working memory model

Question 1

what is the working memory model?

Answer 1

an explanation of short term memory only. the focus is on how we actively process information rather than simply where we store information.

Question 2

7 parts of the working memory model (as in diagram)

Answer 2

central executive, visuospatial sketchpad, episodic buffer, long-term memory, phonological loop, (articulatory control system, phonological store)

Question 3

what is the central executive?

Answer 3

the component that coordinates the activities of the three subsystems in memory, it also allocated processing resources to these activities.

Question 4

capacity of the central executive

Answer 4

very limited

Question 5

what is the phonological loop?

Answer 5

this deals with auditory information, both written and spoken material. it is divided into subsections

Question 6

what is the coding of the phonological loop?

Answer 6

acoustic

Question 7

what are the two subsections in the phonological loop?

Answer 7

•the phonological store (inner ear)
•the articulatory process (inner voice)

Question 8

what is the phonological store?

Answer 8

this stores words you hear (like your inner ears)

Question 9

what is the articulatory process?

Answer 9

this allows maintenance rehearsal (repeating sounds or words in a ‘loop’) (like an inner voice)

Question 10

what is the capacity of the articulatory process?

Answer 10

two seconds worth of what you can say

Question 11

what is the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 11

the component that processes visual and spatial information in a mental space often called our ‘inner eye’, this is also divided into subdivisions.

Question 12

what is the coding of the central executive?

Answer 12

modality- free

Question 13

what is the coding of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 13

visually

Question 14

what is the capacity of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 14

3 or 4 items

Question 15

what are the two sections of the visuo-spatial sketchpad

Answer 15

•the visual cache
•the inner scribe

Question 16

what does the visual cache do?

Answer 16

stores visual data (images)

Question 17

what does the inner scribe do?

Answer 17

it records the arrangement of objects in the visual field, spatial orientation

Question 18

what is the episodic buffer?

Answer 18

it brings together material from other subsections into a single memory rather than separate strands. it provides a bridge between working memory and long-term memory

Question 19

what is the encoding of the episodic buffer?

Answer 19

modality-free

Question 20

what is the capacity of the episodic buffer?

Answer 20

3 or 4 items

Question 21

two strengths of the working memory model

Answer 21

•clinical evidence (evidence for separate auditory and visual processing)
•dual task performance (supports the existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad)

Question 22

strength: clinical evidence

Answer 22

•there is evidence for separate auditory and visual processing
•studies with brain damaged individuals have shown impairments affecting auditory processing but not visual processing, and vice versa
•the patient KF suffered brain damage, he had a poor ability to hold verbal information yet was able to process visual information
•he could only recall 2 items when they were read aloud
•this suggests that his phonological loop was damaged, however his visuo-spatial sketchpad was fine, suggesting the existence of separate memory components

Question 23

strength: dual task performance

Answer 23

•studies show that simultaneous processing is difficult when the tasks are both visual or both auditor
•dual processing is easier when a visual task is paired with the same verbal one, this is as both tasks are competing for the same ‘slave system’
•this supports the existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad as there must be separate systems for visual and auditory information
•people were asked to track a light and trace the outline of the letter F, or describe the letter F. they performed better in the visual and verbal task

Question 24

two weaknesses of the working model of memory

Answer 24

•the supporting studies use artificial tasks
•the theory is incomplete

Question 25

weakness: the supporting studies use artificial tasks

Answer 25

•most of the evidence to support this theory has emerged from very artificial laboratory-based tasks (such as the duel processing task)
•this means the findings of these studies may not be applicable to real life as they are not a measure of daily working memory, which questions the validity of the conclusions drawn

Question 26

weakness: the theory is incomplete

Answer 26

•the WMM does not explain how information in the working memory becomes a long term memory
•it does not give a full explanation of the memory processes