Working Memory Model: Eval Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is a key weakness of the Working Memory Model (WMM) regarding the Central Executive?
A weakness of the WMM is the lack of clarity over the Central Executive. Cognitive psychologists suggest that the Central Executive is unsatisfactory and does not really explain anything.
What did Baddeley himself recognise about the Central Executive?
Baddeley recognised that the Central Executive is the most important but least understood component of the WMM.
Why do some psychologists criticise the definition of the Central Executive in the WMM?
The WMM needs to be more clearly specified than just being simply ‘attention’. Some psychologists believe it consists of separate components.
What is a key strength of the WMM supported by dual task performance studies?
A strength is that dual task performance studies support the Visual-Spatial Sketchpad (VSS). Baddeley et al. found that participants had more difficulty doing two visual tasks than doing a visual and a verbal task at the same time.
Why is it more difficult to do two visual tasks at the same time compared to a visual and a verbal task?
This increased difficulty is because both visual tasks compete for the same slave system, whereas doing a verbal and visual task means there is no competition.
What does the dual task performance evidence suggest about the structure of the WMM?
The evidence suggests there must be a separate slave system that processes visual input, as proposed by the WMM.
How does the word length effect support the phonological loop in the WMM?
The word length effect, where people have more difficulty remembering a list of long words compared to short words, supports the phonological loop.
What did Baddeley et al. (1975) find regarding word length and memory?
Baddeley et al. (1975) found that individuals have more difficulty remembering a list of long words than short words, demonstrating the word length effect.
Why does the word length effect occur?
The word length effect occurs because there is limited space for rehearsal in the articulatory process (about 2 seconds), so longer words exceed the phonological loop’s capacity.
What happens to the word length effect when a repetitive task ties up the articulatory process?
The word length effect disappears if a person is given a repetitive task that ties up the articulatory process, demonstrating the phonological loop’s role.
How does the word length effect demonstrate the activity of the phonological loop within the WMM?
The word length effect demonstrates the activity of the phonological loop within the WMM because it highlights the limited capacity and time-based nature of the articulatory process.
This supports the idea that the phonological loop actively processes and rehearses verbal information.
