The Working Memory Model

Question 1

```

~~~

Explain the KF case study

Answer 1

Patient KF had a motorbike accident and was expected to lose the ability to create lasting memories.
Damage was done to the STM but not the LTM
This goes against the MSM

Question 2

What are the limitations of the MSM (3)

Answer 2

• Disproven by case studies eg KF
• Only considers a single STM memory store, however KF had an impaired verbal STM but not an impaired visual STM proving their are multiple STM memory stores
• Places too much emphasis on rehearsal to transfer info to LTM

info is not always rehearsed eg smell of candy floss from a funfair is not rehearsed but still LTM

Question 3

What is the working memory model?

Answer 3

It was theorised by Baddeley and Hitch to explain case studies like KF and elaborate on the MSM by including multiple components to STM

Question 4

What is the role of the phonlogical loop?

Answer 4

It processes verbal and auditory information and remembers the order that information is presented in.
Subvocal rehearsal can be used to store words seen on a page

subvocal rehearsal is internal rehearsal in order to process the words into verbal info for the phonlogical loop to digest

Question 5

State and explain the subcomponents of the phonlogical loop?

Answer 5

Primary acoustic store; Stores all auditory information for 1-2 seconds
Articulatory process; Stores auditory information required for an ongoing task, until no longer needed

PAS = filterv AP = temp. store

Question 6

Describe the capacity and duration of the articulatory process using the word length effect?

Answer 6

• capacity - this depends on how many words can be said in 2 seconds (WLE)
• duration - this depends on the amount of rehearsal

Question 7

What is the role of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 7

Visual and spatial information that does not rely on rehearsal

Question 8

State and explain the components of the visuo-spatial sketch pad?

Answer 8

• visual cache - holds visual info
• inner scribe - holds spatial info

Question 9

What is the role of the episodic buffer?

Answer 9

It is a multimodal store that combines info from all 5 senses to create a whole scene which can be transferred to LTM as an episodic memory

multimodal = all 5 senses

Question 10

What is the role of the central executive?

Answer 10

• not a memory store
• controls all the other memory stores
• It directs the right info to the correct store
• Allows division of attention across the stores
• there is limited attention division, so the CE can become overloaded

dividing info = if the radio sounds interesting while drivng then more attention is paid towards the phonological loop

Question 11

How are case studies used to support the WMM?

Answer 11

• eg. KF
• These are small cases that do not generalise to the wider population
• It is hard to establish cause and effect because theres no way to know how the person was before the brain damage

Question 12

How is neuro imaging used to support the WMM?

Answer 12

• Phonological loop = temporal lobe
• Visuo-spatial sketchpad = occipital lobe