6- Working Memory Flashcards
How did Klatzky define working memory?
As the workbench of human cognition
What is working memory? (Cowan, 1998)?
Collection of mental processes that permit information to be held temporarily in an accessible state in service of some other mental task
Why does the brain rely on working memory?
Almost every cognitive process happening in the brain relies on working memory
What did James say that working memory is?
The focus of attention
What did Miller say that working memory is?
Temporary activated information about our current goals and plans
What did Baddeley and Hitch say that working memory is?
A sensory-specific multi-component for short-term storage and processing
What are we doing whenever we attend to a part of memory?
Activating working memory
How did Cowan see working memory in his embedded process model?
Capacity-limited focus of attention and a temporarily activated subset of LTM
What are the 3 components of working memory in Cowan’s embedded process model?
Time-limited active memory, capacity-limited focus of attention, LTM
Why is time-limited active memory an important component?
Temporarily activated information- not yet accessible to conscious awareness
Why is capacity-limited focus of attention an important component?
Memory within the focus of attention
Why is LTM an important component?
Information stored in LTM that is inactive but could be retrieved
How does Baddeley view working memory in his multi-component model?
Brain system for temporary storage and manipulation of information necessary for complex processes
What does Baddeley say that working memory is more than?
More than a store for maintaining information in consciousness
How does Baddeley view the capacity of working memory?
Limited
What are the 4 aspects of Baddeley’s multi-component model of working memory?
Central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, phonological loop
What is the role of the phonological loop?
Holds and manipulates auditory-verbal information
What are the 2 parts of the phonological loop?
The phonological store and articulatory control
How long does the phonological store hold information for?
2-3 seconds
What does the articulatory control use to maintain information?
Subvocal rehearsal
How does the articulatory control convert visual information?
To speech-based form
What stimuli have direct access to the phonological loop?
Auditory stimuli
How do visually presented stimuli access the phonological loop?
Indirectly via subvocal articulation
How is the phonological loop limited?
Temporal and capacity limited
What are the 4 ways that create evidence for the phonological loop?
Word lengths, articulatory suppression, irrelevant speech, phonological similarity
What is the role of the visuospatial sketchpad?
To hold and manipulate visuospatial information
How limited is the visuospatial sketchpad capacity?
Of 3-4 items
What are the 2 components of the visuospatial sketchpad?
Visual cache and inner scribe
What is the role of the visual cache?
Stores visual information
What is the role of the inner scribe?
Allows spatial processing
What is the role of the central executive?
Mastermind of human cognition and modality-free attentional control
How is the central executive a supervisory system? (3 ways)
Controls and regulates WM functions
Coordinates activity of other components
Focuses and switches attention
What 2 types of cognitive control did Norman and Shallice find?
Automatic and controlled
What use automatic cognitive control?
Routine and well-practiced behaviours
What use controlled cognitive control?
Non-habitual and novel tasks
What is a capture error?
A failure to override a routine set of behaviours
What is dysexecutive syndrome?
Deficits in executive function
What is perseveration?
Inappropriate repetition of an action while aware you are making errors
What is utilisation behaviour?
Dysfunctional automatic using of objects and tools
What is the role of the episodic buffer?
Temporary multi-modal storage for central executive
How does the episodic buffer integrate information?
From the phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and LTM
How does the episodic buffer work?
As a global workspace accessed by conscious awareness
How much information can the episodic buffer hold?
4 chunks
How is the episodic buffer controlled?
By the central executive
What does the episodic buffer allow?
Information integration between PL and VSSP
How is there an interaction in the episodic buffer?
Between PL/VSSP and episodic LTM
Why is the episodic buffer episodic?
Because information is integrated across space
