evaluating the WMM

Question 1

Supporting evidence for WMM (3)

Answer 1

Case study KF
damage to STM (verbal recall)
the STM may have different components which is what the WMM represents - one for ( visuospatial sketchpad and one for verbal (acp in the phonological loop)

Baddeley and Hitch’s developed model of the MMM and WMM has the phonological loop with research support that has suggested phonological loop also has separate parts to it.
Paulesa et al, Pet scan.

• Task 1 use inner voice and inner ear
• Task 2 - only use inner voice
  The pet scan showed researchers that the articulatory control process (Brocas area) was located in a different area than to the phonological store ( supramarginal gyrus) different parts of the phonological loop activated diff brain areas . research suggests WMM phonological loop has separate components

Dual task studies -

Two tasks at the same tame.
Either both using the same system - visuospatial sketchpad or phonological loop
Performance worsens whilst doing two tasks - this means the tasks are using the same system
Doing tasks which use different systems can be completed without difficulty which illustrates the separate components of working memory

Question 2

Disadvantages to study of WMM

Answer 2

Artificial tasks, lack mundane realism and ability to generalise findings to real word application of memory - low ecological validity raises the question on the credibility of the study.
As it is a labotary experiment there is the potential of demand characteristics if they found out the aim of the study and can either under perform or over perform - this weakens the evidence for WMM

Wolbers et al visual spatial sketchpad

Criticism of Central executive
= the most essential part as it controls the slave systems in regards to how much resources and attention are given to them dependant on the task HOWEVER there is vague and untestable , perhaps it could be separated into further components such as dividing attention, focusing etc