memory:WMM Flashcards
What is the working memory model (WMM)?
An explanation of how short-term memory is organised and how it functions
Proposed by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974
What is the main concern of the WMM?
The mental space that is active when temporarily storing and manipulating information
How many main components does the WMM consist of?
Four main components
What is the role of the central executive (CE) in the WMM?
Supervisory role that monitors incoming data and allocates subsystems to tasks
Does the central executive store information?
No, it has a very limited processing capacity and does not store information
What type of information does the phonological loop (PL) deal with?
Auditory information
What are the two subdivisions of the phonological loop?
- Phonological store
- Articulatory process
What is the function of the phonological store?
Stores the words you hear
What does the articulatory process allow?
Maintenance rehearsal by repeating sounds or words in a loop
What is the capacity of the phonological loop believed to be?
Two seconds’ worth of what you can say
What does the visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSS) store?
Visual and/or spatial information
What is the limited capacity of the visuo-spatial sketchpad according to Baddeley?
About three or four objects
What are the two subdivisions of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?
- Visual cache
- Inner scribe
What is the function of the visual cache?
Stores visual data
What does the inner scribe do?
Records the arrangement of objects in the visual field
What is the episodic buffer (EB)?
A temporary store for information integrating visual, spatial, and verbal information
When was the episodic buffer added to the WMM model?
In 2000 by Baddeley
What is the capacity of the episodic buffer?
About four chunks
What is one of the main functions of the episodic buffer?
Links working memory to long-term memory
True or False: The episodic buffer maintains a sense of time sequencing.
True
What case study supports the existence of separate visual and acoustic memory stores?
Tim Shallice and Elizabeth Warrington’s case study of patient KF
KF had poor STM ability for auditory information but normal processing for visual information.
What specific memory abilities did patient KF exhibit?
Better immediate recall of letters and digits when read visually than when read acoustically
This indicates a damaged phonological loop but an intact visuo-spatial sketchpad.
What challenge exists regarding the interpretation of KF’s performance on memory tasks?
Unclear whether KF had other cognitive impairments apart from damage to his phonological loop
His motorcycle accident may have affected cognitive performance beyond brain injury.
What do studies of dual-task performance suggest about the visuo-spatial sketchpad?
Support the separate existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad
Participants performed better on visual and verbal tasks together than on dual visual or dual verbal tasks.
What was the outcome when participants performed dual visual or dual verbal tasks?
Performance on both tasks declined substantially
This indicates competition for the same subsystem when both tasks are visual or verbal.
What does the dual-task performance study reveal about processing systems in working memory?
There must be separate subsystems for visual input (VSS) and verbal processing (PL)
This supports the idea of distinct memory stores.
What limitation does Baddeley (2003) identify regarding the central executive?
Lack of clarity over the nature of the central executive
It is recognized as important but poorly understood, needing more specification than just ‘attention’.
What do some psychologists believe about the central executive?
It may consist of separate subcomponents
This suggests the central executive is an unsatisfactory component, challenging the integrity of the working memory model.
