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Abstract

The path to the study of cognition has to take into account working memory, as it is a key process of thinking operations in the human cognitive system. Naturally, this also holds for cognitive operations in the Web. The chapter introduces readers to current trends regarding models of working memory. The major models proposed in the literature are discussed here: Baddeley and Hitch’s multi-component model, Daneman and Carpenter’s account, Cowan’s embedded-process model, Kane and Engle’s executive attention model and long-term working memory model by Ericsson and Kintsch. The chapter focuses on the Baddeley and Hitch model, and the author argues that this specific model offers a more theoretically sound account of working memory operations. Unresolved issues and inefficiencies are also discussed and research directions are proposed.