Memory- WMM Flashcards
How many components make up the WMM
4
What are the components in the WMM
- central executive
- episodic buffer
- phonological loop
- visuo-spacial sketchpad
Who came up with the WMM
Baddeley and Hitch
The WMM was developed as a new approach to understanding how _____-____ memory works.
Short term
What does the WMM say about the STM that is different to the MSM
That the STM store is not a single store, it is a work place
How does the system link to LTM
Through the episodic buffer
What four tasks does the central executive do
(1) Decides which component is needed for a particular task;
(2) Coordinates retrieval of info from our LTM;
(3) Decided what our working memory pays attention to
(4) Switched our attention between tasks.
What did Bunge do
Used fMRI scans to see which part of the brain were most active when Pt’s were doing 2 different tasks (reading a sentence and recalling the final word in a sentence)
What did Bunge find
The same brain areas (PREFRONTAL CORTEX) were active in dual or single tasks conditions. What was especially interesting was that the activity in this area became increased as the task became harder.
BUT, more activation shown in dual task area = increased attentional demands placed on the central executive
What did Bunge’s research show
That when extra demands are placed on the central executive, more activity is shown through brain scanning devices
How many components is the VSS divided into
2
What are the 2 components that the VSS is divided into and what do they do
(1) The visual cache which stores visual data;
(2) The inner scribe which records the arrangement of objects in the visual field.
How is the VSS encoded
Visually
What does the VSS store
visual and spatial info
What did Brooks do
Similar to a dual process technique, Pt’s were made to mentally visualise a letter e.g. K or F They were then asked questions about it e.g. does it have right angles? They were asked to respond in 1 of 3 ways.
1) Speaking aloud; 2) tapping (once for yes, twice for no); 3) pointing to a YES or NO sign.
What did Brooks find
Pt were faster and more accurate when responding verbally or tapping. This was because when using the same limited capacity component for the same task i.e. the VSS, they interfere with each other. I.e. showing the VSS is a limited processor
What did Brooks research show
There is support for the visuospatial sketchpad as a processor within working memory.
And also highlights the effects of doing two tasks using the same or different components, showing the two separate processing units exist alongside each other
How many components is the PL divided into
2
What are the 2 components of the PL and what do they do
(1) The phonological store which stores the words you hear (hold spoken words for 1.5-2 seconds);
(2) The articulatory process which allows maintenance rehearsal. The capacity of this loop is believed to be two seconds worth of what you can say.
What info does the PL deal with
Auditory info
What did Baddeley find
Pt’s recalled more short words in serial order than longer words, supporting the idea that the capacity of the PL is set by how long it takes to say words rather than the actual number. This means aspects of the WMM appear correct and credible
What did Baddeley’s research suggest
The phonological loop can hold the number of items that can be said in about 2 seconds, so is more affected by length of words rather than number of words
The episodic buffer:
Is a temporary store for information, integrating the ______, _______ and _____ info processed by other stores and maintaining a sense of time sequencing
Visual
Spatial
Verbal
The episodic buffer links working memory to ___ and wider cognitive processes such as perception.
LTM
What did Alkhalifa find
Reported on a patient with severely impaired LTM who demonstrated STM capacity of up to 25 prose items, far exceeding the capacity of both the PL and the VSS.
What did Alkhalifia’s research suggest
There is evidence the episodic buffer exists and it holds items in working memory until they are recalled.
Evaluation, evidence
Brooks
P- There is supporting research for the working memory model.
E- Similar to a dual process technique, Pt’s were made to mentally visualise a letter e.g. K. They were then asked questions about it e.g. does it have right angles? They were asked to respond in 1 of 3 ways, either visually or acoustically
Found much easier when not using the same channel . This was because when using the same limited capacity component for the same task i.e. the VSS, they interfere with each other.
L- This suggests, the existence of separate slave systems. Backing this research up with scientific findings improves both the validity and the credibility of the theory
Evaluation, artificial research
P- However, one problem with the WMM is that much of the research evidence supporting the model comes from artificial lab experiments into memory with artificial materials.
E- For example, in everyday life we form memories related to all sorts of useful things - people’s names, faces etc. But a lot of the research studies that provide support for the WMM use digits, letters and random artificial tasks. For instance, Brooks research had Pt’s describing the angles of the letter F. This task is completely unrealistic and therefore lacks mundane realism.
L- This implied the research evidence supporting the WMM lacks credibility, which therefore reduces the usefulness of the theory.
Evaluation, evidence
KF
P- However, there is further naturalistic research support for the WMM from the case of KF.
E- Patient KF had a motorbike accident in his 20’s. The parietal and occipital area of his brain was damaged. This affected his STM and he was only able to recall one or two items acoustically. However, his STM could retain info if it was presented visually. Hence, KF’s phonological loop was impaired, yet his Visual-spatial sketchpad was intact.
L- This provides even further support for the components of the WMM, increasing the credibility of the theory.
Evaluation, theoretical flaws
P- However, the WMM still contains several theoretical flaws that limit its use.
E- For instance, the WMM may still be oversimplified. The nature of the central executive is still unclear - it might not be a single entity such as shown in the case of EVR. This patient had a brain tumour removed which resulted in poor decision-making skills but good reasoning skills. The CE needs to be more clearly specified than just being simply ‘attention’.
L- This suggests there may in fact be separate components within the central executive, therefore the WMM hasn’t been fully explained yet
Evaluation, application
Park et al
P- The concept of the WMM has useful practical applications.
E- Park et al. (1999) concluded that patients with schizophrenia (a mental illness) tend to have problems with working memory that can be identified on dual tasks as used in the WMM. Hence, schizophrenia can therefore be diagnosed on the basis of testing an individual’s working memory.
L- This implies that the WMM has useful applications to society at large.
What encoding does the central executive use
It is modality free- encoding in any format
What is the capacity of the central executive
Limited
What is the capacity of the VSS
3-4 objects
What encoding does the PL use
Acoustic
What is the capacity of the PL
Approx 2 seconds
What encoding does the episodic buffer use
modality free
What is the capacity of the episodic buffer
approx 4 chunks of info
What encoding does the VSS use
Iconic
