The Working Memory Model (WMM) Flashcards
What is the working memory model (WMM)?
working memory model (WMM) = A representation of short-term memory. It suggests that STM is a dynamic process of different types of information using sub-units coordinated by central decision-making system.
The working memory model is an explanation of how one aspect of memory (short-term memory) is organised and how it functions. The WMM is concerned with the parts of the mind that is active when we are temporarily storing and manipulating information, for example when working on an arithmetic problem or playing chess or comprehending language, etc. The model consists of four main components each of which is qualitatively different especially in terms of capacity and coding.
Central executive
Central executive (CE) = The component of the WMM that coordinates the activities of the three subsystems in memory. It also allocate processing resources to those activities.
The central executive is essentially an attentional process that monitors incoming data, makes decisions and allocates slave systems to tasks – the 3 slave systems are the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad and the episodic buffet. The central executive has a very limited processing capacity.
Phonological loop
Phonological loop (PL) = The component of the WMM that processes information in terms of sound. This includes both written and spoken material. It is divided into the following logical store and the articulatory process.
One of the slave systems is the phonological loop (PL). It deals with auditory information (i.e. coding is acoustic) and preserve the order in which the information arrives. The PL is divided into:
~ The phonological store, which stores the words you here.
~ The articulatory process, which allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating sound/words in a ‘loop’ to keep them in working memory while they are needed). The capacity of this ‘loop’ is believed to be two seconds’ worth of what you can say.
Visio-spatial sketchpad
Visuo-spatial sketchpad (VSS) = The component of the WMM that processes visual and spatial information in a mental space often called our ‘inner eye’.
The second slave system is the visuo-spatial sketchpad (PS). The VSS stores visual and/or spatial information when required. For example, if you are asked to work out how many windows are on your house you visualise it. It is also has a limited capacity, which according to Baddeley (2003) is about 3/4 objects. Logie (1995) subdivided the VSS into:
~ The visual cache, which stores visual data.
~ That in a scribe, which records the arrangement of objects in the visual field.
Episodic buffet
Episodic buffer (EB) = The component of the WMM that brings together material from the other subsystems into a single memory rather than separate strands. It also provides a bridge between working memory and LTM.
The third slave system is the episodic buffer. This was added to the model by Baddeley in 2000. It is a temporary store for information, integrating the visual, special, and verbal information processed by other stores and maintaining a sense of time sequencing – basically recording events (episodes) that are happening. It can be seen as the storage component of the central executive and has a limited capacity of about 4 chunks (Baddeley 2012). The episodic buffer links working memory to LTM and wider cognitive processes such as perception.
Evaluation
+ Support for the WMM comes from Schallice & Warrington’s (1970) case study of patient KF who had suffered brain damage. After this damage happened KF had poor STM ability for verbal information but could process visual information normally presented visually, i.e. he had difficulty with sound but could recall letters and digits. This suggests that just his phonological loop had been damaged leaving other areas of memory intact. This supports the existence of a separate visual and acoustic store. However, evidence from brain-damaged patients may not be reliable because it concerns unique cases with patients who have had traumatic experiences.
+. Studies of dual task performance support the separate existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Baddeley et al. (1975) showed that participants had more difficulty doing 2 visual tasks (tracking a light and describing the letter F) than doing both a visual and verbal task at the same time. This increased difficulty is because both visual tasks compete for the same slave system whereas, when doing a verbal and visual task simultaneously, there is no competition. This means there must be a separate slave system (the VSS) the processes visual input.
- Cognitive psychologists suggest that the central executive component of the WMM is unsatisfactory and doesn’t really explain anything. Baddeley himself recognised this when he said: ‘ The central executive is the most important but the least understood component of working memory’. The central executive needs to be more clearly specified than just being simply ‘attention’. For example, some psychologists believe it may consist of separate components. This means that the WMM hasn’t been fully explained.
