Lesson 5 - The Working Memory Model

Question 1

The central executive

Answer 1

Drives the whole working memory system and allocates data to other components (slave systems)
Deals with cognitive tasks such as mental arithmetic, reasoning and problem solving

Question 2

Central Executive

Attentional Capacity

Answer 2

Individuals have limited attentional capacity
Automated task use make less attentional demands on CE leaving us free to do other tasks
Example: Driving is automated for experienced driver letting them give attention to other tasks such as talking or music but new drivers need more attention on driving as it is not automated

Question 3

Phonological Loop

Answer 3

Component of WMM dealing with spoken and written material

2 sub components: phonological store and articulatory store

Question 4

Phonological Loop

Phonological Store

Answer 4

Inner ear

Linked to speech perception and holds information in speech-based form for 1-2 seconds

Question 5

Phonological Loop

Articulatory Loop

Answer 5

Inner voice
Linked to speech production and used to rehearse and store verbal information from phonological store
Allows for maintenance rehearsal

Question 6

Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

Answer 6

Stores and processes information in a visual or spatial form
Used for navigation
Referred to as inner eye
2 sub components: visual cache and inner scribe

Question 7

Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

Visual Cache

Answer 7

Stores visual material about form and colour

Question 8

Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

Inner Scribe

Answer 8

Handles spatial relationships

Question 9

Episodic Buffer

Baddeley (2000)

Answer 9

Baddeley added another component as he realised the model needed a general storage component to operate properly
=> because slave systems only deal with processing and temporary storage of specific types of information and CE has no storage capacity at all
EB is a limited capacity store integrating information from all components and LTM