Memory - Working Memory Model Flashcards
What is working memory?
It’s a limited capacity store for retaining information for a brief period of time at the same time as performing mental operations on that information.
Who created the WMM and why?
Baddeley and Hitch (1974) had to replace the STM store in the multi-store memory model because of the STM criticisms.
Short term memory needs to be more complex than just a single unitary store that only exists to pass information on to long term memory.
Short term memory needs to be an active processor by holding different information types simultaneously while being worked on.
What is the role of the central executive?
It’s called the ‘head of the model’ as it controls attention, receives information and filters it before passing it on to sub systems: phonological loop, episodic buffer and visuospatial sketch pad.
It’s a supervisory role and it doesn’t store information.
What capacity does the central executive have?
It’s limited in capacity (4 items) and works on one piece on information at a time. However, it can switch attention between different inputs.
What is the role of the phonological loop?
Phonological Loop processes auditory coded information (sound).
Baddeley (1986) then divided PL into:
Primary acoustic/phonological store – the inner ear, which holds recently heard words.
Articulatory process – the inner voice, which holds information through sub-vocal repetition.
What capacity does the phonological loop have?
The phonological loop has a limited capacity of what can be said in two seconds (this is the word length effect).
What is the word length effect?
The idea that immediate memory span is better with shorter words than longer words.
This is because short words can be articulated faster.
Therefore, more words can be articulated silently before they decay (Baddeley et al. 1975).
What is the role of the visuospatial sketch pad?
Visuospatial sketch pad processes visual and spatially coded information, it is thought of as the ‘inner eye.’
Logie (1995) then divided VSS into:
Visual Cache – a passive store of colour and form.
Inner Scribe – the active store which holds the relationships between objects in 3D space.
What capacity does the visuospatial sketch pad have?
It holds approximately 3-4 items at a time.
What is the dual task technique?
The performance is measured as participants perform two tasks simultaneously.
It was found in their model by Baddeley et al (1975) that if one store was used for both tasks then the task performance is poorer due to the store’s limited capacity.
What is the role of the Episodic Buffer?
The Episodic Buffer was added to the working memory model in 2000, this was because the model needed a general store to hold and integrate information from the visuospatial, phonological loop, central executive and long-term memory.
What capacity does the Episodic Buffer have?
The Episodic Buffer has a limited capacity.
