Memory: Working memory model

Question 1

Articulatory process

Answer 1

Found in the phonological loop

Used to repeat the words heard (maintenance rehearsal) in a loop until needed

Question 2

Central executive

Answer 2

Attentional processes, monitors incoming data and decides how it should be directed to the different slave systems
Capacity: very limited so cannot attend to many things at once

Question 3

Episodic buffer

Answer 3

Added in 2000
Integrates material from the other components, maintains a sense of time sequencing and acts as a bridge between the working memory model and LTM
Capacity: limited capacity of 4 chunks of information

Question 4

Inner scribe

Answer 4

Found in the visuospatial sketchpad

Records the visual arrangement of objects

Question 5

Phonological loop

Answer 5

Processes auditory information and the order of information (inner ear)
Capacity: limited
Coding: acoustic
Includes the phonological store and the articulatory process

Question 6

Phonological store

Answer 6

Found in the phonological loop

Stores the words heard

Question 7

Strengths of the working memory model

Answer 7

KF had difficulty with the sounds of numbers, letters and words but could recall visual letters and digits, suggesting the PL and VSS are separate stores
Baddeley and Hitch’s research showed that participants could complete 2 different tasks more easily than 2 similar tasks, suggesting the PL and VSS are two separate stores
Simon and Chabris found that most participants did not see the gorilla when asked to count passes showing the PL has limited capacity

Question 8

The four parts of the working memory model

Answer 8

The central executive, the episodic buffer, the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad

Question 9

Visual cache

Answer 9

Found in the visuospatial sketchpad

Stores visual data

Question 10

Visuospatial sketchpad

Answer 10

Processes visual and spatial information (inner eye)
Coding: visual/iconic
Capacity: limited to 3 or 4 objects
Includes the visual cache and inner scribe

Question 11

Weaknesses of the working memory model

Answer 11

There is little direct evidence for how the central executive works and what it does, meaning it is uncertain how the entire model depends on it and the theory is not based on research
The working memory model does not explain changes or differences in our processing ability either from person to person or over time, meaning the model is too simplistic

Question 12

Working memory model

Answer 12

Created by Baddeley and Hitch in 1974, updated in 2000
An explanation of how STM is organised and how it functions
Shows that STM is not a unitary store
Consists of three slave systems and a central executive
Each of the 4 parts differ in terms of capacity and encoding

Question 13

Baddeley and Hitch - dual task performance (1975)

Answer 13

Participants were asked to perform either 2 visual tasks or a visual and verbal task at the same time
Participants had more difficulty completing the 2 similar tasks
Suggests that the PL and VSS are 2 separate stores

Question 14

Baddeley et al - limited phonological loop (1975)

Answer 14

2 groups of participants were shown a list of 5 words, either one syllable or more
Found that 1 syllable words were recalled much better than polysyllabic words
Suggests the capacity of the PL is limited

Question 15

Simon and Chabris - gorilla study (1999)

Answer 15

Participants had the count the number of passes a basketball team made and afterwards were asked if they spotted the gorilla walking through
The majority of participants did not see the gorilla amongst the players
Suggests the capacity of our VSS is limited as a person can only attend to one task at a time