Memory - Working Memory Model

Question 1

What does the Central Executive control?

Answer 1

• Controls attention
• Pays attention to info from senses
• Coordinates the actions of the other components
• It processes information from the senses and LTM
• It has a limited capacity
• It allocates one of the slave systems to a task

Question 2

What’s the function of the phonological loop?

Answer 2

Has two parts:
- Phonological store: “inner ear”
Holds words that have been heard
Uses a sound based code to store information but decays after 2 seconds unless rehearsed by articulatory control system

• Articulatory control systems: “inner voice”
  Rehearses information
  Has a time based capacity of about 2 seconds

Question 3

What is the function of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 3

Has two parts:
- Visual cache:
Stores information such as form and colour
- Inner scribe:
Deals with spatial relations
Stores information about where items are in the visual field

Question 4

What is the role of the episodic buffer?

Answer 4

Binds together all of the information from the other components and prepares memories for storage in LTM.
Forms the bridge between working memory and long term memory.

Question 5

What are the strengths of the working memory model?

Answer 5

It is plausible because it fits with everyday experience - Baddeley suggests that mentally counting the number of windows in your house demonstrates the operations of working memory.

Case study supports it - KF suffered brain damage and when he was given verbal information, recall was poor. When given visual information, recall was good. This supports separation of the phonological loop.

Question 6

What is a limitation of the working memory model?

Answer 6

The functions of the central executive are vague and difficult to test.
Unclear how the capacity of the central executive can be measured independently of the others components.

Question 7

What does the working memory model represent?

Answer 7

Short-term memory