Working memory- Memory

Question 1

Who developed the working memory theory and which store does it provide evidence for ?

Answer 1

• Baddeley
• short term memory

Question 1

What is the central executive?

Answer 1

• info enters the mind for processing
• ATTENTIONAL PROCESS that monitors incoming data
• makes decisions
  -directs other slave systems
• limited storage

Question 2

What is the phonological loop?

what 2 parts is it subdivided into?

Answer 2

• deals with auditory info
• subdivided into:
  –> phonological store= stores words you hear
  –> articulatory process= allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating sounds/ words to keep them circulating in the working memory)

Question 3

What is the visuo-spatial scratch pad?

what is it subdivided into?

Answer 3

• rehearses info and deals with visual information
• ‘mental pictures’ are held here
• limited capacity
• subdivided into:
  –> visual cache= stores visual data
  –> inner scribe= records the arrangement of objects in the visual field

Question 4

What is the episodic buffer?

Answer 4

• temporary information store
• integrates visual, spatial and verbal info processed by other stores
• limited capacity
• links the working memory to the LTM and wider cognitive processes such as perception

Question 5

Describe research evidence for the working memory:

PROCEDURE

Answer 5

BROOKS

• showed ppts a block capital with an asterisk next to the bottom left corner
• asked to visualise moving the asterisk clockwise around the letter , whilst saying yes or no when indicating whether at each corner they came across, the line was on the top or bottom of the letter
• 2 different response conditions: one simply saying yes or no, other was having to point to a sign saying either yes or no located in the room
• time taken to complete the mental trip around the letter was timed

Question 6

Research into WM,

describe the results and conclusions

Answer 6

results= ppts who had to point to a sign took longer to complete the mental trip than those saying yes or no out loud

conclusions=
-task of processing uses the visa-spatial scratch pad, but articulating the response doesn’t so it can happen relatively quickly

• having to point to a sign uses the visuo-spatial scratch pad whilst visualising can overload the limited capacity of the visa-spatial scratch pad

GREATER DEMAND ON THE LIMITED CAPACITY OF THE VISUO-SPATIAL SCRATCH PAD

Question 7

AO3 working memory

Answer 7

• practical application, eg counting sheep helps treat insomnia as it uses the phonological loop which blocks information that may be keeping you awake
• the central executive does the most but we know the least about it, difficult to design tasks that use only the CE
• studies lack ecological validity as most of the evidence for this theory has been produced within a lab, could be argued that it lacks in what it claims to explain: MEMORY IN EVERYDAY SETTINGS