Memory - Working memory model Flashcards
Central executive
Controls & coordinates operations of other components -> decide which parts of the working memory to send the information to
Capacity of central executive
Limited
Coding of central executive
Multiple types (acoustic, visual)
Duration of central executive
Continuous function to always manage & monitor information
Visuospatial sketchpad
Deals with visual & spatial information (i.e. how things look and where they’re located)
- includes visual cache (stores visual form & colour) & inner scribe (spatial & movement)
Capacity of visuospatial sketchpad
Limited (3-4)
Coding of visuospatial sketchpad
Visual
Duration of visuospatial sketchpad
Short & fades quickly unless rehearsed
Episodic buffer
Provide a general storage facility that holds & combines information from the other stores
Capacity of episodic buffer
Limited
Coding of episodic buffer
Multiple types (acoustic, visual)
Duration of episodic buffer
Short but integrates into the LTM
Phonological loop
Processes sound-based information (phonological store - auditory rehearsal system receiving sound information, articulatory process - verbal rehearsal component)
Capacity of phonological loop
Limited
Coding of phonological loop
Acoustically
Duration of phonological loop
1.5-2 seconds unless rehearsed
Strengths of the WMM
Clinical evidence (KF case - poor auditory information storage/verbal but could process visual information [supports evidence for separate visual & verbal 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])
Limitations of the WMM
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])
