2.1.1-.4-WMM (1974)

Question 1

Proposed by?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch (1974)

Question 2

What are the 4 components of the WMM?

Answer 2

• Central executive
• Phonological loop
• Episodic buffer
• Visuo-spatial sketchpd

Question 3

Briefly describe the function of the central executive.

Answer 3

The Manager
- Tells slave units what to do
Inhibition
- Blocking out certain tasks to focus on others/control where focus is
- Limited processing capacity, doesn’t store info

Question 4

What are the 2 different parts of the phonological loop?

Answer 4

1. Inner voice/ Articulatory control system
2. Inner ear/ Phonological store

Question 5

What does the articulatory loop do?

Answer 5

Retains auditory information that we rehearse to maintain info/ plan what we want to say

Question 6

What does the phonological loop do?

Answer 6

Encodes auditory info from surroundings

Question 7

What three aspects is the visuospatial sketch pad divided into?

Answer 7

Visual
Spatial
Kinaesthetic (tactile)

Question 8

Briefly describe the function of the visuospatial sketch pad.

Answer 8

Processing and interpreting up to 3/4 items of visual and spatial information that can be used for things such as a jigsaw or having spatial awareness.

Question 9

Briefly describe the function of the episodic buffer.

Answer 9

It allows information to pass from STM to LTM and vice versa whilst compiling information into patterns and stories to form episodic long-term memories.

Question 10

EACH-Evidence

Answer 10

1.P - KF’s case study supports
E - He suffered STM impairment due to a motorbike accident and had a digit span of one which suggests impairment in his phonological store but the visual memory was intact
E - This supports theWMM prpoposal of LTM being a multiple unitary store, with the working visual mem being part of visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the impairment (digit span-1) being in his phonological loop
2.P - Seltz and Schumann-Hengsteler (2000) supports
E - Ppts carried out simple maths sums (e.g. 3x4) that were disrupted by visual and sound interference tasks and they found that only sound tasks caused impairment
E - This suggests that visual and verbal information are processed separately and that two tasks in one slave system can cause impairment

Question 11

EACH-Application

Answer 11

P - Yes
E - It explains that impairment in the phonological loop makes it difficult to remember a sequence of information that can be read sub-vocally or heard aloud
E - Therefore has implications for dyslexics who have impaired phonological loops who may need learning support such as extra time in exams to compensate for this

Question 12

EACH-Criticisms

Answer 12

1.P - The model is too simplistic
E - It explains very little about the processes and function of the LTM
E - And so it is limited as an explanation of memory as a whole which reduces its credibility
2.P - Low task validity
E - Experiments involve artificial tasks such as recalling a sequence of digits in the right order
E - Therefore this lacks mundane realism of what memory would be like and so reduces credibility of explaining memory in everyday life

Question 13

EACH-How? 1 strength, 1 weakness

Answer 13

1S. P - Seltz and Schumann-Hengsteler (2000) have high validity
E - They used quantitative, measurable data with the correct completion of easy maths sums (e.g. 3x4)
E - Therefore can objectively analyse whether the visual or auditory interference task impaired their working memory to establish a cause and effect
1W. P - KF’s case study has low reliability
E - Case studies use complex procedures with unique brain damaged ppts that has memory impairment
E - Therefore data cannot be accurately replicated due to it being unethical to reproduce due to the nature of impairment and procedures being so complex that data is hard to compare