Memory - Working memory model

Question 1

Central executive

Answer 1

Controls & coordinates operations of other components -> decide which parts of the working memory to send the information to

Question 2

Capacity of central executive

Answer 2

Limited

Question 3

Coding of central executive

Answer 3

Multiple types (acoustic, visual)

Question 4

Visuospatial sketchpad

Answer 4

Deals with visual & spatial information (i.e. how things look and where they’re located)

Question 5

Capacity of visuospatial sketchpad

Answer 5

Limited (no. of items 7+-2, duration 18s)

Question 6

Coding of visuospatial sketchpad

Answer 6

Visual

Question 7

Episodic buffer

Answer 7

Provide a general storage facility that holds & combines information from the other stores

Question 8

Capacity of episodic buffer

Answer 8

Limited

Question 9

Coding of episodic buffer

Answer 9

Multiple types (acoustic, visual)

Question 10

Phonological loop

Answer 10

Processes sound-based information (Inner ear - auditory rehearsal system receiving sound information, inner voice - verbal rehearsal component)

Question 11

Capacity of phonological loop

Answer 11

Limited

Question 12

Coding of phonological loop

Answer 12

Acoustically

Question 13

Strengths of the WMM

Answer 13

Clinical evidence (KF case - poor auditory information storage but could process visual information [supports evidence for separate visual & auditory stores])
Dual-task performance (Baddeley et al 1975 - similar performance results if the tasks are 1 visual & 1 verbal compared to 2 visual/verbal [supports separate stores for processing])

Question 14

Limitations of the WMM

Answer 14

Clinical evidence (KF case - unsure if there were other cognitive impairments prior to his motorbike accident)
Lack of clarity over central executive (Baddeley 2003 - needs to be more clearly specified than just attention [could have separate sub-components])