The Working Memory Model

Question 1

What is the Working Memory Model of?

Answer 1

It is a model of the STM and the MSM was too simplistic?

Question 2

What does the WMM consist of?

Answer 2

Central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and episodic buffer

Question 3

What is the function of the central executive?

Answer 3

Monitors data from the visuospatial sketchpad, allocates resources to decide which subsystem will perform which task, allocated limited attention to tasks by focusing on one or dividing between, supervises other components and responsible for reasoning and decision making

Question 4

What is the capacity of the central excecutive?

Answer 4

It is limited

Question 5

What is the coding of the central executive?

Answer 5

Modality free (not limited to one sense as needs to manipulate all information

Question 6

What is the function of the phonological loop?

Answer 6

It stores words that you hear (phonological loop - inner ear), rehearses words that you are currently processing/considering (articulatory loop - inner voice) and keeping them in the working memory until they are needed

Question 7

What is the capacity of the phonological loop?

Answer 7

2 seconds

Question 8

What is the coding of the phonological loop?

Answer 8

Acoustic

Question 9

What is the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 9

It stores visual data (visual cache) and manipulates/arranges images in the visual field (inner scribe) (also known as inner eye)

Question 10

What is the capacity of the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 10

3-4 objects

Question 11

What is the coding of the visuospatial sketchpad?

Answer 11

Visual

Question 12

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 12

It brings together and temporarily stores information processed by other subsystems, maintains a sense of time keeping (order of events) and links to LTM and wider cognitive processes

Question 13

What is the capacity of the episodic buffer?

Answer 13

About 4 chunks

Question 14

What is the coding of the episodic buffer?

Answer 14

Modality free (as links together all stores)

Question 15

What was Baddeley’s dual task study?

Answer 15

It was an experiment for the different stores in the STM. Participants carried out a visual and verbal task at the same time (dual task) and then carried out two tasks that were either both visual or both verbal

Question 16

What were Baddeley’s finding from his dual task study?

Answer 16

When participants carried out a dual task, their performance was similar to when they carried out those tasks individually, however, when they carried out two tasks that were both visual or verbal, their performance decreased significantly.

Question 17

What are strengths of the WMM

Answer 17

The study of KF which shows there are different stores within the STM, Baddeley’s dual task study which shows there are different ways of processing within the STM and Baddeley’s word length experiment which shows the capacity of different components within the STM

Question 18

What are limitations of the WMM?

Answer 18

There was lack of clarity about the central executive which needs to be specified and there is no detail of forgetting unlike the MSM

Question 19

What is Baddeley’s word length experiment?

Answer 19

Participants were given a list of words to remember and one set were shorter words and another were longer words. Participants then had to recall these words.

Question 20

What were the findings and conclusion of Baddeley’s word length experiment?

Answer 20

Shorter words were remembered easier as you repeat them to yourself and remember them demonstrating activity of the inner ear and voice but are rehearsed easier as are in a separate component of the STM