Vanessa R. Simmering is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research program focuses on understanding cognition and development from a dynamic systems perspective by considering how multiple factors influence behavior across timescales and contexts.Nelson Cowan is Curators' Professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He has conducted NICHD-funded research on working memory, attention, and their childhood development since 1984. His work is shaped by a philosophical interest in human consciousness combined with the hope that the findings can be useful to educators and neuropsychologists.

• I. WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY IN CONTEXT: MODELING DYNAMIC PROCESSES OF BEHAVIOR, MEMORY, AND DEVELOPMENT 25II.THE COGNITIVE DYNAMICS THEORY OF VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 56III. EMPIRICAL TESTS OF PREDICTIONS COMPARING CAPACITY ESTIMATES ACROSS TASKS AND DEVELOPMENT 82IV. MODEL SIMULATIONS TESTING THE REAL-TIME STABILITY HYPOTHESIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 109V. NEW QUESTIONS AND REMAINING CHALLENGES TO ACCOUNT FOR DEVELOPMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 128REFERENCES 139APPENDIX 148ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 149COMMENTARY 159EXPLORING THE POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY IN WORKING MEMORY DEVELOPMENT 160Nelson CowanCONTRIBUTORS STATEMENT OF EDITORIAL POLICY 162SUBJECT INDEX

Vanessa R. Simmering is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research program focuses on understanding cognition and development from a dynamic systems perspective by considering how multiple factors influence behavior across timescales and contexts.Nelson Cowan is Curators' Professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He has conducted NICHD-funded research on working memory, attention, and their childhood development since 1984. His work is shaped by a philosophical interest in human consciousness combined with the hope that the findings can be useful to educators and neuropsychologists.

• I. WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY IN CONTEXT: MODELING DYNAMIC PROCESSES OF BEHAVIOR, MEMORY, AND DEVELOPMENT 25II.THE COGNITIVE DYNAMICS THEORY OF VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 56III. EMPIRICAL TESTS OF PREDICTIONS COMPARING CAPACITY ESTIMATES ACROSS TASKS AND DEVELOPMENT 82IV. MODEL SIMULATIONS TESTING THE REAL-TIME STABILITY HYPOTHESIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 109V. NEW QUESTIONS AND REMAINING CHALLENGES TO ACCOUNT FOR DEVELOPMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 128REFERENCES 139APPENDIX 148ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 149COMMENTARY 159EXPLORING THE POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY IN WORKING MEMORY DEVELOPMENT 160Nelson CowanCONTRIBUTORS STATEMENT OF EDITORIAL POLICY 162SUBJECT INDEX

Vanessa R. Simmering is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research program focuses on understanding cognition and development from a dynamic systems perspective by considering how multiple factors influence behavior across timescales and contexts.Nelson Cowan is Curators' Professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He has conducted NICHD-funded research on working memory, attention, and their childhood development since 1984. His work is shaped by a philosophical interest in human consciousness combined with the hope that the findings can be useful to educators and neuropsychologists.

• I. WORKING MEMORY CAPACITY IN CONTEXT: MODELING DYNAMIC PROCESSES OF BEHAVIOR, MEMORY, AND DEVELOPMENT 25II.THE COGNITIVE DYNAMICS THEORY OF VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 56III. EMPIRICAL TESTS OF PREDICTIONS COMPARING CAPACITY ESTIMATES ACROSS TASKS AND DEVELOPMENT 82IV. MODEL SIMULATIONS TESTING THE REAL-TIME STABILITY HYPOTHESIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL CHANGES IN VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 109V. NEW QUESTIONS AND REMAINING CHALLENGES TO ACCOUNT FOR DEVELOPMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN VISUAL WORKING MEMORY 128REFERENCES 139APPENDIX 148ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 149COMMENTARY 159EXPLORING THE POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY IN WORKING MEMORY DEVELOPMENT 160Nelson CowanCONTRIBUTORS STATEMENT OF EDITORIAL POLICY 162SUBJECT INDEX