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Cited by 2,507Cognitive Abilities and TestingNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesCognitive Functions and Memory

Working Memory Capacity as Executive Attention

Engle, Randall W.·2002·Current Directions in Psychological Science
DOI 10.1111/1467-8721.00160
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Abstract

Performance on measures of working memory (WM) capacity predicts performance on a wide range of real-world cognitive tasks. I review the idea that WM capacity (a) is separable from short-term memory, (b) is an important component of general fluid intelligence, and (c) represents a domain-free limitation in ability to control attention. Studies show that individual differences in WM capacity are reflected in performance on antisaccade, Stroop, and dichotic-listening tasks. WM capacity, or executive attention, is most important under conditions in which interference leads to retrieval of response tendencies that conflict with the current task.

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Crossref · 10.1111/1467-8721.00160

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4 of 4 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Inhibiting automatic attention occupies attentional resources.

    “inhibiting automatic attention -keeping attractive but task-irrelevant stimuli from interfering with the contents of consciousness -occupies attentional resources (e.g., Engle 2002).”

    From Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity (2017) · cites this paper as Engle 2002

  • One theory holds that fluid intelligence differences largely reflect working memory capacity differences.

    “For example, according to one theory variations in fluid intelligence reflect to a large degree variations in working memory capacity (Engle, 2002; but see Heitz et al., 2006).”

    From Working Memory Training Does Not Improve Performance on Measures of Intelligence or Other Measures of “Far Transfer” (2016) · cites this paper as Engle, 2002

  • The limited capacity of domain-general resources dictates that using attentional resources for one cognitive process or task leaves fewer available for other tasks.

    “Crucially, the limited capacity of these domaingeneral resources dictates that using attentional resources for one cognitive process or task leaves fewer available for other tasks; in other words, occupying cognitive resources reduces available cognitive capacity.”

    From Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity (2017) · cites this paper as Engle 2002

  • The same finite pool of attentional resources supports both attentional control and other cognitive processes.

    “Because the same fi nite pool of attentional resources supports both attentional control and other cognitive processes, resources recruited to inhibit automatic attention to one ' s phone are made unavailable for other tasks, and performance on these tasks will suffer.”

    From Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity (2017) · cites this paper as Engle 2002

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Authors
Engle, R. W.
Affiliations
Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Engle, Randall W.
ORCID
Engle, Randall W.
Venue
Current Directions in Psychological Science
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2002-02
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
19-23
ISSN
  • 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-8721
DOI
10.1111/1467-8721.00160
OpenAlex
W2153432403
Cited by
2,507
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 102 · 2025: 85 · 2024: 105 · 2023: 125 · 2022: 117 · 2021: 152 · 2020: 162 · 2019: 149 · 2018: 129 · 2017: 144 · 2016: 145 · 2015: 151 · 2014: 148 · 2013: 122 · 2012: 132
FWCI
45.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
Keywords
working memory capacity, executive attention, short-term memory, fluid intelligence, individual differences, antisaccade task, Stroop task, dichotic listening, interference, response tendencies, attentional control

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