Working Memory Model

Question 1

Working Memory Model (1975)

Central Executive

CE

Answer 1

• Component of WMM that coordinates the activities of the subsystems in memory.
• Allocates processing resources to those activities.
• CE has limited capacity and does not store information.

Question 2

Working Memory Model (1975)

Phonological Loop

PL

Answer 2

• Component of WMM that processes information in terms of sound.
• Written and spoken material.
• Divided into the phonological store and the articulatory process.

Question 3

Phonological Loop (WMM)

Phonological Store

Answer 3

Stores the words you hear.

Question 4

Phonological Loop (WMM)

Articulatory Process

Answer 4

• Allows maintenance rehearsal.
• Capacity is said to be 2 seconds worth of what you say.

Question 5

Working Memory Model (1975)

Visuospatial Sketchpad

VSS

Answer 5

• Component of WMM that processes visual and spatial information in a mental space (the ‘inner eye’).
• There are two subdivisions of VSS: visual cache and inner scribe.
• Visual cache: stores visual data.
• Inner scribe: records arrangement of objects in the visual field.

Question 6

Working Memory Model (1975)

Episodic Buffer

EB

Answer 6

• Component of WMM that organises material from other subsystems into single memory rather than seperate strands.
• Provides a bridge between working memory and LTM.
• Allows wider cognitive processes such as perception.

Question 7

Working Memory Model (1975) Evaluation

Clinical Evidence

Strength

Answer 7

• KF (case study) had poor STM ability for auditory information after suffering a brain injury.
• Visual processing was unaffected.
• Immediate recall of letters was better when read himself than when read to him.
• His PL was affected, but not his VSS.

Supports the existence of seperate visual and acoustic stores.

Question 8

Working Memory Model (1975) Evaluation

Counterpoint

Clinical Evidence

Answer 8

• Limitation: unclear whether KF had cognitive impairments which might have affected his performance on memory tasks.
• Trauma may have affected his cognitive performance.

Challenges evidence that comes from clinical studies of people with brain damage that may have affected many different systems.

Question 9

Working Memory Model (1975) Evaluation

Dual Task Performance

Answer 9

• Baddeley (1975) found simultaneous visual and verbal tasks had similar performance to when carried out separately.
• Performance decreased when doing two verbal (or two visual) tasks at the same time.

Shows there must be separate subsystems that process visual input (VSS) and verbal processing (PL)

Question 10

Working Memory Model (1975) Evaluation

Nature of the CE

Limitation

Answer 10

• There is a lack of clarity over the nature of the CE.
• Baddeley (2003) explained the CE is most important but least understood component of working memory.
• Needs to be more clearly specified than being just simply ‘attention’.
• Some psychologists believe CE may consist of subcomponents.

This lack of clarity challenges the integrity of the WMM.