The working memory model

Question 1

Describe the process of the WMM

Answer 1

The central executive is at the centre of the WMM and directs attention to particular tasks, in itself it has no storage capacity, it can direct information towards the following:

The phonological loop
- limited capacity and has two components
- The articulatory control process
- Allows sub vocal repetitions of items in phonological store similar to maintenance rehearsal

The visuo-spatial sketchpad
- Processes and stores mental images and has limited capacity used when planning a spatial task

The episodic buffer
- Allows both sound and visual information to be bound together
- It integrates information from the other systems and offers a sense of time sequences
- It records events and has limited capacity

Question 2

Who made the WMM?

Answer 2

Baddeley and hitch (1974)

Question 3

What does the WMM possess that the MSM does not?

Answer 3

Atkinson and Shiffrins MSM was criticised for being oversimplified and oversimplifying the STM and LTM as single storage systems, so the WMM made separate stores in light of this.

Question 4

What did Gathercole and Baddeley find out about the WMM?

Answer 4

Found in their study where participants had to track a light and discuss the angles in the letter F that they had more trouble with two visual tasks than doing a visual and verbal task at the same time.

Question 5

What did Eslinger and Damasio say about the WMM?

Answer 5

Disprove the central executive as the reported on a case study for someone who had a cerebral tumour removed.

He performed well on reasoning which proves the central executive needs more than simply ‘attention’ and there are separate components