WMM

Question 1

Key components of the working memory model

Answer 1

Central Executive
Phonological Loop
Visuo-spatial Sketchpad
Episodic Buffer

Question 2

Function of central executive

Answer 2

Controls other sub-components
Involved in decision making and reasoning (higher mental processes)
Allocates resources to sub-components
Little to no storage capacity

Question 3

Primary acoustic store

Answer 3

Linked to speech perception
Holds info for 1-2 seconds
Remembers sounds in order

Question 4

Articulatory process

Answer 4

Linked to speech production
Capacity of 2 seconds of speech
Info from PAS is repeated in the loop to prevent decay

Question 5

Visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 5

Codes and rehearses info through visualising mental pictures
Limited capacity of 3 to 4 objects

Visual cache = stores visual info about form and colour
Inner scribe = handles spatial relations
-Rehearses and transfers info in VC to the CE

Question 6

Function and features of episodic buffer

Answer 6

Integrates info from VSSP and PL
Temporary storage system
Limited capacity = 4 chunks of info
Two way communication with LTM

Question 7

Strengths of the WMM

Answer 7

Research supporting dual task studies - Baddeley and Hitch

Physiological evidence of different components specialising in particular tasks - Cohen et al

Question 8

Limitations of the WMM

Answer 8

Evidence against unitary view of the central executive - EVR

Doesn’t account for all types of memory - Berz

Question 9

Baddeley and Hitch research support for dual task studies

Answer 9

Participants were asked to complete a verbal task and a separate task in the central executive
Recall was unaffected

When same participants were asked to complete two similar tasks
Recall was affected

Question 10

Physiological evidence by Cohen et al

Answer 10

Broca’s Area was more active when doing verbal tasks
(Linked to speech production)

Occipital lobe was more active when doing visual tasks