wmm Flashcards
background on wmm
- baddeley and hitch
- memory is a number of different stores
- STM is not a unitary store
- LTM is a passive store that holds previously learned material for use by the STM when needed
- suggested that performing an auditory and spatial task simultaneously should not impair performance
- but completing two spatial tasks would lead to deterioration in performance
central executive
- directs attention to tasks, decided what wm is paying attention to
- determines how slave systems are allocated
- limited capacity as info is encoded from senses but cannot hold it for long
phonological loop
- deals with auditory information
- subdivided into:
- phonological store: holds words heard
- articulatory process: holds words heard and seen and silently repeats them/loops them like an inner voice (homunculus), which is a maintenance rehearsal (capacity = 2 secs worth of what you say)
- limited capacity
phonological similarity effect
- words that sound similar are harder to recall than those that don’t
- not found in semantically similar words
- so the phonological store relies on acoustic encoding for storage
word length effect
- the capacity of the articulatory process depends on the length of time it takes so say the words
- if a word is polysyllabic it is harder to remember
- this makes it harder to store a list of long words as the rehearsal of the word takes longer than 2 seconds
visuo-spatial sketchpad
- temporarily holds and manipulates verbal and spatial information
- information is encoded either from observing images or from LTM
1. visual cache: stores info about form and colour
2. inner scribe: stores spatial and movement information and rehearses info from the visual cache - limited capacity
dual task performance
- performing 2 tasks at the same time
- can be done as long as the tasks use diff components of the working memory
- processing slows down if the same component is used
episodic buffer
- added later on as the model needed a more general store
- processes information from central executive, phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad and integrates it
- links wm to LTM
- limited capacity
give 2 strengths of the wmm
Supporting evidence from Paulesu, who showed how neuroscience research has shown how different brain functions are localised within specific areas of the brain. For example, PET scans revealed that the PL is localised within the left hemisphere in the inferior parietal lobe. Therefore, there is quantitative and objective, scientific evidence to support the existence of slave systems, increasing the credibility and reliability of the model.
Dual- task performance studies have supported its predictions. Baddeley found that when ppts performed a visual and verbal task together there was no effect on performance, but when they performed 2 visual tasks or 2 verbal tasks performance deteriorated. Therefore, it supports the claims that the slave systems, e.g VSSP, have a limited capacity, so experience cognitive overload when completing similar tasks simultaneously as it requires the use of the same brain component, supporting the idea that STM is made up of multiple stores not just one.
give 2 weaknesses of the wmm
One weakness of the WMM is that there are criticisms over the description of the CE. For example, Baddeley wrote “ the CE is the most important but the least understood component of WM”. The CE needs to be more clearly specified than just simply being ‘attention’. Some researchers believe it consists of separate subcomponents, e.g. a conscious supervisory attentional process and an unconscious automatic process. Therefore, it shows how the original model was too reductionist, proving an incomplete explanation of working memory.
Opposing evidence from Liberman, which disputes its description of the VSSP. He pointed out that blind people have spatial memory, they can remember where things are and not bump into them even though they have never had any visual information. Therefore, it opposes the claims that the VSSP is one single store, instead implying it must have multiple components, rejecting the WMM.
application
high application to society. For example, it can help people to improve their memory, like not revising for an exam whilst watching TV simultaneously. Instead you can concentrate on 2 differently coded sources at once, e.g. copying a mind map and listening to a podcast. Therefore, it helps students in improving in school and getting better grades, and teachers can recommend more ways to help students revise.
rough essay plan
para 1
ao1- background info, CE, PL
+ paulesu - reductionism
para 2
ao1- vssp and eb
+ baddeley, dual task performance - liberman, blind ppl
application
