ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews some of the local models in which working memory plays a pivotal role in explaining development, from reasoning to problem solving, concept formation or language. It discusses some attempts in the domain of reasoning and judgement to corroborate Brainerd's assertion that cognitive development can be reduced to memory development. Another domain in which working memory has been assumed to play the role of a learning device is language development. The independence between short-term memory and information processing led Brainerd and J. Kingma to speculate on the structure of working memory. Accordingly, T. Trabasso reviewed several studies demonstrating that inferential responding was related to memory of the premises, concluding that 'holding of the information in working memory via symbols is a critical limitation for the younger child'. P. Barrouillet and J. F. Lecas verified that working memory capacity is a better predictor than age of the level at which children and adolescents understand conditionals.
