Working Memory

In the 1980s, two English researchers named Baddeley and Hitch coined the term "working memory" for the ability to hold several facts or thoughts in memory temporarily while solving a problem or performing a task.

Dr. Tracy Alloway from Durham University's School of Education, who, with colleagues, has published widely on the subject, explains: "Working memory is a bit like a mental jotting pad and how good this is in someone will either ease their path to learning or seriously prevent them from learning."

Children who underachieve at school may just have poor working memory rather than low intelligence, according to the researchers from Durham University. They surveyed over three thousand children and found that ten percent of school children across all age ranges suffer from poor working memory seriously affecting their learning.

Recent studies also support the notion that many children with ADHD have cognitive deficits, specifically in working memory.

Working memory deficits may underlie several disabilities, not just ADHD, scientists say.