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- Vol 4 RE: Chapter 3
- Vol 4 TE: App C
- Vol 7 PE: App D
working memory limitsmeaningful chunkingconcurrent processingneural interferenceschema developmentattention guidancepractice sequencingJournal article Evidence summaryAt a glance
Cowan reviews the proposal that working memory contains a central store limited to roughly three to five meaningful items in young adults.
Key ideas
This relatively stable limit must be distinguished from performance on immediate-memory tasks, which can be altered by rehearsal, chunking, sensory memory, long-term knowledge, and the amount of concurrent processing. The article explains how researchers isolate the central limit, why estimates differ among individuals and across development, and several possible reasons a limit exists, including neural representation, interference, and the need to bind elements without confusion. Capacity matters because complex cognition requires information to remain available while it is combined, compared, or transformed. Educationally, the account supports reducing avoidable concurrent demands and helping learners organise knowledge, but it does not imply that every lesson should contain only four facts.
Why it matters
Meaningful chunks depend on expertise, and well-designed instruction expands effective performance by building schemas, guiding attention, and sequencing practice.
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Edition abbreviations
- TE
- Teacher Edition
- PE
- Practice Edition
- RE
- Research Edition
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