Chapter 2 Memory - The working memory model

Question 1

Central executive (CE)?

Answer 1

Supervisorey, allocates subsystems to tasks, very limited capacity.

Question 2

Phonological loop (PL)?

Answer 2

Auditory information - phonological store & articulatory process (allows maintenance rehearsal). Coding = acoustic, capacity = 2 seconds of speech.

Question 3

Visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSS)?

Answer 3

Visual information - visual cache (stores visual data) & inner scribe (records spatial arrangement). Coding = visual, capacity = 3 or 4 objects.

Question 4

Episodic buffer (EB)?

Answer 4

Integrates data from subsystems & records the order of events. Linked to LTM. Coding = flexible, capacity = 4 chunks.

Question 5

Evaluations of the working memory model? SSLX

Answer 5

S - Clinical evidence
S - Dual-task performance
L - Nature of the central executive
X - Validity of the model

Question 6

Evaluation of the working memory model - Clinical evidence? S

Answer 6

• KF had poor auditory memory but good visual memory. Damaged PL but VSS fine.
• CP is that KF may have had other impairments that affected his memory.

Question 6

Evaluation of the working memory model - Dual-task performance? S

Answer 6

Difficult to do 2 visual tasks (or 2 verbal) at same time, but 1 visual & 1 verbal is OK (Baddeley et al.)

Question 7

Evaluation of the working memory model - Nature of the central executive? L

Answer 7

Not well specified, needs to be more than ‘attention’.

Question 8

Evaluation of the working memory model - Validity of the model? X

Answer 8

Dual-task studies support WMM but are highly controlled, using artificial tasks (e.g. letter sequences).