Hi, my name is Stephanie, and today we're going to be going over the executive function working
memory. Before we get started, I do want to note that having issues with executive functioning
is not exclusive to autism in any way. So, working memory is considered to be one of the
main executive functions. Working memory is defined in one paper as a cognitive
system that allows us to maintain and manipulate information in mind for short periods of time to
guide behavior. So, when you hear of memory along with short periods of time, you might think, oh,
short-term memory. You're not alone in immediately drawing that conclusion.
Many sources actually use short-term memory and working memory interchangeably,
even though this isn't technically correct. These are separate terms, though they do have overlap
and the amount of overlap can be argued. The main difference here appears to be that with working
memory, you have to use or manipulate that information that is in the short-term memory
space, basically. Both short-term memory and working memory heavily use the dorsolateral
part of your prefrontal cortex, if you're wanting to get very technical. One way that researchers
test working memory is through something called an n-back test. The n is a stand in for any number.
For example, one study uses a 0-back, a 1-back and a 2-back test, which are called load levels. So,
in that example, there were three load levels. So, the 0-back test, in this example, required
participants to left-click whenever they saw a gray square show up in the left-hand corner of
the screen. The 1-back test required participants to click the left mouse button if the gray box
appeared in the same place that it appeared in the previous time, and in the 2-back test,
the participant would have to left-click if they saw the gray square appear in the same
place that it appeared two trials back. That part makes me nervous. I don't think I would pass. So,
in other situations, for example, if the gray box didn't appear in the left hand corner
or if it wasn't the same as the last one or it wasn't the same as the one two times ago,
they would right click. So, this measures working memory because not only is it requiring you to
keep that information from a short time ago, but you're also manipulating it or using it
because you have to take that information and use it to evaluate against the current information
that you're seeing. And so this is happening, of course, in trials that are pretty quick. It's
going to be happening in a shorter span of time, but you do have to use it ... in an evaluative
way. Working memory is required for doing mental math, which is something I am terrible at.
Those who have issues with working memory might have issues with verbal instructions, because,
of course, if you had them written down, you could refer back to them when you forgot.
Verbally, obviously, it has to stay in your short-term memory and you need to be able to
use that information to be able to follow a verbal instruction. You might have issues copying things
down because you have to keep on looking back at the board to check that you have the right
letters, and then you can only remember so many letters or words, and then you have to check your
own thing, and it's just a long process. Those who struggle with this might also have difficulty with
starting tasks that require multiple steps or lots of information or even writing original pieces
because of losing train of thought. It might take a lot longer for someone to do that. Now,
if you've been following my series on executive functions, you would know that
the executive functions do intertwine and depend on each other and work with each other a lot.
So, remember that it's not really easy to completely parse out every single executive
function, as they kind of require the other ones to work or are important for other ones to work,
etc. They kind of, they're very intermeshed. It's a system. This also means that sometimes
it is going to be difficult to know exactly what executive function might be causing a problem
that could be caused by multiple things. So, for example, someone having issues with writing notes,
they might be having an issue with working memory and that's why they're having trouble with that,
or it might be an issue with inhibition and attention because they're having a difficult time
parsing out what the actual relevant and important information is to have written down. Regardless,
I think that working memory is exactly why I hated some of these aspects during school.
I'm lucky that during college I am typically allowed to record the audio so I can listen back,
and that way I don't have to worry about the type of notes or how fast I write things down. So, how
can we help with working memory issues? One way is likely something that you are probably familiar
with already, and that is called rehearsal. This is simply repeating the information to
yourself over and over. Of course, things like managing distractions can be really helpful so
that unnecessary information doesn't try to clog up your working memory space. This also includes
trying to do too many things at once, which is usually a no-go for autistic people, anyway.
You can also use things like chunking, which is what people do with phone numbers, why they're
separated into three, three, and four. That's a type of chunking. Also mnemonic strategies can
help with memorizing things or giving absurd acronyms to stuff, and another thing that you
can do is try to connect these smaller things to bigger concepts to try to draw them out of just
being stuck in a short term area, but if you can connect it to something that's more relevant in
the long term, you can kind of circumvent the need to rely so much on your working memory. For me,
I like this because it kind of seems to move it into, like, a reasoning thing instead of just
sitting in working memory. I hope that this video helped you understand a bit about working memory,
what it might look like if you have issues with that or someone you know has issues with that,
and some ways to help. I, as always, have my references available in the description box,
so be sure to check those out for further information and maybe also some more tips. If
you enjoyed this video or found it informational, interesting, or whatever else, go ahead and hit
that like button and let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Do you have issues with
working memory? Are you amazing at mental math? I, I just want to know. Let me know in the comments.
If you're interested in videos about autism and autism related things from me, you can go ahead
and hit that subscribe button. I upload to this channel usually every Thursday at 4 p.m. central
standard time, except on the last Thursday of the month where I tried to go live with you all. Thank
you to everyone who supports me here on YouTube as YouTube channel members, those who give through
Kofi, my patrons on Patreon, and a special thank you to my spaz-tier patron, Philip Noah. Thank you
so much for watching. I hope you have a wonderful week, and I will see you in my next video. Bye!