8 - working memory model ao3

Question 1

how does shallice and warrington’s study of kf show clinical evidence for the working memory model? (strength)

Answer 1

kf had poor stm for verbal information but normal stm recall of visual information. suggests his phonological loop had been damaged but the rest of his memory was left intact. suggests that there are separate visual and acoustic stores

Question 2

how does baddeley et al’s dual task performance study support the working memory model?

Answer 2

baddeley et al showed that the participants had more difficulty doing two visual tasks at the same time (tracking a light and describing the letter f) then doing a visual and verbal task at the same time. the increased difficulty is because both visual tasks require the same slave systems. this means there must be a separate slave system (vss) that processes visual input

Question 3

how is lack of clarity over the central executive a weakness of the working memory model?

Answer 3

cognitive psychologists suggest that this component of the working memory model is unsatisfactory and doesn’t really explain anything. baddeley himself admitted that it is the most important part but the least understood. he argued that it needs a clear explanation rather than being ‘attention’. this shows that the working memory model has not been fully explained