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Memory > The Working Memory Model > Flashcards

The Working Memory Model Flashcards

1
Q

Who developed the Working Memory Model?

A

Baddeley & Hitch (1974)

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2
Q

What did Baddeley and Hitch suggest about memory?

A

Short Term Memory isn’t a unitary store
Every component of the WMM has limited capacity
Each component is independent of the other

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3
Q

What are the 4 components of the working memory model?

A

Central executive

Phonological Loop

Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad

Episodic Buffer

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4
Q

What does the central executive do?

A

Overall control of Short Term Memory
Process info in all sensory forms
Does problem solving and decision making
Directs tasks to each “slave system”

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5
Q

What is the phonological loop?

A

Temporarily stores and rehearses word based info in the order it arrives - reading, listening and speaking

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6
Q

What are the 2 components of the phonological loop?

A

Phonological store (inner ear)

Articulatory Process (inner voice)

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7
Q

What does the phonological store do?

A

Hold info in speech-based form for 1-2 seconds
Written words must be covered to speech code before entering

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8
Q

What does the Articulatory process do?

A

Acts as the “inner voice” and allows maintenance rehearsal of word-based information

Limited capacity and duration

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9
Q

What does the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad do?

A

Mental workplaces for storing and manipulating a limited amount of visual and spatial information for a brief amount of time

HELPS US KEEP TRACK OF WHERE WE ARE IN RELATION TO OTHER OBJECTS

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10
Q

What are the 2 components of the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad?

A

Visual cache - stores visual data
Inner scribe - remembers the arrangement of objects in space

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11
Q

What does the episodic buffer do?

A

Backup store which send info to the LTM and integrates spatial, verbal and visual info

Records order in which events happen

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12
Q

What is the capacity and coding for the central executive?

A

Limited capacity
Modality specific

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13
Q

What is the capacity and coding for the phonological loop?

A

Capacity is 1-2 seconds of speech
Acoustic coding

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14
Q

What is the capacity and coding for the Visuo-Spatial Sketchpad?

A

3-4 objects
Visual coding

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15
Q

What is the capacity and coding for the episodic buffer?

A

About 4 chunks of capacity
Integrates visual, spatial and verbal info together

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16
Q

What was the Baddeley & Hitch study (1976)?

A

Also participants to do 2 tasks at the same time
- digit span task
- verbal reasoning task

More digit = slightly more time but no errors in verbal reasoning

Proves WMM allows for MULTITASKING

17
Q

What are the strengths of the Working Memory Model?

A

Can account for dual tasking - Baddeley & Hitch (1976)

Accounts for case studies - KF & motorcycle

Brain scanning evidence - D’Esposito et al (1995)

Explains how we carry out everyday tasks better than the MSM

18
Q

How does the KF study support the WMM?

A

Shallice & Warrington (1970) found:
KF could remember verbal but not visual images

19
Q

What did D’Esposito et al (1995) find?

A

Prefrontal cortex active during verbal and spatial tasks but not separately
Suggests this brain area involves the central executive

20
Q

How does the WMM explain better than the MSM?

A

MSM says Short Term Memory is a unitary store
WMM explains the complexity of our Short Term Memory so it therefore has greater validity

21
Q

What are the weaknesses of the Working Memory Model?

A

Central Executive work isn’t clear - Eslinger & Damasio (1985)

Only focuses on Short Term Memory

Supporting studies lack ecological validity (B&H)

Evidence from case studies isn’t reliable

22
Q

How is the role of central executive unclear?

A

Eslinger & Damasio (1985)
Patient had cerebral tumour removed
Performed well on reasoning tests
Bad decision making

His central executive was not wholly intact (ce more complex)

23
Q

Why is evidence from brain-damaged patients unreliable?

A

Concern single cases of people who had traumatic experiences

Cannot generalise findings to see how memory works for everyone as case studies are unique
Not everyone with memory problems has the same type of brain damage

24
Q

How does the WMM only focus on the Short Term Memory?

A

The link between the WMM and Long Term Memory isn’t fully explained

WMM provides detail about Short Term Memory and not how info is processed & transferred from Short Term Memory to Long Term Memory

It is an incomplete model and needs to be completed

Memory (7 decks)

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