The working memory model Flashcards
Sensory buffer
Duration: ¼ to ½ a second
Capacity: Larger capacity
Encoding: sense specific
STM
Duration: 18-30 seconds
Capacity: 7 +/- 2 items
Encoding: mainly auditory
LTM
Duration: Unlimited
Capacity: Unlimited
Encoding: semantic
what is the working memory model
An explanation of how the stm is organised and how it functions
What are the 4 main sections of STM as explained by the model
Main component:
- Central executive
3 slave subsections:
- Phonological loop
- Visuo spatial sketchpad
- Episodic buffer
What is the Central executive
Supervises and coordinates the other slave systems
- Monitors data coming in and allocates to a slave system
Whats the capacity of the CE
Very limited, doesnt store info
What is the phonological loop
Deals with auditory information and preserves order of information
Divided into 2 subsections
What are the 2 subsetions the phonological loop is divided to?
Articulatory process and phonological store
What is the articulatory process
Allows for maintenance rehearsal
Capacity: 2 sec
What is maintenance rehearsal
repeating sounds or words to keep them in phonological store while they are needed
What is the phonological store
stores auditory information
What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad
Stores visual and spatial information
Example of using VSSP
visualising your route to school
Capacity of VSSP
3-4 objects
What are the 2 subsections VSSP is divided into
Visual cache
Inner scribe
What are the visual cache and inner scribe
visual cache - stores visual data
inner scribe - records the arrangement of objects in visual field for the visual scribe
What is the sensory buffer
Combines acoustic, spatial and visual info from slave systems and LTM to link with other cognitive processes
- Acts as a back up storage
What is a strength of working memory model thanks to a case study
The case of KF supports the working memory model
How did the case of KF support working memory model
-Motor cycel crash
-Damage to STM
- Struggled to process verbal info, but visual info was fine
- Showing visual info is processed differently from verbal info
What is a weakness of the working memory model
Its reductionist/incomplete
Why is the working memory model reductionist/incomplete
The CE isn’t understood, as Baddeley mentions ‘CE is most important component yet the least understood’
- CE needs to be more clearly explained, rather than it just being ‘attention’.
What is a strength of the working memory model based off research?
Dual-task studies by Baddeley have supported WMM.
Explain how baddeleys studies on dual task performance have supported the WMM
- Participants performing verbal and visual task = no trouble
-Participants performing 2 visual tasks = low performance
Both visual tasks compete for same slave system, whereas visual and verbal info have no competition
