Working Memory Model (Memory)

Question 1

Baddeley and Hitch 1974

Answer 1

• Cognitive model of information processing
• Created WMM to replace the STM store in MSM
• WMM an active prcessor model of multiple stores (STM a passive and unitary store)

Question 2

The Head of the Model and the 3 Slave systems

Answer 2

Central Executive

Phonological Loop
Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad
Episodic Buffer

Question 3

Central Executive

Answer 3

• Receives sense information, controls attention & filters before passing on the subsystems
• Limited capacity
• Manages slave systems

Question 4

Phonological Loop

Answer 4

Processes auditory information (acoustic coding)

Capacity of 2 seconds

Question 5

Visuo-spatial Sketch Pad

Answer 5

Processes (codes) visual and spatial information

Limited capacity

Question 6

Episodic Buffer

Answer 6

Added to WMM in 2000 as model needed generalised store to hold and combine info from CE,PL,VSS and LTM

Limited capacity

Question 7

Positive Evaluations of WMM

Answer 7

• Baddley - Participants asked to do two visual tasks or a visual and verbal task

Found performance was much better when the tasks were not using the same processing

Suggests the VSS and PL are separate systems

• WMM more accurate than STM component of MSM in describing how memory is used as an active processor

Question 8

Negative Evaluation of WMM

Answer 8

Studies into memory lack mundane realism making findings ungeneralisable to day to day life