Memory: WMM

Question 1

Name 3 things about the central executive

Answer 1

1. It’s the ‘supervisory component’
2. Can process information of any type
3. Limited capacity; delegates information to two ‘slave systems’

Question 2

Name the two components of the phonological loop and their purpose

Answer 2

1. Phonological store - ‘inner ear’, responsible for holding auditory information
2. Articulatory process - ‘inner voice’, holds prepared speech

Question 3

What is the MAIN purpose of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 3

Temporary storage system for holding visual and/or spatial information, a.k.a ‘the inner eye’

Question 4

Name the two sub-components of the visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 4

1. ‘visual cache’ - stores visual info about form and colour

2. ‘inner scribe’ - handles spatial relationships

Question 5

What is the purpose of the episodic buffer?

Answer 5

It’s the general store, integrates information from the CE, PL, VSS and LTM.

Question 6

Who divised the WMM?

Answer 6

Baddeley & Hitch

Question 7

Case study supporting the WMM? And why?

Answer 7

KF - supports concept of separate stores because STM affected not LTM, plus could process visual not verbal

Question 8

Strength of the WMM?

Answer 8

Park et al - conducted meta-analysis of studies and found dysfunction of working memory was difference between normal people and schizophrenics. Model can be used in diagnosis and treatment of them (real life application).

Question 9

Weakness of the WMM?

Answer 9

Key evidence is case studies of brain damaged patients which means that the information might not be correct - we don’t know what the patients were like before the accident or if their behaviour is the result of trauma

Question 10

Case study against the WMM? And why?

Answer 10

(Eslinger + Damasio’s study of) EVR - suggests more than one central executive; EVR could perform reasoning tasks well but not decision making. If only one CE, EVR would’ve been able to do either both or neither.