Working Memory Model

Question 1

who brought forward the working memory model?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch (1974)

Question 2

when are you using your working memory model?

Answer 2

when you are doing complex tasks

Question 3

what does it argue the STM is not?

Answer 3

the STM is not just one store like the MSM suggests

Question 4

why must the working memory (i.e. STM) have more than one part?

Answer 4

•it is difficult to do things at the same time if they are both verbal and visual
•it is easy to do 2 things at the same time if one is visual and the other is verbal

Question 5

What are the sub-systems of the WMM?

Answer 5

1. Central Executive
2. Phonological Loop
3. Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad
4. Episodic Buffer (2000)

Question 6

What does the Central Executive do?

Answer 6

• Controls attention
• Determines which sub systems are used

Question 7

What is the capacity of the Central Executive?

Answer 7

Very limited

Question 8

What is the coding of the Central Executive?

Answer 8

Modality-free

Question 9

What does the Phonological Loop do?

Answer 9

Deals with auditory/ verbal information

Question 10

What is the capacity of the Phonological Loop?

Answer 10

limited (2 seconds of speech)

Question 11

What is the Phonological Loop divided into?

Answer 11

• Phonological Store
• Articulatory Process

Question 12

What is the Phonological Store?

Answer 12

Words you hear - your inner ear (stores heard words for 1-2 seconds)

Question 13

What is the Articulatory Process?

Answer 13

Allows maintenance rehearsal - your inner voice

Question 14

How is the Phonological Loop encoded?

Answer 14

Acoustically

Question 15

What does the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad do?

Answer 15

Deals with visual and spatial information

Question 16

What is the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad split into?

Answer 16

-Visual Cache
-Inner Scribe

Question 17

What is the Visual Cache?

Answer 17

What things look like (stores form and colour)

Question 18

What is the Inner Scribe?

Answer 18

Relationship between things

Question 19

What is the capacity of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad?

Answer 19

limited (3-4 objects)

Question 20

How is the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad encoded?

Answer 20

Visual

Question 21

When was the Episodic Buffer introduced to the WMM and who by?

Answer 21

2000, Baddeley

Question 22

What does the Episodic Buffer do?

Answer 22

Integrates information from other stores and links to LTM + Extra storage system that has limited capacity (4 chunks)

Question 23

How is the Episodic Buffer encoded?

Answer 23

Modality-free

Question 24

LTM?

Answer 24

your long term memories

Question 25

Evaluation of the WMM

Answer 25

+ Research support (KF) - Problems with research support + Dual task studies demonstrate the separate components of the WMM - Poorly explained Central Executive + Neuroimaging

Question 26

+ Research Support (KF, PEE)

Answer 26

P: Research support from case studies E: Shallace and Warrington (1970), KF had impaired verbal STM but intact visual memory. E: Suggests separate visual (visuo-spatial sketchpad) and acoustic (phonological loop) systems, increasing validity.

Question 27

- Problems with research support

Answer 27

P: Problems with research support E: Only studies KF and he had brain damage E: We don't know if anyone else's working memory works in the same way - can't generalise - weakens support of WMM

Question 28

+ Dual task studies demonstrate the separate components of the WMM

Answer 28

P: Dual task studies demonstrate the separate components of the WMM E: Baddeley et al (1975) found participants struggled with two visual tasks, but could perform a visual and verbal task simultaneously. E: Highlights different tasks use separate systems, supporting the divisions of the phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 29

- Poorly explained Central Executive

Answer 29

P: Poorly explained Central Executive E: Baddeley (2003) descried it as "attention" but its exact role and structure remain unclear. E: Central Executives functions are not well defined making it difficult to test, decreasing validity.

Question 30

+ Neuroimaging

Answer 30

P: Neuroimaging E: Brain scans show different areas active during visual vs. verbal tasks E: Shows that the Phonological Loop and Visuo-spatial Sketchpad are separate systems, each handling different types of information. Increasing validity.