Memory: Lesson 6 - Evaluation of the Working Memory Model

Question 1

Neurobiological Evidence of the Working memory model (Shallice and Warrington 1970)(+)

Answer 1

+ KF study
KF has a poor STM for words that were presented verbally but not for words presented visually
+ suggests that there is more than one type of STM, and supports the idea that there is a type of STM for verbal tasks (phonological loop)and another for visual tasks (visuo-spatial sketchpad)

Question 2

Laboratory Experiments of the Working memory model (Baddeley and Hitch) (+)

Answer 2

• asked participants to complete anreqsonjng task whilst reading aloud
• the reasoning task requires the central executive, whilst reading aloud requires the phonological loop
• participants could do both tasks simultaneously very well, supporting the idea of separate components in the STM

Question 3

Laboratory Experiments of the Working memory model (Baddeley et al.) (-)

Answer 3

• gave participants a brief visual presentation of lists of words
• list was made up of both short and long words
• participants were asked to immediately recall the list
• found that participants could recall more short words than long words
• Baddeley called this the word length affect and said that the phonological loop can hold as many items as can be said in 1.5 to 2 seconds rather than being limited by 7 (+/-) 2 items like the MSM suggested

Question 4

General evaluation of the Working memory model (Damasio) (-)

Answer 4

Several psychologists have criticised the WMM because the central executive is vague and untestable

• Damasio presented the case of EVR who had a cerebral Timor removed. He had good reasoning skills which suggested that his central executive was intact, but could not make decisions which suggested that his central executive was damaged
• this study indicates that the central executive is more complicated than the WMM claims