Memory - Working Memory Model

Question 1

Who developed it?

Answer 1

Baddeley & Hitch

Question 2

Why is it needed?

Answer 2

To provide an improved understanding of STM

• evidence that STM is not a unitary store
• STM is not just a passive store of information

Question 3

What is it?

Answer 3

.

Question 4

What are the subsystems of the Visuo-spatial sketch pad & what are they for?

Answer 4

• Inner-scribe
  =
• visual-cache

Question 5

Evidence for the VSSP

Answer 5

Baddeley (dual task)

• 2 conditions (light tracking + letter & locating squares, light + verbal
  task)
• more errors when both tasks were visual than when one visual + one verbal
• separate system for storing & processing information

Question 6

Evidence for the Phonological loop

Answer 6

Baddeley (Word length effect)

• more words recalled if words shorter
• words rehearsed using inner-voice
• ability of inner voice limited by the length of time taken to ‘say’ words
• short term verbal memory uses an articulatory system

Question 7

Evidence for separate stores?

Answer 7

K.F.

• capacity for recalling numbers reduced
• capacity for recalling shapes remained normal
• visual & verbal information stored separately

Question 8

Evidence for separate inner-voice (articulatory) & inner-ear (acoustic) within Phonological loop

Answer 8

Paulesu (brain scanning)
- Brain scan whilst storing letters (👄+👂) or judging rhyming (👄)

• when using both, two separate areas of brain active
• when using articulatory only, only one area of brain active
• different areas of brain involved in different components of the
  phonological loop > separate stores

Question 9

Strengths of Working Memory Model

Answer 9

✅ more complex than multi-store

- more detail 
 - explains K.F

✅ Considerable research support (Bad, Paul, K.F.)

✅ K.F. Case study (detailed)

✅ Practical applications
- children with reading problems
- weaker memory for auditory information may be helped with a
more visual approach

Question 10

Weaknesses of the Working Memory Model

Answer 10

❌ Not enough information or evidence regarding central
executive
- most important element as it decides where information is stored
and how it is used

❌ Some evidence that VSSP may need to be split into visual & spatial
information.

❌ No detailed information regarding LTM

 - why do we forget things? 
 - not all memories last for the same amount of time 

❌Evidence is flawed