Memory System

Question 1

What is the working memory model?

Answer 1

So named since it performs a number of functions

Question 2

Who created the working memory model?

Answer 2

Baddeley and Hitch - 1978

Question 3

What does the working memory model consist of?

Answer 3

Central executive
Phonological loop 
Episodic buffer 
Visuomotor-spatial sketchpad 
Long term memory

Question 4

What is the central executive?

Answer 4

The control centre of the working memory model.

It uses three other systems to control all the information moving in and out of the memory system.

Question 5

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 5

Deals with auditory information from the senses and helps produce the memory trace.

Question 6

What is the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 6

Used to temporarily store visual and spatial information.

Question 7

What’s an example of information in the phonological loop?

Answer 7

The coach’s instructions
Call of a team mate
Sound of a ball a racket

Question 8

What are the parts of the phonological loop?

Answer 8

A Phonological store and an Articulatory system, which helps it to produce a memory trace.

Question 9

What does a memory trace do?

Answer 9

It can be sent to the LTM where it can trigger motor programmes, or images that contain components of a skill, so that this motor programme can then be used to produce movement.

Question 10

What is a memory trace?

Answer 10

Its an initial mental idea of the skill.

Question 11

What’s an example of information in the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 11

It concerns sight - seeing the ball
Where - what part of the court the ball will land
Feel of movement - flight of a gymnast during a vault.

Question 12

What are the parts of the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 12

Visual cache

Inner scribe

Question 13

What does the visual cache do?

Answer 13

Holds information about form and colour

Question 14

What does the inner scribe do?

Answer 14

Deals with spatial and movement information.

Suggest that information about sporting actions can be recognised and acted upon.

Question 15

What’s the episodic buffer?

Answer 15

Co-ordinates the sight, hearing and movement information from the working memory into sequences to be sent to the LTM.

Question 16

What does the episodic buffer produce?

Answer 16

Integrated sequences of sight, sound and movements which can be sent to the long-term memory.
These sequences produce patterns of skilled actions that are put in order and sent to the LTM.

Question 17

What are the sequences? (Episodic buffer)

Answer 17

The starting point for the initiation of motor programmes, which are patterns of the whole skill, and can be used to produce movement.

Question 18

What’s an example of the episodic buffer?

Answer 18

The information about the path of the ball, the sound of the ball on the stick and the position of the limbs may help the skill of receiving the ball before making a dribble in hockey.

Question 19

What is Long term memory?

Answer 19

Receives information from the working memory and has an unlimited capacity for the storage of motor programmes.

Question 20

What are the stages of the working memory?

Answer 20

1 - pick up relevant information from the environment (selective attention).
2 - once the relevant information has been collected, the working memory produces a memory trace.
3 - the memory trace is then sent to the LTM so the trace can be compared to information already contained in the storage area of the LTM.
4 - the LTM can then send information back to the working memory for use in the current sporting situation.

Question 21

What’s an example of working memory and LTM working together?

Answer 21

Tennis - the working memory would send an image or trace of the position of the opponent and the flight of the ball to the LTM so that the scenario can be immediately compared to information already stored there and an appropriate return shot can then be decided upon.

Question 22

What are the features and functions of the working memory?

Answer 22

Initiates actions by sending the memory trace.
Has limited capacity - 7 items at a time.
Information overload = memories lost or disregarded, selective attention needed to avoid this.
Limited time scale of 30 seconds - lost/reused.

Question 23

What are the features and functions of the long-term memory?

Answer 23

Important information stored in the LTM as motor programmes (better than memory trace).
Has an unlimited capacity, can store information for a lifetime.
Develops the ‘know how to’ things (riding a bike, swimming).

Question 24

What’s the key to effective use of the memory?

Answer 24

To ensure that useful information and motor programmes are stored in the LTM so that learned skills can be moved back to the working memory, for use at the current time.

Question 25

What strategies can be used to ensure items are stored in the LTM?

Answer 25

Rewards 
Association 
Mental practice 
Breaking the task down/chunking 
Focus 
Repetition 
Chaining

Question 26

What is meant by rewards?

Answer 26

Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards help to motivate the performer to want to remember correct actions.

Question 27

What is meant by association?

Answer 27

Association of actions you wish to learn with appropriate actions or emotions already stored in the memory.

E.g - getting a swimming certificate and feeling pride. Then associate this feeling with the actions you did, so you will remember them.

Question 28

What is meant by mental practice?

Answer 28

When the parts or sub-routines of a skill are imagined over and over again in the mind without physical movement, this can help to store information in the memory.

Question 29

What is meant by chunking?

Answer 29

Breaking the skill down into parts, especially when the skill is complicated, can help to prevent information overload.
Therefore the performer can learn one aspect of the task before going on to learn the next part of the skill.

Question 30

What is meant by focus?

Answer 30

Focusing on the task and ignoring distractions helps the process of selective attention which in turn will ensure that correct information goes to short-term and then long-term memory

Question 31

What is meant by repetition?

Answer 31

Repetition of an action.
Repeated practice to the stimulus will ensure, that skill are coded and stored as motor programmes in the LTM, and those motor programmes will sit in the LTM until they are needed.

Question 32

What is meant by chaining?

Answer 32

Items of information are recalled as a sequence, so that one movement links to the next.
Particularly useful in recalling serial skills such as a dance routine.