Multi Store / Working Memory Model

Question 1

Sensory register

Answer 1

Takes in information from the senses, filters out information that isn’t needed.
Very large capacity
250ms duration

Question 2

STM

Answer 2

Temporary store of information
5/9 or 7 +/- 2 items capacity
18-30s duration
decay after 30s
Needs rehearsal to move to LTM

Question 3

LTM

Answer 3

Long term store of information
Unlimited capacity
Unlimited duration
retreival failure / interferences

Question 4

Case study of KF study

Answer 4

Shallice and Warrington 1970

Question 5

Case study of KF

Answer 5

Memory inpaired because of motobike accident.
STM reduced capscity 1-2 items.
LTM still functional.
Supports idea of multiple stores of memory in seperate areas of the brain.
STM reduced only for verbal items suggesting MSM is oversimplified.

Question 6

Case study of Clive Wearing Study

Answer 6

Blakemore 1988

Question 7

Case study of Clive Wearing

Answer 7

Lost most LTM due to herpes virus, destroyed parts of temporal lobe including hippocomapi.
STM still functional
Supports idea of MSM, different memories stored in different parts of the brain.
However challenges MSM as only difficulties with episodic memories as semantic and procedural worked fine. MSM could be oversimplifying.

Question 8

Evidence supporting / challengine MSM

Answer 8

Baddeley
Peterson and Peterson
Jacobs
Bahrick

Question 9

MSM issue + debate

Answer 9

Machine reductionism
Tries to oversimplifiy a complex process by comparing humans to machines.

Question 10

WMM 2 parts

Answer 10

Phonological Loop
Visuo-spatial sketchpad
Can only pay attention to one thing from each part.

Question 11

Articulatory process

Answer 11

Inner voice
inner repetition to prevent decay

Question 12

Phonological store

Answer 12

Inner ear
Represents information in terms of pitch and loudness

Question 13

Visual cache

Answer 13

Inner eye
Information about colour and form

Question 14

Visual scribe

Answer 14

Inner eye
Information about spatial relationships

Question 15

Boss

Answer 15

Central executive

Question 16

Episodic buffer

Answer 16

Combines information and sends it to LTM, uses chunking or episodes.

Question 17

Phonological loop

Answer 17

Temporary storage for visual and acoustic information.
Allows you to repeat information to yourself.

Question 18

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 18

Rehearses visual and spatial information. e.g. stops you walking into things your not looking at

Question 19

Evidence supporting / challenging the WMM

Answer 19

Support - Hitch and Baddeley 1975
Paulescu 1993
Challenge - Shallice and Warrington case study of KF 1970.

Question 20

Hitch and Baddeley 1975

Answer 20

More difficulty doing 2 visual tasks (tracking a light and describing letter F) than a visual and a verbal. Shows existences of seperate systems.

Question 21

Paulescu

Answer 21

1993
PET scans of brain.
Showed different parts of brain used for different visual and verbal tasks.
However no common area used, so no evidence of the Central Executive or Episodic Buffer

Question 22

WMM issue + debate

Answer 22

Still machine reductionist.
Tries to explain a complex behavior by comparing humans to machines. Doesn’t account for emotions or individual differences so its usefulness is limited.