Distributing working memory resources during problem solving

This study examines how problem solvers distribute working memory demands o ver internal and external resources. Participants recorded notes while perf orming an arithmetic task. They recorded a majority of intermediate results and labeled many of those results (e.g., "C = 10"). When more effort was r equired to take notes, participants recorded fewer results. Participants wi th a consistent goal structure recorded fewer results and with practice lab eled fewer recorded results than those with varied goal structures. When no tes were displayed in a consistent spatial arrangement participants labeled fewer recorded results than when notes appeared in varied locations. These findings indicate that individuals use explicit and implicit strategies fo r indexing intermediate results. The data support the view that individuals flexibly distribute working memory over internal and external resources in response to situational cost-benefit considerations.