FIVE CENTRAL FEATURES OF THE THEORY

Computational modeling of human perceptual-motor and cognitive performance based on a comprehensive detailed information-processing architecture leads to new insights about the components of working memory. To illustrate how such insights can be achieved, a precise production- system model that uses verbal working memory for performing a serial memory span task through a strategic phonological loop has been constructed with the Executive-Process/Interactive-Control (EPIC) architecture of Kieras and Meyer. EPIC is characterized by five central features that may be compared and contrasted with those of other theoretical frameworks in this volume. These features include:

1. (1) Formal implementation with multiple component mechanisms for perceptual, cognitive, and motor information processing (cf. Barnard, Chapter 9; Lovett, Reder, & Lebiere, Chapter 5; Young & Lewis, Chapter 7; Schneider, Chapter 10).

2. (2) Representation of procedural knowledge in terms of a production system whose condition-action rules are all applied simultaneously and repeatedly during the cyclic operation of a central cognitive processor (cf. Lovett et al., Chapter 5; Young & Lewis, Chapter 7; O'Reilly, Braver, & Cohen, Chapter 11).

3. (3) Executive control procedures that schedule task activities efficiently and coordinate the use of limited-capacity peripheral perceptualmotor processors (cf. Baddeley & Logie, Chapter 2; Cowan, Chapter 3; Engle, Tuholski, & Kane, Chapter 4).

4. (4) Explicit simulations that accurately account for quantitative behavioral data (cf. Lovett et al., Chapter 5; Young & Lewis, Chapter 7).

5. […]