Memory: The Working Memory Model

Question 1

Who produced the working memory model?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch (1974)

Question 2

What are the four main parts to the working memory model?

Answer 2

1. Central Executive
2. Phonological Loop
3. Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad
4. Episodic Buffer

Question 3

What type of memory does the working memory model focus on?

Answer 3

Short term memory

Question 4

According the WMM, why is it difficult to do two of the same tasks at the same time?

Answer 4

Working memory splits STM into different parts, including the phonological loop.

If you try to use the phonological loop for two activities such as revising and listening to music, it will struggle because it has a limited capacity and it would struggle with two auditory tasks simultaneously.

Question 5

What is the function of the Central Executive?

Answer 5

To monitor the overall memory systems rather than acting as a information storage system.

It allocates the cognitive memory tasks to the appropriate subsystem.

Question 6

What are the two components of the phonological loop?

Answer 6

1. Articulatory Process
2. Phonological Store

Question 7

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 7

It is responsible for maintaining speech based information. It has two subsystems including the inner ear (storage) and the inner voice (rehearsal).

Question 8

Which part of the phonological loop allows for maintenance rehearsal (repeating sounds or words to keep them in the phonological store)?

Answer 8

Articulatory Process

Question 9

Which part of the phonological loop stores auditory information?

Answer 9

Phonological Store

Question 10

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 10

It is a unitary system that deals with temporary storage and manipulation of visual and spatial information.

It allows us to recreate images in real time or things we have seen in the past.

Question 11

What is the capacity of the VSS

Answer 11

About 3 or 4 objects

Question 12

Who divided the VSS into two further parts?

Answer 12

Logie (1995)

Question 13

What are the two parts of the VSS

Answer 13

1. Visual Cache
2. Inner Scribe

Question 14

What does the visual cache deal with?

Answer 14

Visual data (e.g. images)

Question 15

What does the inner scribe do?

Answer 15

Records the arrangement of objects in the visual field.

It allows you to rehearse visual/spatial information to maintain it in the visual cache.

Question 16

When was the episodic buffer added?

Answer 16

2000

Question 17

What does the episodic buffer do?

Answer 17

A temporary store for acoustic, visual and spatial information from other sub-systems, combining this with LTM and wider cognitive processes.

It maintains a sense of time sequencing, basically recording events that are happening.

Question 18

What is a strength of the WMM?

Answer 18

It is supported with evidence from PET scans where different brain activity is shown during memory tasks which increases the credibility of the model.

Question 19

Who conducted research using PET scans to support the WMM?

Answer 19

Smith and Jonides (1997)

They conducted PET scans which showed differences in brain activation during visual and spatial tasks.

This shows that the VSS may not be one store.

Question 20

How does knowledge of the WMM provide application value?

Answer 20

Successful application of the model in society in providing direct interventions that help people with Dyslexia improve their reading skills. This then improves the plausibility of the model.

Question 21

Which case study provides credibility to the WMM and why?

Answer 21

The case study of KF (Shallice and Warrington 1970).

He had for STM for auditory information but processed visual information normally.

This shows separate STM stores for visual and verbal information.

Question 22

What is a weakness of the WMM?

Answer 22

The model only explains memory in the short term, therefore it is not a complete explanation of how memory works because it doesn’t explain LTM.

Question 23

What is a further weakness of the WMM (regarding CE)?

Answer 23

There is a lack of clarity over what the central executive actually does.

This means that the working memory has not been fully explained because the CE still needs to be more clearly specified.

Question 24

Why is the addition of the Episodic Buffer a weakness?

Answer 24

Adding to the model later suggests that the original model was incomplete and inaccurate, so it may still lack accuracy.

Question 25

Why is using case studies (such as KF) a weakness?

Answer 25

Brain injured patients such as KF are unique and not necessarily typical of the wider population.

Case studies are hard to replicate and we cannot be sure that the findings are valid.

Question 26

What are some of the ethical issues (issues and debates) associated with case studies?

Answer 26

Confidentiality - researchers must not name the individual.

Lack of true consent - someone with a severe memory deficit would not be able to give true consent if they do not recall doing so.