The Working Memory Model Flashcards
What is the Working Memory Model of?
It is a model of the STM and the MSM was too simplistic?
What does the WMM consist of?
Central executive, phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad and episodic buffer
What is the function of the central executive?
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
What is the capacity of the central excecutive?
It is limited
What is the coding of the central executive?
Modality free (not limited to one sense as needs to manipulate all information
What is the function of the phonological loop?
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
What is the capacity of the phonological loop?
2 seconds
What is the coding of the phonological loop?
Acoustic
What is the visuospatial sketchpad?
It stores visual data (visual cache) and manipulates/arranges images in the visual field (inner scribe) (also known as inner eye)
What is the capacity of the visuospatial sketchpad?
3-4 objects
What is the coding of the visuospatial sketchpad?
Visual
What is the episodic buffer?
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
What is the capacity of the episodic buffer?
About 4 chunks
What is the coding of the episodic buffer?
Modality free (as links together all stores)
What was Baddeley’s dual task study?
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
What were Baddeley’s finding from his dual task study?
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.
What are strengths of the WMM
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
What are limitations of the WMM?
There was lack of clarity about the central executive which needs to be specified and there is no detail of forgetting unlike the MSM
What is Baddeley’s word length experiment?
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.
What were the findings and conclusion of Baddeley’s word length experiment?
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
