MEM 05 - Working memory model evaluation

Question 1

Who conducted the dual task experiment? And when?

Answer 1

Alan Baddeley (1975)

Question 2

Why does the study of KF support the WMM?

Answer 2

• Shows that short term memory contains more than just one processing component
• Shows that there are separate coding processes, auditory and visual, in short term memory
• Shows that KF must have had damage to the phonological loop but not the visuo- spatial sketchpad

Question 3

Why was the episodic buffer added to the WMM?

Answer 3

The episodic buffer was added to the model to explain findings that had arisen that the original model could not explain.

Question 4

When was the episodic buffer added to the WMM?

Answer 4

In the year 2000.

Question 5

What was the case study of KF?

Answer 5

• The case study of KF refers to a man who had amnesia
• He did not perform well in immediate recall when words were spoken to him but when he read the words he performed significantly better with immediate recall
• This provided evidence for the theory that there could be more than STM

Question 6

What are the limitations of the case study of KF?

Answer 6

• It has poor population validity (there are no other examples of individuals like KF) meaning KF’s situation cannot represent the wider population
• Cannot be replicated in todays world as it would deemed unethical
• We do not known for sure if KF had any other cognitive impairments

Question 7

What are the strengths of the theory of the WMM?

Answer 7

• It has studies to support such as KF and the dual performance experiment
• The dual performance experiment has high internal validity

Question 8

What are the limitations of the theory of the WMM?

Answer 8

• The studies have poor ecological validity
• The studies have poor population validity
• Lack of clarity over the nature of the central executive

Question 9

What was the findings of the dual-task experiment?

Answer 9

• When participants carried out a visual and verbal task at the same time (dual task), their performance on each was similar to when they carried out the tasks separately
• However, when both tasks were visual (or both were verbal), performance on both declined substantially
• This is because both visual tasks are competing for the same slave system (VSS), whereas there is no competition when performing a visual and verbal task simultaneously

Question 10

What was the conclusion of the dual task experiment?

Answer 10

• It showed there must be a seperate slave system that processes visual information (the VSS) and one for verbal information (the PL)
• Simultaneous tasks using the same component of working memory interfere with each other
• Simultaneous tasks using different components of working memory do not interfere with each other much

Question 11

How does the CE lack clarity?

Answer 11

• It needs to be more clearly specified than just simply being for ‘attention’
• Some psychologists believe the CE consists of seperate subcomponents
• This means the CE is an unsatisfactory component and this challenges the integrity of the WMM

Question 12

Why does the dual task experiment have poor ecological validity?

Answer 12

• Tasks do not reflect those that would be carried out in everyday life
• It is carried out in highly-controlled lab conditions where presentation of stimuli is precisely timed