How is "Working memory" defined?

• A. The ability to hold and use information in one's mind while reading.
• B. The ability to memorize every word in a text.
• C. The process of long-term memory retrieval.
• D. The ability to recall only sensory details.

Answer: (A)

Working memory is the part of your mind that temporarily holds and actively uses information as you think and perform tasks. When you’re reading, it keeps the words, punctuation, and meaning in your mind long enough to understand the sentence, connect ideas, and decide what to do next. It’s not about memorizing every word for the long term—that would be long-term memory or rote memorization. It’s about holding information just long enough to manipulate it and use it to understand and solve problems in the moment. For example, you might hold onto a subject and a verb while parsing a sentence to figure out who did what, which requires working memory.