode” or thought.

Limits of the Human Mind: Miller’s Law

In 1956, psychologist George Miller famously suggested that the average human working memory capacity is “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two.” This means most people can hold between 5 and 9 items (like digits of a phone number) in their head at once. High IQ individuals often push this limit to 10 or more items through a process called “chunking.”

Improving Working Memory

Can you “upgrade” your brain’s RAM? While working memory has a strong biological basis in the Prefrontal Cortex, it is highly sensitive to external factors:

• Sleep: Lack of sleep is the #1 killer of working memory performance.
• Stress: High levels of cortisol “clog” the central executive, making it harder to focus.
• Training: While the controversial “Dual N-Back” training claims to increase working memory capacity, the most effective way to help your working memory is through mindfulness and reducing cognitive load (writing things down so you don’t have to hold them in your head).

Working Memory in the IQ Archive

In our IQ Archive, geniuses like Magnus Carlsen (Chess Grandmaster) or Nikola Tesla are famous for their astronomical working memory capacity—the ability to visualize dozens of chess moves or complex electrical machines in their minds with perfect clarity.

Conclusion: The Horizon of Focus

Working memory is the bottleneck of human intelligence. It defines the limits of what we can focus on and solve in any given moment. By understanding and optimizing our working memory, we aren’t just improving our “memory”—we are increasing our effective intelligence.