**L6 - Evaluation of the Working Memory Model

Question 1

what are the THREE TYPES of evaluation for the WMM?

Answer 1

1) NEUROBIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
2) LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS
3) GENERAL EVALUATION

Question 2

+ SHALLICE and WARRINGTON (NEUROBIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE)

Answer 2

+ SHALLICE and WARRINGTON reported the CASE STUDY OF KF who, because of a MOTORBIKE ACCIDENT, had POOR STM for words that were PRESENTED VERBALLY but NOT FOR WORDS PRESENTED VISUALLY.

This suggests that there’s MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF STM, as the WMM suggests.

In particular, it shows that we have one type of STM for VERBAL TASKS (PHONOLOGICAL LOOP) and another for VISUAL (VISUO SPATIAL SKETCHPAD)

Question 3

+ BADDELEY and HITCH (LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS)

Answer 3

+ BADDELEY and HITCH gave pps a DUAL TASK. They were asked to COMPLETE A REASONING TASK, which USES THE CENTRAL EXECUTIVE, at the SAME TIME AS A READING ALOUD TASK, which USES THE PHONOLOGICAL LOOP.

PPS could do BOTH TASKS SIMULTANEOUSLY VERY WELL, supporting the idea of SEPARATE COMPONENTS IN STM

Question 4

+ BADDELEY ET AL (LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS) - PROCEDURE

Answer 4

+ BADDELEY ET AL gave pps BRIEF VISUAL PRESENTATIONS of LISTS OF WORDS. These lists were made up EITHER OF SHORT WORDS or LONG WORDS. Pps were asked to RECALL THE LIST IMMEDIATELY IN THE CORRECT ORDER.

Question 5

+ BADDELEY ET AL (LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS) - RESULTS

Answer 5

+ It was found that pps could RECALL MORE SHORT WORDS THAN LONG ONES.

BADDELEY called this the WORD LENGTH EFFECT and concluded that it SUPPORTS THE IDEA that the PHONOLOGICAL LOOP can HOLD AS MANY ITEMS AS CAN BE SAID IN 1.5-2 SECONDS rather than being limited by 7(+-)2 items, as the MSM suggests.

Question 6

+ PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS (GENERAL EVALUATION)

Answer 6

+ The WORKING MEMORY MODEL has PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS; it has IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING of HOW PEOPLE LEARN TO READ and so HELPED PSYCHOLOGISTS TO ASSIST THOSE WITH DYSLEXIA WHO STRUGGLE WITH READING

Question 7

• CENTRAL EXECUTIVE, DAMASIO, “EVR” (GENERAL EVALUATION)

Answer 7

• Several psychologists have criticised the WMM because they think the IDEA OF A CENTRAL EXECUTIVE is VAGUE AND UNTESTABLE.

DAMASIO PRESENTED THE CASE OF “EVR” who had a CEREBRAL TUMOUR REMOVED.

Question 8

• DAMASIO, “EVR” CASE STUDY PT.2 (GENERAL EVALUATION)

Answer 8

He had GOOD REASONING SKILLS, which suggested his CENTRAL EXECUTIVE was INTACT, but he COULD NOT MAKE DECISIONS, which SUGGESTS HIS CENTRAL EXECUTIVE WAS DAMAGED.

This case study STRONGLY INDICATES that the CENTRAL EXECUTIVE is MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE WMM CLAIMS.