Article Version of Record

Why is working memory performance unstable? A review of 21 factors

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Blasiman, Rachael N.
Was, Christopher A.

Abstract / Description

In this paper, we systematically reviewed twenty-one factors that have been shown to either vary with or influence performance on working memory (WM) tasks. Specifically, we review previous work on the influence of intelligence, gender, age, personality, mental illnesses/medical conditions, dieting, craving, stress/anxiety, emotion/motivation, stereotype threat, temperature, mindfulness training, practice, bilingualism, musical training, altitude/hypoxia, sleep, exercise, diet, psychoactive substances, and brain stimulation on WM performance. In addition to a review of the literature, we suggest several frameworks for classifying these factors, identify shared mechanisms between several variables, and suggest areas requiring further investigation. This review critically examines the breadth of research investigating WM while synthesizing the results across related subfields in psychology.

Keyword(s)

working memory individual differences

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2018-03-12

Journal title

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Volume

14

Issue

1

Page numbers

188–231

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Blasiman, R. N., & Was, C. A. (2018). Why is working memory performance unstable? A review of 21 factors. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 14(1), 188–231. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1472
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Blasiman, Rachael N.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Was, Christopher A.
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T10:00:17Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T10:00:17Z
  • Date of first publication
    2018-03-12
  • Abstract / Description
    In this paper, we systematically reviewed twenty-one factors that have been shown to either vary with or influence performance on working memory (WM) tasks. Specifically, we review previous work on the influence of intelligence, gender, age, personality, mental illnesses/medical conditions, dieting, craving, stress/anxiety, emotion/motivation, stereotype threat, temperature, mindfulness training, practice, bilingualism, musical training, altitude/hypoxia, sleep, exercise, diet, psychoactive substances, and brain stimulation on WM performance. In addition to a review of the literature, we suggest several frameworks for classifying these factors, identify shared mechanisms between several variables, and suggest areas requiring further investigation. This review critically examines the breadth of research investigating WM while synthesizing the results across related subfields in psychology.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Blasiman, R. N., & Was, C. A. (2018). Why is working memory performance unstable? A review of 21 factors. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 14(1), 188–231. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1472
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1095
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1287
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v14i1.1472
  • Keyword(s)
    working memory
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    individual differences
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Why is working memory performance unstable? A review of 21 factors
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    188–231
  • Volume
    14
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record