Mem: WMM AO1

Question 1

What is working memory?

Answer 1

-a limited capacity store for retaining info for a brief time while performing mental operations on that info
-mostly replaced use of word STM from MSM- ‘working’ suggests mem is active not passive

Question 2

Who created the WMM and why?

Answer 2

-Baddeley & Hitch (1974) believed STM was not a unitary store like MSM suggests
-argued it was an ‘active processor’ of info

Question 3

What is the role of the CE?

Answer 3

-supervisory role-> doesn’t store info
-directs attention to tasks/makes decisions
-allocates tasks to slave-systems (sub-components)
-data arrived from senses or LTM

Question 4

What capacity does the CE have?

Answer 4

Limited processing capacity

Question 5

What is the role of the PL?

Answer 5

-processes info and recodes it acoustically
-can process info in any modality, but codes it acoustically

Question 6

What capacity does the PL have?

Answer 6

-limited capacity of 2 seconds worth of info

Question 7

What is the PL subdivided into?

Answer 7

-Baddeley (1986) divided it into:
-phonological store: holds words heard
-articulatory control process: inner voice (maintenance rehearsal)

Question 8

What is the VSS subdivided into?

Answer 8

-Logie (1995) subdivided it into:
-visual-cache: stores info about visual items (e.g. form + colour)
-inner scribe: stores the arrangement of objects for spatial reasons

Question 9

What is the word length effect?

Answer 9

-immediate memory span is better w/ short words than long words
-because short words can be articulated quicker, so more words can be silently practiced more before they decay
(Baddeley et al. 1975)

Question 10

What is the role of the VSS?

Answer 10

-processes info and recodes it visually/spatially
-can take in info in any modality, but is recoded visiuospatially
-spatial= relationships between things

Question 11

What is the capacity of the VSS?

Answer 11

-limited
-3-4 items

Question 12

What is the dual task technique?

Answer 12

-tasks where performance is measured as ppts do two tasks at the same time
-Baddeley et al’s (1975) model found if one store is used for both tasks, performance is poorer- store’s limited capacity
-if tasks are using same parts of same component processing will slow

Question 13

What is the role of the EB?

Answer 13

-temporary store which integrates info from other slave systems
-Baddeley (2000) added it later- realized model needed a more general store bc slave systems deal with specific types of info + CE has no storage capacity
-maintains time sequencing (records events happening)
-sends into to LTM store

Question 14

What capacity does the EB have?

Answer 14

-limited capacity
-approx. 4 chunks