wmm working memory model

Question 1

key features of model

Answer 1

• replaced idea of a single stm
• suggests stm system involving active processing and short term storage of info ,which temp stores and manipulates info

Question 2

links wmm introduced by baddeley and hitch 1974;2000

Answer 2

central executive AT THE TOP
visuo spatial sketchpad , episodic buffer, phonological loop MIDDLE

( phonological loop )- phonological store + articulatory process)

LTM bottom

Question 3

what is the central executive

Answer 3

-monitor data received from visuo spatial sketchpad and phonological loop

capacity = limited

coding = modality free, (not limited to sight /sound/sense).

Question 4

what is the phonological loop

Answer 4

controlled by central executive

Overall , process auditory coded info

P store = holding words recently heard

Art proc= holds info through sub vocal repetition

2secs worth of info= capacity

coding -= acoustic

Question 5

visuo spatial sketchpad

Answer 5

to store visual data

to manipulate/ arrange images in the visual field

3-4 objects = capacity

coding = visual

Question 6

eposodic buffer

Answer 6

2000 year =
bring together and temporarily store information processed by the other subsystems

to link ltm and wider cognitive processes

limited , 4 chunks = capacity

coding = modality free , LIKE central executive

Question 7

strength 1 , case study

Answer 7

p - support from case study patient fk

e- afte rhis rbain injury, kf had poor stm ability for auditory information but could process visual formation normally

e- e.g his immediate recall of digits and letters was better when he read them (visual) than when they were read to him ( acoustic)

l- therefore it could be argued that kfs phonological lopp was damaged by his visuo spatial sketchpad was intact, findings strongly support the existance of seperate visual and acoustic memory stores

Question 8

strength

Answer 8

p- studies of dul task performace support the seperate exisence of the visuo spatial sketchpad

e- when badddeley et al 1975 pps carrid out a visual and verbal task at the same time , their performance on each was similar to when they carried out the task seperately, but when both tasks were visual, performance on both declined

e- because both visual taks compete for the same subststem whereas there is no competition when performing a verbal and visual task together

l- this supports that there must be a seperate subsystem that processes visual input and one for verbal processing

Question 9

disadvantage, clarity

Answer 9

p - lack of clarity over the nautre of the central executive

e- baddeley 2003 himself recognised this when he said the central executvie is the most important but least understood component of working memory, the ce needs to be more clearly specificed than just being simply attention

e - for example some psychologists believe that the ce may consist of seperate subcomponents

l- means that the ce is an unsatisfactory component and this challenges the integrity of the wmm