A study was conducted to provide an assessment of the general efficiency of working memory in relation to level of field articulation. The task required a subject to retain a series of digits for subsequent report while performing a semantic modification of a target phrase. The working memory hypothesis predicts that the joint impact of high memory load and semantic complexity will be most detrimental for low field articulation subjects. Extreme scores on Form V of the group Embedded Figures Test was used to select 16 subjects high in field high in field articulation, and 16 subjects low in field articulation. No differences were found between high and low field articulation subjects on either the forward or backward digit-span tests, and there was no difference in the aptness of phrase modifications provided by high and low field articulation subjects. The results of a three-factor repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that there were no significant difference in average response time related either to level of field articulation or to memory load. The semantic task was, however, a significant factor. It was found that under the highest information load, low field articulation subjects recalled fewer digits than high field articulation subjects, made 60 percent more order errors in their recall, and took 38 percent longer to respond with opposite-meaning transformations of target phrases. Implications are discussed. (SW)