Working Memory Model

Question 1

What is Baddeley and Hitch’s 1974 WMM?

Answer 1

A representation of STM. Suggests that STM is a dynamic processor of different types of info using different subunits coordinated by central-decision making.

Question 2

What is Baddeley and Hitch’s 1974 WMM concerned with?

Answer 2

the mental space that is active when we temporarily store and manipulate information like playing chess.

Question 3

What components does the WMM consist of?

Answer 3

A Central control system which is assisted by 3 slave sub-systems.

Question 4

Central Executive

Answer 4

An attentional process that has a supervisory role. Monitors incoming data, makes decisions and allocates slave subsystems to tasks.

Very limited processing capacity and does not store information.

Question 5

Phonological Loop

Answer 5

• One of the slave systems.
• Deals with auditory info (acoustic encoding).
• Preserves order in which info arrives.

Question 6

Phonological loop Subdivision -Articulatory process

Answer 6

Articulatory process - Allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating sounds/words in a loop to keep them in the phonological store). Capacity of the loop is believed to be 2 seconds.

Question 7

Phonological loop Subdivision - Phonological Store

Answer 7

Stores auditory info like the words you hear.

Question 8

Visuo-spatial Sketchpad

Answer 8

Temporarily store visual and/or spatial info when required.
Has a limited capacity according to Baddeley (2003) who says its about 3 or 4 objects.

Question 9

Robert Logie (2005) VSS Subdivisions

Answer 9

Visual Cache - Stores visual data.

Inner Scribe - Records arrangement of objects in the visual field. A process that allows rehearsal of the info to maintain it in the visual cache.

Question 10

Episodic Buffer

Answer 10

Added to model in 2000.

Temporary store that integrates acoustic, visual and spatial info processed by other subsystems.

Maintains a sense of time sequencing; recording events (episodes) that are happening.

Limited capacity of 4 chunks. Combines info from other subsystems with LTM and links to wider cognitive processes like perception.

Question 11

Strength: Support from laboratory experiments

Answer 11

Dual task performance studies support WMM predictions.

Baddeley et al 1975:
- Visual and verbal task together same performance as when separate.

• With 2 visual/verbal tasks, performance declined.
• Because 2 of the same compete on the same slave sub-system. Shows there are separate slave sub-systems processing each output

Question 12

Weakness: Lack of clarity over CE

Answer 12

CE does not really explain anything. Baddeley (2003) said that the CE is the most important but least understood component.

CE needs to be more clearly specified, WMM has not been fully explained.