Empirical research is used to observe and measure phenomena. This study uses the actual experience that comes from the experiment. Instead of just taking someone's theory or belief on how something effects someone. My assigned article is about how working memory is a cognitive process. It is an important process. The process of visual working performance. Cognitive processes help us to improve our performances. Researchers used empirical research experiments to find out how much visual working performance and working memory effects cognitive processes. "Participants data from 117 participants are included for analysis: 57 younger children (range=3.47-4.76 years, M=3.16, SD=0.36; 28 girls). An additional 35 children (range=4.96-6.11 years, M=S. 41, SD=0.36; 28 girls). An additional 35 children (23% of enrolled sample;" (Simmering, V.R., & Wood, C.M. 2017). They did this by testing children's and adults' memory with visual stimuli. Using colors and shapes and color binding.

This research relates to my own experiences. Working memory is an important base of cognitive processes. Which helps us achieve higher level skills. When I was little, I was taught sign language before I learned to speak. My mother, father and sister are all deaf. My mother put me into the hearing mainstream public schools in kindergarten. I was put into speech therapy. Today, even though I do not remember being taught sign language or even being taught how to speak. Sign language is a language I always remember. All though I have barely used it since moving out and away from deaf family. Even now after many years of being out of my moms' home and away from deaf people, I moved to another state. I still always remember and can pick it up very fast anywhere I go, if it is needed. I moved back recently to my home state. So, I use it much more now. Studies show that infants use visual memory. What they see in infancy effects their cognitive skills later in life. There are variables about memory. I have always known this. Another personal story about y past, and I only share it because of the importance of psychology and memory, how visual memory affects us. I was abused by my biological father. From age 8 and under I have zero memories of him. Still to this day I have zero memory of him my parents divorced when I was 2 years old. My father had partial custody till I was 8 years old. Then the courts took his rights away. I do not remember any of this. As if someone took this part of my life and literally erased all of it. However, I remember other times growing up my mom my sister school. Absolutely nothing when it comes to him. Last year I met him for me it was the first time. Still no sparks of memories at all. It is like that part of my life never existed. To me it was like meeting an old man. An old man that I guess is my biological dad. Very strange experience. I am glad I did it though.

I am aware parts of my memory has been erased. This is the variables in memory. It is liable to vary and change. While I can remember signing while at the same time abuse was happening. Somehow, I retain the sign and forgot the abuse. Working memory is a cognitive system. It holds onto information. Which helps us with future reasoning, guidance, choices and behavior. Somehow, and I am so grateful for this. My brain held onto the important information while it eliminated the bad. I know this is not the situation for everyone. Again, it is a variable it can vary and change.

Some skeptical inquiry to the potential problems, in my article and their research. Not everyone has the correct memory of something while another person does. Two people doing the same thing, at the same time will remember certain things the other will not. "Visual memory predicts their higher-level cognitive skills up to 10 years later. Suggesting that the foundations of adaptive cognitive functioning may emerge very early in development. However, the process that are shared among different measures of memory across tasks and age groups remain unknown" (Simmering, V.R., & Wood, C.M. 2017). Relating this to the APA ethical principles APA discusses the code of ethics in research experiments. Standard 8 discusses concerns with informed consent, deception, and debriefing. In this research experiment I do not see any unethical practices happening. However, of course in order to do any experiment consent is a must. Adults can clearly consent for themselves. Children cannot. Researchers must have consent from the parent in order to use children in their research.

Working memory is a basic cognitive process. We need our memory to learn how to walk. Talk, write and read. We need our memory to be able to learn these things and other things. This premise is valid and appropriate based on the findings reported by my assigned article. The authors were upfront about the fact there are some factors unknown. This is great research to show us how important it is to work with children with memory skills, and all ages throughout life.