Duas décadas de memória operacional: teorias atualizadas e direções futuras

Abstract

Working memory is one of the most studied topics in cognitive psychology since the theory proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974. Since then, other models have been developed and compiled into two book volumes dedicated to working memory, one in 1999 and the other in 2021. In this article, we present three influential models in the literature of the two decades between the publication of the two volumes: the multicomponent model, the time-based resource-sharing (TBRS) model, and the embedded-processes model. We explain the development of these theories and summarize their features regarding the structure and functioning of working memory. The three theories differ mainly on the presence of specialized modules in working memory, their relationship with long-term memory, and the strategies for maintaining information in the system. A comparative framework between the three theoretical models is proposed at the end, alongside with considerations on the advancement of working memory theories and directions for future research.