Lesson 6: Evaluation Of The Working Memory Model

Question 1

Neurobiological evidence (+) - KF

Answer 1

Shallice and Warrington studied KF, who had a motorbike accident and had poor STM for verbally presented words but not for visually presented words. This suggests that there is more than one type of STM like the WMM suggests. It shows we have a type of STM for verbal tasks and visual tasks.

Question 2

Laboratory experiments (+) - dual task

Answer 2

Baddeley and Hitch gave participants a dual task, a reasoning task (CE) and a reading aloud task (phonological loop). They could do this well, supporting WMM of separate components of the STM

Question 3

Laboratory experiments (+) - Long and short words

Answer 3

Baddeley gave participants brief visual presentation of lists of words of either long or short words. They were asked to recall the words immediately after in the correct order. They could recall more shorter words rather than longer words (word length effect). It supports the idea that the pho logical loop can hold as many items as can be said in 1.5 to 2 seconds rather than being limited to 7(+/-2) items as MSM suggests

Question 4

General Evaluation (+) - practical

Answer 4

This is practical, improved understanding of how people learn to read which helped psychologists assist those with dyslexia who might struggle with reading.

Question 5

General Evaluation (-) - CE

Answer 5

Psychologists criticise the WMM as the idea of a CE is too vague and untestable. Damasio presented the case of EVR who had a cerebral tumour removed. His reasoning skills were good suggesting his CE was intact, but he could not make decisions, which suggests his CE a was damaged. This case study strongly indicates that the CE is more complicated than the WMM claims.