<P> Working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that is responsible for temporarily holding information available for processing . Working memory is important for reasoning and the guidance of decision making and behavior . Working memory is often used synonymously with short - term memory, but some theorists consider the two forms of memory distinct, assuming that working memory allows for the manipulation of stored information, whereas short - term memory only refers to the short - term storage of information . Working memory is a theoretical concept central to cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, and neuroscience . </P> <P> The term "working memory" was coined by Miller, Galanter, and Pribram, and was used in the 1960s in the context of theories that likened the mind to a computer . In 1968, Atkinson and Shiffrin used the term to describe their "short - term store". What we now call working memory was formerly referred to variously as a "short - term store" or short - term memory, primary memory, immediate memory, operant memory, and provisional memory . Short - term memory is the ability to remember information over a brief period (in the order of seconds). Most theorists today use the concept of working memory to replace or include the older concept of short - term memory, marking a stronger emphasis on the notion of manipulating information rather than mere maintenance . </P>

Where does working memory get its information from