Working Memory Model - Baddelely & Hitch Flashcards
(12 cards)
Central Executive
Limited capacity - has to give tasks and co-ordinate ones to give out to slave systems. Is the ‘boss’.
Phonological Loop
- Processes auditory info (coding is acoustic)
- Preserves the order of info
- Divided into two : Phonological store = ‘inner ear’, what you hear, holds it, like in a convo.
- Articulatory control system = ‘inner voice’, used for words that are heard or seen which are silently repeated (looped), an inner voice used for completing maintenance rehearsal.
Visuo-spatial Sketchpad
- Slave system
- Stores visual and spatial info (eg: visualising yourself in your house to remember how many doors you have)
- Visual cache (storing info on visual items) + Inner scribe (storing arrangements)
- Capacity limited (3-4 items)
Episodic Buffer
- Integrates info into single ‘episode’.
- Added later because realised there needed to be a general store space, is an extra storage area.
- Integrates info from the other 3 (and LTM).
- Capacity about 4 chunks
- Sends info to LTM
What is dual-task performance in memory research?
Dual-task performance refers to the ability to perform two tasks at the same time, as long as they use different processing systems (e.g., one verbal, one visual).
This supports the Working Memory Model, showing the STM is not unitary but has separate, limited-capacity stores.
What is maintenance rehearsal?
- Maintenance rehearsal is the process of repeating information to yourself to keep it in short-term memory for longer.
- It helps prevent decay and, if repeated enough, can lead to the transfer of information into long-term memory (as proposed by the Multi-Store Model of Memory).
What happens in a dual-task performance if both tasks use the same store?
- If both tasks use the same STM store, performance will be poorer due to the store’s limited capacity.
- E.g., repeating “the the the” aloud and silently reading a text both rely on the phonological loop, which causes interference and reduces task efficiency.
What happens if two tasks use different STM stores in dual-task performance?
- If the two tasks use different STM stores, performance is unaffected.
E.g., saying “the the the” aloud (phonological loop) and following a moving light with your eyes (visuo-spatial sketchpad) can be done simultaneously, supporting the idea of separate subsystems in STM (Working Memory Model).
Evidence
P- Supported by research
E- Baddeley and Hitch (1976) used dual-task experiments where participants had to do two tasks at the same time. They found participants could perform a verbal task and a visual task simultaneously with minimal interference, but struggled to do two verbal tasks at once.
E- This supports the idea of separate components in STM—like the phonological loop for verbal tasks and the visuo-spatial sketchpad for visual tasks.
Link: Therefore, the model has strong empirical support, increasing its validity.
Applications to society
P- Practical applications
E- It has been used to understand and support people with cognitive impairments, such as those with ADHD and dyslexia. For example, working memory training exercises can be used to improve attention and memory performance.
E- The model’s detailed structure of STM helps identify specific deficits (e.g. weak phonological loop).
Credibility
P- Credible
E- Unlike the MSM, which sees STM as a single unitary store, the WMM explains why we can do two different tasks at once, but not two of the same type.
E- This makes the WMM more flexible and realistic in explaining everyday memory use.
How good is the research
P- A limitation of the WMM is that most supporting research uses controlled lab experiments.
E- Dual-task studies like those by Baddeley and Hitch are done in artificial settings using tasks like remembering sequences or pressing buttons.
E- These tasks might not reflect real-life memory use, so the ecological validity is low.
