Given the fundamental role of working memory (WM) in all domains of cognition, a central question has been whether WM is domain-general. However, the term ‘domain-general’ has been used in different, and sometimes misleading, ways. By reviewing recent evidence and biologically plausible models of WM, we show that the level of domain-generality varies substantially between three facets of WM: in terms of computations, WM is largely domain-general. In terms of neural correlates, it contains both domain-general and domain-specific elements. Finally, in terms of application, it is mostly domain-specific. This variance encourages a shift of focus towards uncovering domain-general computational principles and away from domain-general approaches to the analysis of individual differences and WM training, favoring newer perspectives, such as training-as-skill-learning.

中文翻译：

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工作内存是 domain-general 还是特定于 domain？


鉴于工作记忆 （WM） 在所有认知领域中的基本作用，一个核心问题是 WM 是否是域通用的。但是，术语“domain-general”的使用方式不同，有时甚至具有误导性。通过回顾 WM 的最新证据和生物学上合理的模型，我们表明 WM 的三个方面之间的域通用性水平差异很大：在计算方面，WM 在很大程度上是域通用的。在神经相关性方面，它包含域通用元素和域特定元素。最后，就应用程序而言，它主要是特定于领域的。这种差异鼓励将重点转移到揭示通用领域的计算原理上，而不是从通用领域的方法转向个体差异分析和 WM 训练，而倾向于新的视角，例如作为技能学习的培训。