Consciousness and working memory: Current trends and research perspectives.
Boris B. Velichkovsky
Consciousness and Cognition October 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.07.005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Attentional blink Consciousness Implicit working memory Visual masking |
| Key findings | The authors argue that working memory is not exclusively conscious: evidence from visual masking, attentional blink paradigms, and implicit working memory studies suggests unconscious content can be maintained in working memory and support complex on-line computations. They note that major theories treat consciousness as a subset of working memory, and conclude that further research is needed to clarify the relationship. |
Abstract
Working memory has long been thought to be closely related to consciousness. However, recent empirical studies show that unconscious content may be maintained within working memory and that complex cognitive computations may be performed on-line. This promotes research on the exact relationships between consciousness and working memory. Current evidence for working memory being a conscious as well as an unconscious process is reviewed. Consciousness is shown to be considered a subset of working memory by major current theories of working memory. Evidence for unconscious elements in working memory is shown to come from visual masking and attentional blink paradigms, and from the studies of implicit working memory. It is concluded that more research is needed to explicate the relationship between consciousness and working memory. Future research directions regarding the relationship between consciousness and working memory are discussed.
Citations in the library
Cited by 13
- Evolutionary Origin and the Development of Consciousness. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 1, 2021
- The Loss of Spatiality and Temporality in Twilight Consciousness: The Emergence of Exogenous Psychosis Induced by Novel Psychoactive Substances. Psychopathology 2024
- Imagination, endogenous attention, and mental agency Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences April 21, 2023
- Building the Blocks of Being: The Attributes and Qualities That Are Independently Required and Jointly Sufficient for Con-Sciousness Preprints.org March 1, 2023
- Rethinking the Concept of Consciousness Metaphilosophy November 5, 2026
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and 2 more in the library