Lesson 5: The Working Memory Model

Question 1

What did Baddeley and Hitch (1974) do?

Answer 1

• questioned that people only have one type of STM (according to MSM)
• argued that STM is far more complex than temporary store
• argued that LTM is the passive store of learnt information that is used when needed by STM

Question 2

What is the Central Executive according to the WMM?

Answer 2

• drives the whole system
• allocates data to other components (slave systems)
• deals with cognitive tasks
• automated tasks provide fewer demands on the central executive (we’re free to do other tasks)