Which of the following is an example of working memory in action?

• A. Calculating a series of operations in your head, such as doubling a number, adding ten, and subtracting five.
• B. Recalling a familiar face from a photo after years.
• C. Listening passively to a story without any manipulation.
• D. Forgetting a phone number after a few minutes.

Answer: (D)

Working memory is about holding and actively manipulating information in your mind over short moments. The scenario that shows this most clearly is performing a sequence of mental operations: you keep the running result in your mind, update it as you double the number, add ten, and subtract five, and track each step as you go. That active processing and updating of information in real time is exactly what working memory does. The other scenarios involve retrieving information from long‑term memory without manipulation, listening without transforming what you hear, or showing memory decay rather than active handling of information. So the mental-calculation example demonstrates working memory in action.