⚪️ Memory - Working Memory Model Flashcards
Components of WMM
Central executive
Phonological Loop (articulately control system and phonological store)
Episodic buffer
Visio spatial sketch pad
What dis Baddeley and Hitch argue
1974: argued that the picture of short term memory provided by the MSM is far too simple.
What is the role of the working memory
To temporarily store and manipulate information being used
What is the working memory susceptible to
- distractions
- overload of information
- overtake (complicated calculations)
Where is the central executive stored in the brain
Prefrontal lobe
Where is the phonological loop stored in the brain
Left parietal
Where are spatial tasks stored
Occipital
Where is the articulately control process stored
Left frontal / Broca’s area
Responsibilities of the central executive
- limited capacity
- processes information from any sensory system
- decides what to pay attention to inhibiting irrelevant information
- allocates tasks to the PL and VSS systems
- most important component of working memory
- has the capacity to focus, divide and switch attention
Evidence of the central executive
Braver et al 1997
Why does Braver’s study support the
existence of the central executive?
Brain scan carried out while performing cognitive tasks .
It demonstrated that there is a specific area associated with the tasks carried out by the central executive. Suggesting there is a specific, separate component that can be called the central executive
Phonological loop role
- inner ear, deals with auditory information
- holds auditory speech information (or any visually presented language e.g reading)
- limited capacity
What does the phonological loop consist of
Phonological store
Articulatory control system
Role of phonological store
Hold words that we hear
Role of the articulatory control system
Allows maintenance rehearsal (sub vocal repetition)
The visual - spatial sketch pad
- inner eye
- limited capacity
- temporary memory system for holding visual or spatial information
- geographical orientation (learning our way around an environment)
When and why was the episodic buffer added
2000 because of criticisms that the model didn’t explain LTM or how STM integrated into LTM
Role of episodic buffer
- storage component for the central executive
- temporary store for information, integrating visual, spatial and verbal information being processed by other stores
- provides a bridge between working memory and LTM
Dual task theory
Baddeley and Hitch state that people can perform 2 tasks at the same time as long as the tasks use different components of the working memory system
Shallice and Warrington (1970)
KF CASE STUDY
- damage to phonological store as a result of Brain damage due to a motorcycle accident
- no problem and LTM
- no problem with remembering Visual stimuli
What does the KF case study show
Due to his memory for visual information being largely unaffected, and his auditory memory being affected, this shows that there are separate separate STM components for VSS and PL
Why should psychologists be cautious
about generalising the findings to the
wider population?
The evidence gathered from cases such as KF’s may not be valid
or reliable because it concerns unique and rare cases with
people who have had traumatic experiences
Study showing different regions of the brain were activated when undertaking neuroimag8ng
Paulesu (1993) demonstrated that different regions of the brain were activated when undertaking tasks that used the phonological store and the articulatory loop
