3 - Working Memory Model

Question 1

Who proposed the Working Memory Model? When?

Answer 1

Baddeley + Hitch (1974)

Question 2

What is the Working Memory Model?

Answer 2

A representation of the STM store, that suggests it is not unitary, but is instead a dynamic processor of different types of info using sub-units coordinated by a central system

Question 3

What are the components of the STM store, according to the Working Memory Model?

Answer 3

• Central executive
• Phonological loop (phonological store + articulatory control process)
• Visuo-spatial sketchpad (visual cache + inner scribe)
• Episodic buffer

Question 4

What is the central executive? What is its purpose? What is its capacity?

Answer 4

What:
- ‘Boss’ that coordinates activities
Purpose:
- Completes cognitive tasks (e.g. problem solving)
- Manages the attention of the STM, by allocating incoming info to the two slave sub-systems
Capacity:
- Very limited

Question 5

What is the phonological loop? What is it sub-divided into? What is its purpose?

Answer 5

What:
- Slave sub-system that processes info in terms of sound (acoustic coding of written + spoken material)
Phonological store:
- ‘Inner ear’: processing speech perception
- Stores words heard for 1-2 secs
Articulatory control process:
- ‘Inner voice’: processing speech production
- Repeats 2 secs worth of info in loop (maintenance rehearsal) to keep info in the STM

Question 6

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad? What is it sub-divided into? What is its purpose?

Answer 6

What:
- Slave sub-system that processes visual + spatial info (‘inner eye’)
Visual cache:
- Stores visual data
Inner scribe:
- Records spatial arrangement of objects in the visual field

Question 7

Who sub-divided the Visuo-spatial sketchpad? When?

Answer 7

Logie (1995)

Question 8

What part of the Working Memory Model was added later? When was it added? By who?

Answer 8

• Episodic buffer
• Added in 2000
• Added by Baddeley

Question 9

What is the episodic buffer? What is its purpose?

Answer 9

What:
- Bridge between STM + LTM
Purpose:
- Integrates, visual, spatial + acoustic info from sub-systems
- Forms time-stamped ‘episodes’ of events
- These episodes are passed into the LTM

Question 10

How was it concluded that the articulatory control process can only complete maintenance rehearsal with up to 2 secs of info?

Answer 10

Baddeley et al’s 1975 ‘Word Length Effect’

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Question 11

Give 3 positive evaluation points for the Working Memory Model

Answer 11

Research support - dual task studies

• Baddeley + Hitch (1976)
• Ppts in Condition 1: acoustic task + visual task
• Ppts in Condition 2: visual task + visual task (tracking light + describing letter F)
• Better performance in Conditon 1 (different parts of STM, so not competing for space in same slave sub-system)

Research support - case study KF

• Motorbike accident
• Able to process + recall VISUAL (visuo-spatial sketchpad)
• Unable to process + recall ACOUSTIC (damaged phonological loop)
• STM not unitary

Physiological evidence - PET scans

• Braver et al (1997)
• Problem solving tasks central executive lit up in prefrontal cortex
• Verbal + visual tasks diff parts lit up

Question 12

Give 2 negative evaluation points for the Working Memory Model

Answer 12

Partial explanation - lack of clarity over central executive

• Baddeley (2003) said was most important but least understood
• Lack of understanding of how the central executive actually works
• Model is therefore incomplete

Partial explanation - only explains STM