the working memory model Flashcards
what are the features of the working memory model
- stm is not unitary but it has separate components
- each separate part process and stores different types of information
- each component contains different types of memory codes
- all have limited capacity
what does the working memory model look like
central executive -
visuospatial sketchpad - episodic buffer - phonological loop
visual semantics - episodic LTm - language
what does the central executive do and what is it
it is the organiser of the stm - deals with incoming informations stores it - decide what pieces of information get sent to the different components ( slave systems ) - limited capacity - codes information in all sensory form - can only deal with one type of information at a time due to its limited capacity
what does the phonological loop do
deals with auditory information - codes acoustically - perseveres the order in which information arrives - active during verbal tasks - limited capacity
sub divided :
phonological loop - stores words you can hear
the articulatory loop - allows for maintenance rehearsal - capacity is 2 seconds of what you can say
what does the visuo-spatial sketchpad do
stores / manipulates visual and spatial information - involved in pattern recognition and perception of movement - deals with what items look like and the physical relationship between them - active during visual tasks - limited capacity of 3 - 4 objects
sub divided
visual cache - stores visual data
inner scribe - records the arrangement of objects in your visual field
what is the episodic buffer and what does it do
limited capacity - acts as a temporary backup store - responsible for integrating and manipulating material from the CE , PL , V and LTM - processes information that requires 2 different senses at the same time - make sense of time- sequencing
most important function - recall material from ltm and integrate it into components of the stm when the working memory requires it
study to support Wmm :
baddeley et al ( 1973 ) dual task performance
condition 1: ppt were given a simple tracking task that involved holding a pointer in contact with a moving spot of light at the same time ppt were called to perform a imagery task which was described the letter F ( both vss tasks )
condition 2 : ppt were given the tracking task above and a verbal tasks ( use separate components vss and pl )
ppt found it hard to track the spot of light and describe the letter f condition 1 but were more capable of carrying out the tracking task and verbal tasks ( condition 2 )
2 visual tasks were completed less successfully because competent for limited space of vss . the visual and verbal tasks can be done well because they are making use of separate components vss and pl - not competing for limited storage in the same component
evaluation :
( + ) supported by research - baddeley et al
( + ) supported by case study KF
baddeley et al ( 1973 ) found that ppt could successfully track a spot of light and complete a verbal task at the same time ( vss and pl ) however ppt found it difficult to track a spot of light and describe the letter f at the same time ( both us vss )
support wmm as a valid exploration of memory because it supports the claim that stm is not unitary but consists of separate components that have limited capacity
KF had suffered brain damage after a stroke following a motorcycle accident that affected his stm . kf had poor stm ability for auditory information ( sound ) but could process visual information normally . for instance his immediate recall of letters and digital was better when he read them ( visual) that when they were read to him ( acoustic ) this suggests that his pl had been damaged but his vss was still in tact . support wmm as a valid explanation of memory as it supports the existence of separate visual and acoustic stores as the model suggests
however evidence from brain damage patients may not be reliable because it concerns unique cases with patients who had traumatic experiences
evaluation :
( - ) difficult to study stm
( - ) fails to take music into account
as the stm has a limited duration of 30s it is hard to find an experimental method that works quick enough to test its working . also tasks that are given to patients to test stm have low ecological validity as they would not be carried out in everyday living.
limitation as an experimental evidence relating to stm might therefore not be valid
the model would suggest that listening to instrumental music should impair performance on other acoustic tasks eg speaking but that doesn’t seem to be the case
limitation as the current model is not completely and fully developed however hitch and baddeley acknowledged this and are continually adapting the model in light of new research
