“Thornton has hypothesized that a system that he calls social working memory is distinct from but complementary to working memory, which is what people use to hold nonsocial information in mind, such as when alphabetizing a group of words. What he describes as social working memory could be used in the act of conversation, which involves listening, watching facial expressions and body language, integrating and interpreting the information, remembering previous information or conversations, and responding, Thornton said.”
While working memory function is in the lateral prefrontal cortex, which also controls planning, reasoning and decision-making, Thornton theorizes that social working memory function will be found in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is typically associated with self-reflection, forming impressions o
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