Psychology - Working memory model Flashcards
Studies must know
Baddeley and Hitch
Baddeley
KF
What did Baddeley look at in his 2 studies
Dual task
Central executive
Who came up with the working memory model and when
Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
Dual task method
Devised by Baddeley and Hitch
made to test if there was more than one component to STM
Ppts did a reasoning task while reciting 6 digit sequence
Why doesthe dual task method suggest STM has more than one component?
Ppts could carry out both task with only few errors, only a bit slower than when done alone
Otherwise they should have been impaired
What did Baddeley and Hitch think of the LTM
Passive store
Maintains previously stored information to be used by the STM when needed
Components of the original working memory model
Central executive
Phonological loop
Visuo-spatial scratchpad
Central executive
Supervisory unit that has all control Limited capacity Can process any type of information Responsible for a range of control processes Supported by the 2 'slave' systems
Phonological loop
Holds verbal information in a speech-based form
Limited capacity
Temporary storage
Visuo-spatial skecthpad
Holds visual/spatial information
Limited capacity
Temporary storage
What changes did Baddeley and colleagues make to the model?
Made changes to the slave systems
Phonological loop now made up of phonological store and articulatory loop
Visuo-spatial sketchpad now made up of visual cache and inner scribe
New and improved phonological loop
Passive storage system called phonological store linked to active rehearsal system called articulatory loop
Words are maintained in the articulatory loop by subvocal repition
Subvocal repition
Repeating something under your breath or mentally so it’s not out loud
New and improved visuo-spatial sketchpad
Passive storage system called visual cache is linked to an active rehearsal system called the inner scribe
Who gives evidence for the phonological loop and when?
Baddeley, Thomson and Buchanan
1975
Baddeley, Thomson and Buchanan
Showed ppts 5 words quickly and asked them to recall in serial order
One condition had short, one-syllable words
Other condition had multiple-syllable words
Shorter words easier to recall
Called this the ‘word length effect’
Concluded the capacity of the loop is determined by time taken to say words then number of items
Who gives evidence for the visuo-spatial sketchpad and when?
Baddeley et al
1973
Baddeley et al
Get participants to follow a spot of light while imagining a angular block capital (E, T, F)
Found it difficult to follow the light
The tasks were competing for the same space so impaired each other
when following spot of light while doing verbal task there were no problems
Evidence for the central executive, who, and when?
Baddeley (shock)
1996
Some control processes the central executive is in charge of
Monitoring and correcting errors
Switching attention between tasks
Retrieving information from LTM
Switching retrieval plans
Baddeley (1996)
Ppts pressed numbered keys on keyboard to generate random number strings
Done while either: reciting the alphabet, counting from 1, alternating between letters and numbers
Last condition gave least random number strings
The two tasks were competing for attention from central executive
Strengths of working memory
Explains STM in terms of temporary storage and active processing
Verbal rehearsal optional process instead of being sole means of transferring information
Disadvantages
Exact role of central executive unclear and lacking in research
Fails to account for musical memory - can listen to instrumental music without impairing acoustic tasks
KF
Case study done by Shallice and Warrington (1970)
Young man who sustained brain injuries after motobike accident
LTM intact - could retrieve and add information
STM damaged - had a recency affect of 1 item
