Claims

The evolutionary analogy for a smaller working memory being more efficient is doubtful

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · theoretical r2 · q1
Currency · newest study 2007 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q1 i? The authors doubt Sweller's argument that a smaller working memory is more efficient, since a larger working memory would allow longer operation sequences to be stored and anticipated. → Schnotz 2007

Evidence

Schnotz 2007

Schnotz, W., Kürschner, C. (2007). A Reconsideration of Cognitive Load Theory. Educational Psychology Review 19, 469–508. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-007-9053-4

q1 · i? · theoretical · r2

Theoretical counter-argument in the notes: the authors are "in doubt, however, whether the analogy between biological evolution and cognition really holds", arguing a larger working memory would be "more advantageous for learning than a smaller working memory".

"A larger working memory would then allow longer sequences of operations being stored and memorized and, thus, be more advantageous for learning than a smaller working memory."

Discussion

Page metadata
Field Value
type claim
id doubt-on-smaller-working-memory-efficiency-analogy
title The evolutionary analogy for a smaller working memory being more efficient is doubtful
description The evolutionary analogy for a smaller working memory being more efficient is doubtful
status review
evidence_strength weak
newest_evidence 2007
generated by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-15
trust unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources 1 — schnotz-2007

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