evaluation of working memory model

Question 1

evaluation

dual task performance?

Answer 1

studies of dual task performance support the separate existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad
E,G Baddeley et al showed that pps had more difficulty doing two visual tasks than doing both verbal + visual = same time

^^ this increased difficulty is because visual tasks > compete for the same slave system» this means that there must be a separate slave system that processes visual input

Question 2

evaluation

evidence from brain-damaged patients?

Answer 2

studies of individuals with brain damage = support the WMM
E.G Shallice and Warrington» studied=KF=short term forgetting of auditor info = much greater than that of visual stimuli
auditory problems= limited to verbal material such as letter and digits but not meaningful sounds
Thus his brain damage seemed to be restricted to the phonological loop

Question 3

evaluation

lack of clarity over the central executive?

Answer 3

• psychologists suggest that this component of the WMM is unsatisfactory and does not really explain anything
• Baddeley- recognised this when he said ‘the central executive is the most important but least understood part of WMM
• Central executive needs to be more clearly specified then just ‘attention’

Question 4

Evaluation

studies of the word length effect, support the phonological loop

Answer 4

Baddeley et al- demonstrated that people find it longer to remember a list of long words rather then short words
*this is called the word length effect this is because there is a finite space for rehearsal in the articulatory process

the word length effect disappears if a person is given an articulatory suppression task (this is a repetitive task that ties up the articulatory process )