The working memory model

Question 1

What is the concept of the working memory?

Answer 1

Baddeley and Hitch (1974)
Developed as a new approach to understanding short term memory
Accounts that STM is not a single store but a workspace in which we carry out various tasks.
Links to long term memory through the episodic buffer

Question 2

What is the encoding of the central executive?

Answer 2

Modality free - any senses

Question 3

What is the capacity of the central executive?

Answer 3

limited

Question 4

What is the central executive?

Answer 4

Determines how resources are allocated
Involves reasoning and decision making tasks
Collects information from the inner ear, eyes and LTM

Question 5

What research is there to support the central executive?

Answer 5

Bunge (2000)
Experiment in which MRI scanner was used to see which parts of the brain were most active when pts were performing a single task and also two tasks at once.

Question 6

What did the research into the central executive show?

Answer 6

Significantly more activity in the brain when two tasks were performed, indicating that there was an increased demand for attention when performing two tasks simultaneously.

Question 7

What is a strength of the central executive?

Answer 7

Baddeley suggested it was more like a system which controls attentional processes rather than a memory store, unlike phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad. It allows the working memory system to selectively attend to some stimuli and ignore others.

Question 8

What is a weakness of the central executive?

Answer 8

Very vague in its explanation and processes. Model also suggests there is one single CE, which is unlikely. It is more likely to have several components, which is not factored into the model.

Question 9

What is the encoding of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 9

Visual

Question 10

What is the capacity of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 10

Limited - approx 3 - 4 objects

Question 11

What is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 11

Stores visual and/or spatial information when required

Question 12

What is the visual cache?

Answer 12

Part of the visuo-spatial sketchpad which stores visual data

Question 13

What is the inner scribe?

Answer 13

Part of the visuo-spatial sketchpad which records the arrangement of objects in the visual field

Question 14

What research is there for the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 14

Brookes (1968)
Pts had to mentally visualise a letter, and then were asked some questions about it. They had to either speak allowed, tap or point to a yes/no sign to respond.

Question 15

What did the research for the visuo-spatial sketchpad show?

Answer 15

It found that the response was faster when it was spoken or tapped, indicating they have the same limited capacity component.

Question 16

What is a strength of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 16

Has real life applications. Plays an important role in helping us keep track of where we are in relation to other objects as we move through our environment. It has high mundane realism.

Question 17

What is a weakness of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 17

The model implies that all information starts as visual and then turns spatial. However, this is unlikely to be the case all of the time. Lieberman (1980) argues that blind people have excellent spatial awareness, although they have never received any visual information. Based on this, Lieberman suggests that the VSS should be separated into two different components.

Question 18

What is the encoding of the phonological loop?

Answer 18

Acoustic

Question 19

What is the capacity of the phonological loop?

Answer 19

Limited - approx 2 secs

Question 20

What is the phonological loop?

Answer 20

Deals with auditory information and preserves word order.
Inner ear.

Question 21

What are the two parts of the phonological loop?

Answer 21

Baddeley subdivided it in 1986
Phonological store
Articulatory loop

Question 22

What is the phonological store?

Answer 22

Holds words heard

Question 23

What is the articulatory loop?

Answer 23

Silently repeats words like an inner voice

Question 24

What is the research for the phonological loop?

Answer 24

Baddeley (1975)
He found that pts recalled more short words in serial order than longer words. Supports capacity of PL is set by how long it takes to say words rather than number of words.

Question 25

What does the research into the phonological loop show?

Answer 25

This suggests that aspects of the WMM appear correct and credible

Question 26

What is a strength of the phonological loop?

Answer 26

See the supporting research

Question 27

What is a weakness of the phonological loop?

Answer 27

Due to the short capacity, in some cases, one might unintentionally not pay attention or remember words in a conversation that might be a longer length. Therefore the capacity of the PL may be damaging to our articulation when we are processing a conversation in real life.

Question 28

What is the encoding of the episodic buffer?

Answer 28

Modality free

Question 29

What is the capacity of the episodic buffer?

Answer 29

Limited - approx 4 chunks of information

Question 30

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 30

Baddeley (2000) added the episodic buffer as he realised the model needed a more general store. CE has no storage capacity.
Buffer is an extra storage system but with a limited capacity.
Integrates information from all other areas.

Question 31

What is the research to support the episodic buffer?

Answer 31

A patient with severely impaired LTM demonstrated an STM capacity of up to 25 items

Question 32

What did the research into the episodic buffer show?

Answer 32

This exceeds the capacity of both PL and VSS, so we must need a buffer for this

Question 33

What is a strength of the episodic buffer?

Answer 33

The EB is multi model - it’s not limited to one sense like the other two slave systems.
Its job seems to be to bind memories together, weaving visual memories and phonological memories into single episodes, which then get stored in the episodic LTM, an important role.

Question 34

What is a weakness of the episodic buffer?

Answer 34

The episodic buffer has little information and is not understood fully. Due to being added to the WMM at a later date, research is still in its infancy. Lack of research and understanding impacts the credibility of this slave system.

Question 35

Is there further naturalistic research to support the WMM?

Answer 35

Patient KF injured in motorcycle accident. He was able to recall stored information from the LTM however he had issues with his STM. He was able to remember visual images but only 1 or 2 items acoustically.

Question 36

Is there further research to support the WMM?

Answer 36

Use one of the previous research
Brookes (1968)

Question 37

What is a weakness of the experiments for WMM?

Answer 37

Environment is artificial as most of the variables have been controlled. This creates unrepresentative results implying that the research lacks credibility.

Question 38

Does the WMM have any theoretical flaws?

Answer 38

May still be oversimplified as the nature of the CE is still unclear and may not be a single entity. EVR had brain tumour removed, resulting in poor decision making skills but good reasoning skills, suggesting there may be separate components.

Question 39

Does the WMM have any useful practical applications?

Answer 39

Park et al (1999) concluded that patients with schizophrenia tend to have problems with working memory that can be identified on dual tasks. Hence it is now easier to test for schizophrenia based on the WMM.

Question 40

Is there contradictory evidence to the WMM?

Answer 40

Lieberman (1980) criticises the VSS because it implies that all spatial information was first visual. Blind people have excellent spatial awareness. He argues that it should be separated into two. Shows there are theoretical flaws.