Working Memory Updating (WMU)

Working memory updating (WMU) is the cognitive process of actively replacing outdated (irrelevant) information held in working memory with new (relevant) information. It integrates new/prior information, allows for the continuous updating of mental representations as new details become available, and is vital for learning, decision-making, flexible thinking and adaptation to changing situations, reasoning, and reading comprehension. Without WMU, we wouldn’t be able to follow a complex conversation, perform calculations mentally, or comprehend what we read. Researchers further break down WMU processes into retrieval (accessing the information), transformation (manipulating the information), and substitution (replacing old with new). Also see Neurocognitive Systems