working memory model

Question 1

what are the assumptions of the working memory model?

Question 2

who devised the working memory model?

Answer 2

Baddelely and Hitch 1974

Question 3

what area of memory does this model focus on?

Answer 3

Short Term Memory

Question 4

how many components does this model suggest there are within STM and what are they?

Answer 4

4
- central executive
- phonological loop
- visuo-spatial sketchpad
- episodic buffer

Question 5

what is the role of the central executive?

Answer 5

It is the attentional control system which allocates the tasks and therefore is where decision making occurs

Question 6

what are the features of the central executive?

Answer 6

modality free meaning it can take in and process information from all senses

limited capacity and duration - know this as it is short term memory

Question 7

why is the central executive the store with the smallest amount of research?

Answer 7

argued to be the most important store but also the hardest to study which is why there is little research. This is because it is difficult to study and measure as it surrounds people’s subjective thoughts which can’t be shown on a scan

Question 8

which of the three sub systems are known as slave systems?

Answer 8

phonological loop and visuo-spatial sketchpad

Question 9

what is the role of the phonological loop?

Answer 9

processes auditory (sound) and verbal information in speech base form

Question 10

what stores is the phonological loop subdivided into and what are their alternative names?

Answer 10

Phonological store also known as the inner ear
Articulatory process also known as the inner voice

Question 11

what are the features of the phonological loop?

Answer 11

-holds a limited amount of information for a short time
(limited duration and capacity)
- modality specific ==> only processes information from verbal or sound based info

Question 12

what is the role and features of the phonological store?

Answer 12

The phonological store also called Inner Ear is a. speech based storage system
- holds the words you hear for brief periods
- decay rate approx 2 seconds (limited duration)

Question 13

what is the role and features of the articulatory process?

Answer 13

the articulatory store also called Inner Voice is
the sub-vocal repetition process that silently repeats words to prevent them from decaying
==> form of maintenance rehearsal so it doesn’t decay or displace

Question 14

what is the role of the visuo-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 14

processes a limited number of objects (3-4) which are spatial (periphery) and visual

Question 15

what are the features of the visa-spatial sketchpad?

Answer 15

• temporary storage system
• limited capacity
• modality specific ==> only visual and spatial based information can be processed

Question 16

what two components is the visuo-spatial sketchpad sub-divided into and what are the alternative names?

Answer 16

visual cache and the inner scribe
==> inner eye and no other name

Question 17

what is the role and features of the visual cache?

Answer 17

codes objects and features such as shapes and colour
- limited capacity
- only visual tasks are processed here

Question 18

what is the role and features of the inner scribe?

Answer 18

spatial component that processes the location and movement of objects in your field of vision
==> peripheral

Question 19

what is the role and features of the episodic buffer?

Answer 19

Temporary storage system that allows information from the CE / PL / VSS to be combined with information from LTM
==> integrates this so it can be transferred

Question 20

what does this model suggest the dual task problem is?

Answer 20

you cannot do two things which uses the same store at once without one suffering
- this is because of conflicting / divided attention

Question 21

What studies of Dual task performance are there? And how do they support it

Answer 21

Studies of dual task performance support the separate existence of the visuo-spatial sketchpad. Baddeley et al (1975) showed that ppts had more difficulty doing two visual tasks at the same time than a visual and verbal task at the same time. The difficulty is due to both visual tasks competing for the same slave system, but not for visual and verbal. This means there must be a separate slave system that processes visual imput