There’s only so much people can hold in working memory before they forget it. Information
in working memory is easily interfered with. For example, if you’re trying to remember
a name and phone number, and someone starts talking to you at the same time,
you’re probably going to get very annoyed. You’re also going to forget the name and
number. If you don’t concentrate, you’ll lose it from working memory. This is because
working memory is tied to your ability to focus attention. To maintain information
in working memory, you must keep your attention focused on it.