A connectionist control architecture for working memory

Abstract: "A connectionist/control architecture and simulation are described. The model is detailed at three levels of scale. The system-scale includes regions that specialize in different classes of processing. The activity of the regions is coordinated by a central control structure that routes control signals among regions and sequences transmissions among regions to limit message interference. One region serves as a context storage mechanism that can reactivate messages contained on a innerloop of processing. At the macro scale, each region is d[i]vided into a number of levels that sequentially or spatially input or output the patterns to other levels.Each level has a control structure that monitors the activity of all the modules in its level and controls the signals to coordinate the sequential storage and processing of information. At the micro scale, each level includes multiple modules. Each of these modules involves a connectionist network that processes vectors of information. A module can store, categorize, maintain, and prioritize a received vector. This architecture provides an interpretation of working memory phenomena including the magic number 3 or 4, acoustic confusions, sequential processing, problems with digit cancelling, difficulty maintaining order information, elaborative versus maintenance rehearsal, episodic versus semantic memory, release from proactive interference, long-term memory recency effects, robut processing during short-term overload, and proactive and retroactive effects."